Review of Portrait Award 2026 (Part 1): What's changed and what's not

This is my review of the HSFK Portrait Award 2026 Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery - sponsored by Herbert Smith Freehill Kramer - and its Awards Ceremony. (I refer to it as The Portrait Award).

• It covers:
• how you can see The Portrait Award Exhibition - in person or online
• what's changed, what's not and what needs to!
• the importance of metrics and profile
• the hang
• discernible themes within the exhibition
• what I like - and what I'm less enthusiastic about will be mentioned in passing - with more to come in my "10 Portraits I liked the best"

At the end are notes about

• Why I write about the HSFK Portrait Award - a short note about my personal history with this exhibition (since 2007)
• followed by all the blog posts I've written about it in the last 19 years ( I haven't counted - but it's a lot!)

How to see the Portrait Award Exhibition

The Portrait Award Exhibition can be seen

• at the National Portrait Gallery in London
• in Gallery 2 (the very far end of the second floor - via the escalator near the entrance or the lifts)
• 25 June - 7 October 2026

You will be able to buy a catalogue - just not yet. The catalogue is being reprinted due to (I understand) an error in the catalogue - and yesterday they didn't yet have a date for its delivery. Although I understand they've worked out a system for you to place an order. (I used to produce publications when in charge of promoting my professional institute's qualification - and I know full well that proofreading is a task which is absolutely critical - and unfortunately always given the time and attention it needs! Let's hope this is the first and last time this happens!)

The exhibition then travels to

• Derby Museum and Art Gallery (21 November 2026 - 21 February 2027)
• The Gallery at the Arc, Winchester (5 March - 9 June 2027)

You can also see it online in the Visitor's Choice Section where you can also vote for your favourite portrait.

The Portrait Award Exhibition - the Metrics

You may wonder why I've started with this - but it's actually VERY VERY important to the future of this competition.

How the numbers have changed - a lot!

The norm for the number of pieces hung was between 50-55 for a very long time - up until 2017 - and then the numbers started to dip.

I'm pleased to say that this year we're back in the normal range again for the number of selected portraits - with 51 portraits hung this year.

Last year it was only 46 so we have a bonus 5 portraits this year! 

I'm left wondering if very clear guidelines were given to Judges that this 50-55 range is the one to aim for.

This year the 51 were selected for the exhibition were chosen from 

• 1,474 submissions entered by artists from 63 countries. 
• (Compared to 46 selected from 1,314 entries from 61 countries in 2025)

I think a chart is in order. If you look at one (below) that I did to compare the number of submissions and number of countries between 2004 and 2019, I think you'll see why. The number of submissions compares to the PRE-2007 PERIOD.

Comparison of 1474 submissions from 63 countries in 2026
with the period prior to Covid/renovation

However I think maybe a separate post to discuss why this might be a better idea.

For now, we just need to remember:

• the number of countries is OK and comparable to pre Covid/renovation
• however the number of entries has DROPPED very significantly (i.e. more than 1,000 entries lower than pre-Covid) - and that is maybe also why the number selected also dropped below 50 for a while.

In principle, the quality of the exhibition depends on the quality of the artists applying - and how many do.

I really do think NPG Management and the Press Team need to apply their efforts in a much more focused away in order to reinstate the type of profile that was being acclaimed on Tuesday night - i.e. "THE most prestigious portrait award in the world" - given the number of its international entries. 

Words are easy - delivering on them is more difficult. The numbers simple don't support the assertion.

For example, how come Alastair Sooke (Chief Art Critic, Daily Telegraph) wrote The best art exhibitions to see this June (25 June 2026) and failed to include the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award?

Yet again, I'll make the point that this annual exhibition desperately needs to be rechristened as "The Portrait Award 2026" - sponsored by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer.  Otherwise the word "portrait" gets completely swamped in comparison to (say) the BP Portrait Award..

I am possibly the only person in the world who spans this competition for that complete period - and has the numbers - in terms of keeping an eye on performance measures for this competition re. effectiveness and prestige. I'd be happy to advise - I used to do this for a job!

The Hang

The Hang grew on me. It's actually very intelligent in terms of how it draws together themes without shoving them in your face.