Events

National Galleries Scotland: Portrait to host Scottish Portrait Awards  

Image: Gordon Mitchell, Kirsty Wark, Sara Cameron McBean, Calum Stevenson, Imogen Gibbon (Julie Howden)

For 2026, Scotland’s portrait competition moves to the Edinburgh gallery, oering £16,000 in prizes across fine art and photography categories

The 2026 Scottish Portrait Awards are to be hosted from a new venue for the first time in its history. Next year the ceremony will be hosted from National Galleries Scotland: Portrait in Edinburgh. 

Organised by the Scottish Arts Trust for the first time in 2017, the Scottish Portrait Awards sees around 120 works selected for the fine art and photography exhibitions which will be held in National Galleries Scotland: Portrait from Autumn 2026 – Spring 2027.

The exhibitions will also include 50 works selected from the free-to-enter ‘Scotland Now! Phone Portrait Award’, which is open to anyone aged 16 years or over and living in Scotland. 

All entries are also in the running for cash prizes totalling £16,000 which will be presented by the Scottish Arts Trust.

National Galleries of Scotland have a longstanding relationship with the Scottish Portrait Awards with former judges from the galleries including Imogen Gibbon, Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Portraiture and Ben Harman Senior Curator, Photography.

Kirsty Wark, Scottish Portrait Awards Guest Judge said “It’s really exciting to have the opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of Scotland’s amazing up and coming talented artists. I am thrilled to be part of the judging panel and to be supporting the great work of the Scottish Arts Trust.”

Imogen Gibbon, Deputy Director and Chief Curator of Portraiture at National Galleries of Scotland added: “This will be one of the most ambitious exhibitions of contemporary Scottish portraiture of its time. We are making the announcement early because we want as many artists as possible to be aware of the opportunity to see their work hanging in the Portrait Gallery.”