Brisbane portrait prize now among Australia’s richest art awards thanks to funding boost
The Lord Mayor’s Prize, the top award in the annual Brisbane Portrait Prize, will increase by 50 per cent from $50,000 to $75,000 from 2027.
The funding boost puts the prize among the nation’s richest art awards and brings the overall prize pool to $139,500.
Brisbane City Council funds the Lord Mayor’s Prize and acquires the winning portrait each year.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the extra prize money was a way of supporting Brisbane’s talented artists and important stories.
“As our city continues to grow and change, it’s important we celebrate our history, embrace our identity and support the artists who bring Brisbane’s stories to life,” Schrinner said.
Brisbane Portrait Prize chair Anna Reynolds said the prize was now of national significance.
“As the world’s attention turns to Brisbane over the next six years, a place-based prize like this embodies our city, our arts, our culture and our character,” she said.
Brisbane Portrait Prize launched in 2019 and is open to artists with a connection to Brisbane.
In addition to the Lord Mayor’s Prize, smaller cash prizes are given in eight other categories, along with grants.
The winner of the Lord Mayor’s Prize in 2026 was Pat Hoffie for her portrait of her elderly father.
Hundreds of art prizes are awarded in Australia each year, both government funded and privately funded, and at least seven award $80,000 or more for a single artwork.
The most famous is the Archibald Prize, which has been given out most years since 1921 and is worth $100,000.
Australia’s richest art prize was formerly the Doug Moran Portrait Prize, with a top prize of $150,000. It has been on hold since 2023.
In its absence the most lucrative prize is claimed by a new award, the $125,000 Sorrento Art Prize, which is funded by a private donor and presented by a commercial gallery.
In Queensland, two rival prizes to the Brisbane Portrait Prize have emerged in the past 12 months.
The $100,000 Banksia Prize is a national prize funded by Brisbane-based businesspeople Zuzanna Kamusinski and Jake Phillpot.
The Banksia Prize is not exclusively for portraits and is open to anyone living in Australia, or Australian citizens living overseas.
Its inaugural winner will be announced on November 12, and the finalists will be exhibited at the Brisbane Powerhouse from November 13.
The $50,000 John D. Bowe Art Prize was established by Anne Carne in memory of her son John, and in support of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
The inaugural award was won in July by Brisbane artist K.V. Kosala Wijegunaratna.
The current Brisbane Portrait Prize Finalists Exhibition at the State Library of Queensland continues until Sunday, November 8.
Daily visitation has increased by 71 per cent over the past two years, with an average of 452 people visiting the exhibition each day in 2026.
Start the morning with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Nick Dent is a Culture Reporter at Brisbane Times, covering arts, entertainment and things to do in the city.Connect via email.
