Record 750 artworks submitted for 2026 National Gallery portrait prize

A record 750 artists have submitted works for the 2026 AIB Portrait Prize, according to the head curator of the National Gallery of Ireland, Brendan Rooney.

“This year was the largest number of submissions in the 13 years of the prize,” said Rooney.

Speaking on the sheer volume of applicants, he said “it was remarkable, and suggests that [the portrait prize] really has established itself on the calendar for artists”.

Established in 2014, the competition is open to both Irish artists abroad and those based in Ireland, working in any medium. The portrait must have been produced in the last three years.

The winner receives a cash prize of €15,000 and a commission of €5,000 to produce a portrait for inclusion in the National Gallery’s portrait collection, with a subject of the gallery’s choosing. There are two “highly commended” prizes of €1,500 each. This year’s exhibition opens today.

Of the 26 works shortlisted, there are 12 paintings and nine photographs, and the remaining five artworks were created using mixed media such as video, pastel, pencil and the blood of one of the exhibiting artists.

Domnick Sorace’s Self-Extended, created in 2023, makes use of the artist’s blood and distilled water, showcased in hollow glass spheres.

Joe Caslin’s Seen reproduces his 50ft mural of a transgender man originally installed on Dublin’s Townsend Street, using graphite and digital drawing, and archival pigment print on cotton rag paper.

The winner of the 2026 Portrait Prize will be announced on Wednesday, December 2nd. The works are judged “blind”, meaning the panel of Irish artist Brian Fay, writer Joseph McBrinn and the Irish Museum of Modern Art’s head of collections, Christina Kennedy, do not know the identity of the artists.

“The reality is that they will recognise some of the works – that happens every year – but we don’t provide them with the artists’ name or gender,” says Rooney.

“The panel of judges changes every year. That has been a key part, to avoid any kind of prescriptive approach, to establish itself over time. The judging panel has historically included an artist, an academic and a curator. It is their choice in how they determine the winner. They look for qualities that speak to them, that are insightful, that resonate, that draw you into the story behind the artwork.”

According to the National Gallery, 108,743 people visited the 2025 exhibition.

In tandem with the competition is the AIB Young Portrait Prize, for artists under the age of 18.

Jennie Taylor, education administrator at the museum, said that although it has been a bumper year for the senior category, the junior category received a little over 200 artworks – “which isn’t huge; we have had more in previous years, especially during Covid – that was through the roof”.

The latter prize was founded in 2019 and is open to children of all ages up to 18.

There are 20 children shortlisted for prizes across four age categories; six years and under, seven to 11 years, 12 to 15 years, and 16 to 18 years. As well as the category winners, there is one overall winner. The category prizes are €250, with €500 for the overall winner, and a selection of art supplies for all.

“Seven to 11 is quite a tricky category, as there is a leap in development at that age, but that is all considered in the judging,” explained Taylor.

The AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize exhibitions are on display in the Portrait Gallery (Room 23) in the National Gallery of Ireland until March 14th, 2027. They are at the Galway Arts Centre from April 3rd to June 27th next, and at Limerick City Gallery of Art from July 9th to August 15th.