LAST CALL FOR ENTRIES: Jackson's Art Prize 2026

The deadline for entries for Jackson's Art Prize 2026 is 2nd March 2020 (5pm).

This post looks at Jackson’s Painting Prize 2026 and, in summary

• who can enter
• what you can enter
• why enter
• how to enter (registration / timeline / digital images etc)

Call for Entries: Jackson's Art Prize 2026

The intentions behind the Jackson's Art Prize are:

• to bring together a global community of creatives and
• showcase the work of artists of all ages and abilities.

The annual award welcomes 

• entries in all two-dimensional media including painting, drawing, and original printmaking 
• from amateur to professional artists.

There are lots of prizes - which are mainly art materials, although there is a £6,000 cash first prize.

Who can enter

• Open internationally to artists of all ages and abilities

What type of artwork can you enter?

• Artworks created in two-dimensional mediums eg painting, drawing, printmaking
• About any theme or subject matter
• Artworks for the competition must be submitted by the artist who created it. 
• All work must be your own intellectual property. 

This is what the competition does not accept

• Three-dimensional or sculptural work
• Digital, computer manipulated, or AI art
• Pure photography
• Digital prints e.g. giclée
• Artworks of an inappropriate or offensive subject matter will be removed from the competition.
• artworks that directly copy other people’s work (this does not include artistic interpretations) or works that are made from a tutorial.

There will, of course, be some silly idiot who will think it's OK to try and smuggle some AI artwork in. Personally I'd award a "Great Big Wally" Award to anybody who did so and name and shame on social media.

You can see past entries and winners on the Jackson's Art Prize Instagram account 

The quality of the photograph of the artwork

• The minimum file size is 1.5MB, the maximum file size is 3MB
• jpg, jpegs and png files. 
• Images of artwork must be at least 1000px wide (with a resolution of at least 72px per inch). 
• Ensure that your image/s is the correct way up before submitting. 
• The image/s of the artwork should be a clear, high quality photograph which must not show any unnecessary or irrelevant content, such as frames, mounts, walls, tables or any other kind of background. 
• The image/s should be an accurate representation of the artwork, taken in bright natural light, as well as being of a high resolution for reproduction online.
• Images of Artwork with a copyright stamp or watermark on it will not be accepted.

What does it cost to enter?

• £6.50 standard entry | 18 December – 11 February
• Submit 5 artworks for the price of 4
• Students get one free entry - As a student, you are eligible for one free entry to Jackson’s Art Prize. To redeem the offer, sign up for a Jackson’s Student Account, and you will be given a unique code to enter at the competition checkout. If you already have a Jackson’s Student Account, find your unique code in your inbox.

You need to create an account to enter

Create an account with our awards platform here. Once you have entered your email you will receive a 6 digit security verification code to your email. Once entered on our awards platform you will have access to the registration form and can register for an account. Your account for submission to Jackson’s Art Prize is separate to your Jackson’s Art store account.

This is the portal to the Entry Platform https://jacksonsart.awardsplatform.com/

Helpful Links

These are some helpful links 

• Enter Jackson's Art Prize 2026
• A Step-by-Step Guide to Entering Jackson's Art Prize 2026
• How to Photograph Your Artwork
• How to Write Your Artist Biography and Statement

The Guest Judges

• Deborah Smith: Curator, Former Director at Arts Council Collection
• Caroline Walker: Artist, MA RCA, public collections include Tate and National Galleries of Scotland
• Faye Wei Wei: Painter, featured in British Vogue’s ‘One to Watch’, exhibited internationally
• Brogan Bertie: Winner of Sky Portrait Artist of the Year 2024
• Max Naylor: Tutor at Royal Drawing School, first ever winner of Jackson’s Art Prize 2016
• Eleanor Johnson: Painter, winner of Jackson’s Art Prize 2025, exploring myth and the human form

Art Fair and Exhibition

• Some artwork will be shown at the Affordable Art Fair (6th May)
• There will also be an exhibition of selected artwork at the Bankside Gallery starting 23 June 2026.