Judged by three Australian art experts – Director of the National Portrait Gallery Bree Pickering, award-winning multidisciplinary artist Abdul Abdullah, and Associate Professor of Art History at the Australian National University Robert Wellington – artists have just four hours to paint a portrait of some of Australia’s most beloved celebrities.
Portrait Artist of the Year starts Sunday 16 August on ABC TV and ABC iview and the winner’s final commission will be on view at the National Portrait Gallery from Monday 5 October 2026.














