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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2020

Previous exhibition
from Friday 6 March until Sunday 27 September 2020
The mahi-mahi, 2019 Rob Palmer
The mahi-mahi, 2019 Rob Palmer

The National Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition is selected from a national field of entries, reflecting the distinctive vision of Australia's aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects. The winner for 2020 is

The mahi-mahi  by Rob Palmer

The Highly Commended Award went to Hugh Stewart for Eileen Kramer is a dancer. The Art Handlers' Award went to Shea Kirk for Gemma Baxter (right view). The People’s Choice Award went to Klarissa Dempsey for Wonder.

For the 2020 Prize, judges Nici Cumpston (guest judge, Curator, Art Gallery of South Australia), Naomi Hobson (guest judge, painter and photographer), and Penny Grist (Curator, National Portrait Gallery) selected 47 portraits from over 2400 entries. We thank everyone who submitted photographs for the Prize.

47 NPPP 2020 portraits
view all

Wonder, 2019 Klarissa Dempsey
Eileen Kramer is a dancer, 2019 Hugh Stewart
Gemma Baxter (right view), 2019 Shea Kirk
Rory, 2019 Michael Murchie
Lenny, 2019 Karen Waller
Regina Pilawuk Wilson, Nuova Gibellina, 2019 Tim Hillier
1 Wonder, 2019 Klarissa Dempsey. 2 Eileen Kramer is a dancer, 2019 Hugh Stewart. 3 Gemma Baxter (right view), 2019 Shea Kirk. 4 Rory, 2019 Michael Murchie. 5 Lenny, 2019 Karen Waller. 6 Regina Pilawuk Wilson, Nuova Gibellina, 2019 Tim Hillier.
Writing on the Wall, 2019 Dr Christian Thompson AO
Writing on the Wall, 2019 Dr Christian Thompson AO
Writing on the Wall, 2019 Dr Christian Thompson AO
Writing on the Wall, 2019 Dr Christian Thompson AO

To arrive at hope

NPPP 2020 exhibition essay

Penelope Grist, National Photographic Portrait Prize judge and curator, introduces the 2020 Prize.

Winner announcement

NPPP 2020

Karen Quinlan AM, Director, National Portrait Gallery announces the Winner and Highly Commended Award for the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2020.

Art Handlers' Award 2020

James & Jessica

The Art Handlers' Award for 2020 went to Gemma Baxter (right view), 2019 by Shea Kirk.

Prizes

Thanks to Canon Australia, the Winner of the NPPP 2020 will be awarded over $50,000 in prizes. Thanks to Eizo, the Highly Commended winner will receive a ColorEdge monitor, and the winner of the Art Handlers' Award will receive $2,000 thanks to IAS Fine Art Logistics.

Sam, 2018 Vivienne Noble
Sam, 2018 Vivienne Noble
Sam, 2018 Vivienne Noble
Sam, 2018 Vivienne Noble

Learning resource

Google Arts and Culture

A learning resource exploring select works from the NPPP 2020 for secondary students.

Brenda L Croft and Dr Matilda House
Brenda L Croft and Dr Matilda House
Brenda L Croft and Dr Matilda House
Brenda L Croft and Dr Matilda House

Brenda L Croft and Dr Matilda House

In Conversation

Brenda L Croft (Gurindji/Malngin/Mudburra peoples) talks with Ngambri/Ngunnawal/Wiradjuri elder, Dr Matilda House, about her photographic portrait.

Related people

Penelope Grist (curator)

Prize history
Winners and finalists

Browse all the photos exhibited in the National Photographic Portrait Prize since 2007.
Exhibitions

Explore the previous exhibitions.
National Photographic Portrait Prize 2020 tour dates

Originally shown at the National Portrait Gallery
Friday 6th March until Sunday 27th September 2020

Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery

Saturday 13th February until Sunday 28th March 2021

Grafton Regional Gallery

Saturday 24th April until Sunday 13th June 2021

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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