National Photographic Portrait Prize 2020, National Portrait Gallery

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)

Eileen Kramer is a dancer, 2019 Hugh Stewart

Gemma Baxter (right view), 2019 Shea Kirk

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

To arrive at hope

NPPP 2020 exhibition essay

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

NPPP 2020 Winner Announcement video: 4 minutes 30 seconds

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.

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

In Conversation

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

Related information

Greta In Her Kitchen, 36 weeks, 2018 by Alana Holmberg

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2019

Previous exhibition, 2019

The 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.