Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award 2026
In an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and the rapid proliferation of images, the biennial Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award takes on particular relevance. At a time when likeness can be simulated instantly, the Award foregrounds the enduring value of human observation, technical skill, and interpretation. It affirms portraiture as a slow, deliberate and deeply human undertaking – one grounded in attention, intimacy, care and exchange between artist and sitter, and on the fragile, complex act of seeing and being seen.
The Award is distinctive in its focus – all works must depict the subject accurately and without abstraction, representing a living person known to the artist and aware of the process. This commitment to realistic portrait painting has defined the Award since its inception and continues to distinguish it within the national portrait prize landscape. Previous recipients include Lucy Culliton, Shaun Gladwell and Sally Robinson.
The Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award is one of Australia’s major prizes for realistic portraiture. The $50,000 biennial award is non-acquisitive and is among the higher-value portrait prizes in the country, attracting hundreds of entries from many of the nation’s leading artists.
We thank the generosity of our Award patron Peter Hannan.
For the 2026 Award, several changes have been introduced to better support artists. The entry fee has been reduced, and finalists will receive an artist loan fee, along with a contribution towards artwork freight costs.
Entries are now open for the 2026 Award. More information here.
Exhibition dates: 12 December 2026 – 27 February 2027.
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History of the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award
Portraitist Shirley Hannan was well known in the Bega Valley as a staunch supporter and generous patron of the arts. She funded the John Balmain National Award for Portraits and Figure Drawing from 1993 until she re-established it in her own name in 2002. Before her death in 2005, Hannan doubled the prize purse and it was decided to discard the figure drawing component of the prize, concentrating on portraiture alone.
Hannan’s husband, Brian Settle, established the Shirley Hannan Trust to perpetuate the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award as a biennial, national portrait prize with a focus on accurate depiction. In 2012, Hannan’s son Peter, paid further tribute to his mother’s memory with a generous personal donation, significantly increasing the prize purse for subsequent awards to $50,000.
Founded when the South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA) was the Bega Valley Regional Gallery, the Award remains a cornerstone of the organisation’s program.
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Recent winners, works and judges
2024 (Winner) Lucy Culliton, Support Crew. (Judges) Jude Rae, artist, and Dr Sarah Engledow, independent curator
2022 SHNPA not run this year, gallery closed for redevelopment
2020 (Winner) Cameron Richards, Miss Priya Premkumar. (Judge) Karen Quinlan AM, Director, National Portrait Gallery
2018 (Winner) Marcus Callum, Meg. (Judge) Dr Andrew Frost, Guardian Australia art critic, lecturer and broadcaster
2016 (Winner) Sally Robinson, Portrait of Ella Rubeli. (Judge) Dr Christopher Chapman, Senior Curator at the National Portrait Gallery
2014 (Winner) Shaun Gladwell, Portrait of Meyne Wyatt/Black Digger. (Judge) Sarah Engledow, Senior Curator and Historian, National Portrait Gallery
2012 (Winner) Neil Moore, Portrait of Claudio. (Judge) Michael Desmond, Deputy Director, National Portrait Gallery
2010 (Winner) Mathew Lynn, Pierre Ryckmans. (Judge) John McDonald, Author and Art Critic, Sydney Morning Herald