UPDATE: Artist of the Year 2026 Heat 2

A few updates following my visit to the afternoon session of the second heat of Portrait Artist of the Year 2026 at Battersea Arts Centre yesterday.

• numbers attending have increased a LOT since I last went to a heat. 
• I have lots of photos of the heat - which will NOT be posted until this episode is televised - except for a couple which are nothing to do with the art (see below). 
• They will enable all those applying for 2027 to see what it's really like when in terms of the other people on the set in the three "cheeses" (ie segments of the set)
• IMPORTANT NOTE: All those attending are welcome to take photos but are asked not to post them until after the episodes aired - so as not to spoil the episodes for viewers.
• I spotted one post on X yesterday by somebody who attended Heat 1 - who obviously hadn't got the message. I showed it to the Sky Arts people who will be contacting her.
• The era of long flowery dresses appears to be well and truly over. Yesterday we had short and very short pant suits and short socks (re The NEW Portrait Artist of the Year Judges)

front to back: The JUDGES: Katy Hessel, Eva Langret, Jonathan Yeo

• I will be making lengthy comments on colour and tone re this heat.
• I am surprised to report that Jonathan Yeo makes some very sound points.
• The Judges are generally quietly spoken and it's very difficult to hear what they say - so if you're going to future heats, I recommend you get as close as possible to where they stand to hear their comments when judging.
• Heat 2 will cause a major controversy when televised as whatever episode (they never broadcast in the order filmed) 
• the two people operating the Sky Big Boom Rig (the one that does the overhead and perspective shots) are two small women called Rachel and Capri! I was very seriously impressed with their control and navigation.
• This is the Smallrig Phone Rig (this one??) used by the chap taking pics for the Artist of the Year social media pages. 

Smallrig iPhone Rig for video and image capture while holding a mobile phone

• Ferne Cotton will be the Presenter for Landscape Artist of the Year 2027 (and won't appear in Portrait Artist of the Year at all)

the seating area in the very nice cafe

• Practical munching TIP: The ravenous hordes attending the morning session eliminated virtually all food in the very nice cafe at the Battersea Arts Centre. You would be well advised to bring your own lunch if travelling for an afternoon session

That's your lot of the edited highlights of Heat 2!

The NEW Portrait Artist of the Year Judges

The announcement of the NEW Judges for Portrait Artist of the Year was rather weird in terms of timing and what appeared when.

So I decided to defer comment until sure everything that was being published had been published. So below is:

• An Overview of "What Happened?"
• The NEW Judges of Portrait Artist of the Year
• The Major Disconnect around Portraiture re. PAOTY
• New Judges for Landscape Artist of the Year?

The New Judges for PAOTY in 2026

Commentary on the new format of LAOTY - which has also been announced (on 20th January by Artist of the Year, Tai-Shan Shierenberg and Stephen Mangan) - and what happens re the Judges for that will follow.

What Happened?

There has been a lot of clamour on social media for the Judges to be changed - for various reasons - for quite a while (that's years!).  So it's now happening - but the media roll-out could have been better organised. It has the feel of something which had a few hiccups along the way

My timeline of info (coming and going out) went something like this

• On 9th January, we had the announcement from Kate Bryan on Instagram that she was longer participating in Artist of the Year. 
• This appeared on her Instagram Account but NOT the Artist of the Year Accounts. 
• Which is very unusual, media teams usually arrange to sync re the announcement of any change when this has been a negotiated and amicably agreed. 
• It also didn't appear on the accounts of the other two Judges. Make of that what you will.

Normally any well planned announcement goes live contemporaneously. (my blog post)

• The explanation for no announcement from Storyvault Films was probably because they were in the throes of the media publicity run-up to the new series of Landscape Artist of the Year - and you do NOT run two big stories at the same time! I kept looking - in the days afterwards - but the LAOTY news continued to predominate (as one would expect) 
• on 12th January, Artist of the Year announced details about Eva Langret, the new Judge for LAOTY on Instagram
• On 15th January I published that Kate Bryan is no longer a Judge for Artist of the Year referencing her Instagram post and highlighting that
• it had previously been announced that she was stepping down from Landscape Artist of the Year - but would carry on with PAOTY
• but it now included to Portrait Artist of the Year too!
• On 20th January - once LAOTY was underway, we got another major change announced completely out of the blue - about a major change to Landscape Artist of the Year 
• see my post BRAND NEW FORMAT for Landscape Artist of the Year Series 12 (2027) announced!
• Then 0n 29th January an announcement about a refresh and a change in Judges for Portrait Artist of the Year dropped - on Instagram

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sky Arts Artist Of The Year (@artistoftheyear)

• Followed by my post on 30th January Goodbye - ALL THREE Artist of the Year Judges (which I had drafted late the previous evening and set up to publish at 9:30am.
• Followed 30 minutes later at 10am on 30th January, by the announcement of the NEW Portrait of the Year Judges. Here's the Facebook Announcement 

By which point I'd decided to give Artist of the Year a bit of a break re announcing changes on my blog - just in case there were any more!!

The NEW JUDGES for Portrait Artist of the Year

There are three new Judges for Portrait Artists of the Year. Below I will 

• summarise the three new Judges below with links to their websites and social media.
• followed by a commentary by me re the type of Judge that has been chosen and what I'm calling "The major disconnect around Portraiture"

I think Storyvault Films have basically gone with a "more of the same" BUT "bigger and better" than the three existing Judges. They have certainly updated with new younger models.

However they have not introduced more artists and I think the ratio is the wrong way round. Two well established and reputable portrait artists plus a heavyweight in the curatorial/commercial world would be a better balance in my view.

Call for Entries: Portrait Artist of the Year 2026

The deadline for entries for Series 13 of the televised art competition "Portrait Artist of the Year" is Friday 20th February 2026.

Good job I didn't write this any earlier - they've changed all the Judges since I did! More about the new Judges tomorrow.

This post is about:

• The nature of this art competition
• WHO can enter
• HOW to enter
• What the day of filming is like - and how long it lasts!
• Plus TIPS about this art competition
• AND TIPS about juried art exhibitions and art competitions generally (at the end).

Quotations below are from the Terms and Conditions of the competition or as indicated.

This is a televised competition. Artists enter with a self-portrait created within the last 5 years. They are selected on merit by our panel of expert judges. At the heats they are given four hours to paint a surprise celebrity sitter. The heat winners get to compete at the Semi-Final. Three of the Semi-Finalists go through to the Final but only one is selected as the overall winner.

Filming of Portrait Artist of the Year is planned to take place at Battersea Arts Centre in April 2026.

How this art competition works 

This is an art competition as a television show. 

Entries for the competition closes at 12:00pm (midday) on Friday 20th February 2026 (“the Closing Date”). Entries received after this date and time will not be considered. 

These are the Terms and Conditions

Filming of Series 13 of Portrait Artist of the Year is planned to take place at the Battersea Arts Centre in April 2026. (see below for dates in April)

• In effect this is a 'reality' show (i.e. real people/artists) as a knock-out competition for portrait artists.
• Nine artists compete in each heat - which are held between 14th and 23rd April

You agree to use Your best endeavors to be available for any alternative and/or additional dates requested in March, April, May, June, July, and August 2026.

• there are three surprise "celebrity" sitters (some you will know/ some you won't!)
• each sitter has three artists drawing / painting / printing their portrait - in various 2D media
• you have just four hours to complete a portrait - which is essentially 2 hours before the lunch break and 2 hours afterwards. (However artists can and do continue painting throughout the lunch break - when there is no sitter in front of them)
  
  The Shortlisted Artists will have a maximum of 4 hours over a 5-6 hour period (or such other period as the Producer at its discretion may determine) to complete their Heat Artwork.
  

The panel of Judges may take the Shortlisted Artists’ Portrait Entry(s) and their Additional Works of Art into consideration during this judging process, and all of the criteria for judging and the decisions of the Judges shall be at the discretion of the Judges and the Producer and shall not be not open to dispute or discussion 

- except by me "after the event"

• The Sitter gets to choose a portrait - and if it's your portrait this is gifted to the sitter. (Make sure you get a photo of yourself with the sitter and the portrait!)
• The Heat Winner - from a shortlist of three - goes through to the Semi-Finals

TIPS: Artists have just four hours to complete their portrait. HOWEVER:

• you will be interrupted by presenters and/or or Judges who will talk to you during the four hours
• people with cameras and sound recording equipment will be filming around you ALL THE TIME and sometimes you won't be able to see the sitter - or will need to move (see below)
• You will be at some distance from the sitter - much further than with normal portraits - and you can't move your setup in to get closer. (check the distance between artist and the sitter when you watch the programmes)
• It's a good idea to bring a digital device to take a photograph for when you can't see the sitter properly - or you can't see the details of the face clearly enough.

Filming of Series 9 Heat 1

• Eight heat winners get to compete at the Semi-Final on Wednesday 29th April 2026

If You are chosen as a Semi Finalist or Finalist and are asked to travel away from home or are invited to 8 attend the Final, the Producer shall supply and pay for Your reasonable and pre-agreed travel and hotel costs. (T&Cs para 41)

• Three people from the semi-finals are selected for the Final on Tuesday 19th May 2026 at a location in London (which may or may not be Battersea Arts Centre) which involves:
• a commission to be completed between the semi final and the final. (essentially in about two weeks)

A space of the contributor’s choice in which to complete this artwork, where a timelapse camera can be rigged, must be provided free of charge by the contributor to film any or all of this process.

• four hours to complete the portrait of the celebrity sitter in the final. I think the condition below is new. The second option has never been used before.

The Producer may ask

• all of the Finalists to depict the same Portrait of a Sitter at the Final Location,
• or each Finalist may be required to depict different Sitters at the Final Location.

The Prize

The winner is awarded a commission - worth a taxable fee of £10,000 - to create, complete and deliver a portrait of a notable person for a (usually) prestigious organisation - selected by the Producer - by a specified date.

If you want to know why the prize money is taxable see my page on my website Art Business Info for Artists about Tax on art awards and prize money

If You are chosen as the Winner, You must be available between the Final Date and the end of July 2026 to produce the Winner’s Prize Artwork on exact dates to be determined by the Producer.

 

Who / how / what to enter

Goodbye - ALL THREE Artist of the Year Judges

So it's not just Bye Bye to Kate Bryan. Kathleen Soriano and Tai Shan Shierenberg will also NOT be the Judges for the next Series of Portrait Artist of the Year.

Which makes me wonder whether Kathleen and Tai are also not filming Landscape Artist of the Year later this year too. (There's no statement on either of their Instagram accounts)

So, first the announcement and then a recap of where we are at.....

There have been a LOT of changes.....

The Announcement

This was the announcement on Instagram - which dropped late yesterday afternoon

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sky Arts Artist Of The Year (@artistoftheyear)

The text says

After 12 brilliant series of Portrait Artist of the Year, we say Goodbye to our wonderful Judges, Kathleen Kate and Tai. Thank you so much for your expertise and insight. For championing creativity, supporting artists and bringing such wisdom and art to the show. You'll be hugely missed.

More Portrait Artist of the Year Announcements to follow.

I would add that almost every artist I've talked to who has been on the show (and that's a lot of people) have been very complimentary about the production team and the judges.

The Changes

I think first of all, we need to remember that Stuart Prebble (1951-2025), the man who invented Portrait Artist of the Year (and LAOTY) and who had a very illustrious television career before reinventing himself as a producer and starting Storyvault Films with some friends, died in August 2025.

One of the things I think - and I emphasise "think" - is happening is that there has been a change at the helm and they want a new crew.

That's just my hypothesis.

But it's not unusual in these circumstances.

12 years with more or less the same format and people means 

• a series can begin to look "tired" and in need of a bit of a "pick me up" 
• and/or starts to lose viewers 
• and/or applicants
• which prompts the identification of a need for an overhaul. 

What's currently being proposed is that the PAOTY series remains the same - with 72 artists participating across the 8 heats, while LAOTY changes to 10 artists across the whole series- and the terms and conditions have been changed along with the deadline for entries.

(This last paragraph has been updated since original publication)

Why have a Refresh?

Kate Bryan is no longer a Judge for Artist of the Year

You, like me, may have missed the announcement from Kate Bryan that she has stepped down from being a Judge for Artist of the Year Programmes created by Storyvault Films for Sky Arts.  She's been a Judge for both series for 13 years.

• That's Portrait Artist of the Year 
• as well as Landscape Artist of the Year - which was announced last June - see A new Judge for Landscape Artist of the Year!

The announcement came via a post on her Instagram account (see below) - and NOT via the Artist of the Year account.  Which I thought very odd. Normally any well planned announcement goes live contemporaneously. 

(The latter was of course in the middle of its social media marketing in the week run up to the launch of the 11th Series of Landscape Artist of the Year - and you don't "pull focus" on one of your major social media plans!)

Here's the text of the announcement

Post on Kate Bryan's Instagram account 5 days ago (Sunday?)

What's very unclear is what's next

I'd love to know the reason why....

It's a Goodbye rather than a See You All Later.

Given the timing, I wounder whether it might be linked to an annual renewal of a contract - or not as the case might be.

People normally have a plan, a Grand Plan or at the very least a "to do" list before jumping ship.  However, based on her website and Instagram, it's unclear what Kate Bryan's is - as her message above says nothing. Her website also needs a major update. 

So my queries start with:

• Does her Curatorship of the  ever growing Art Collection for Soho House now require more of her time
• Is she trimming and refining her portfolio of interests and client and making them more focused and profitable?
• Is there something completely new in the offing?
• Does she want to spend more time with her daughter?

I have found one thing - and I can well understand why this might be thought of as a bit of a conflict of interests.

There is a new art competition - and I can do no better than to quote from the news I found. Although this was announced last November - with few ripples hence I've only just found it.

A collaborative competition between Hisense and VIDAA Artwork is being run in partnership with Portrait Artist of the Year and Landscape Artist of the year judge Kate Bryan

Launched by TV manufacturer Hisense, the contest has one top prize of £1,000 and a 55” Hisense Canvas TV. The winning piece - along with those of 19 other finalists - will be unveiled at an exclusive exhibition at Dolby House in London.

All 20 creations will then be showcased on Hisense’s new Canvas TV, a 4K QLED television designed to resemble framed artwork. When switched to Art Mode, it turns any living room into a gallery.
Daily Mirror 14 November 2025

Whatever the reasons, Kate Bryan is no more in relation to Artist of the Year. She was my least favourite Judge, by a long way and for a variety of reasons which I won't spell out here.

PLEASE can the next Judge be an active portrait artist

It will be interesting to see who replaces her on Portrait Artist of the Year which kicks off in April.

I can think of any number of portrait artists who would do extremely well in the role.

I'm very happy to make recommendations of people I know who are

• excellent portrait artists;
• with good critical faculties - specifically related to portraiture and commissions; 
• who are also articulate; and 
• "perform" well in front of cameras.

There's another important criteria which I'd be happy to spell out to Storyvault Films.

Marks of Reflection" Exhibition by the PAOTY 2025 Semi Finalists

Yesterday evening, I attended the Private View of  at the excellent "Marks of Reflection" Exhibition by the PAOTY 2025 Semi Finalists - all organised and paid for by the artists.

Semi Finalists at the Private View

(L toR) Edie Baund - who loves orange and had some excellent advice from old friend Duncan Shoosmith (paint lots of portraits in 3 hours!)

Paulina Kwietiewsska - who paints a lot of children on commission;

Katie Jones - who had a nasty accident and broke her leg straight after the Final

Courtenay Bae - whose painting is behind

and Chloe Barnes - who won!

The exhibition is a combination of some (but not all) the artwork submitted or produced in the show. Plus additional artworks by individual artists.

You can find the photographs I took of the exhibition on my Making A Mark Facebook Page in this photo album Marks of Reflection (PAOTY 2025 semi finalists)

My pics 

• start with the winner 
• then some gallery views, 
• plus collections of pics by semi finalists finishing with the Finalists and the rest of Chloe's art and two past PAOTY winners! 

Well worth a view and you're guaranteed to meet at least one of the artists.

You can read the Cass Arts Interview with each of the semi-finalists here

Exhibition details:

• Artists include: Chloe Barnes, Courtney Bae, Edie Bound, Katie Jones, Lauren Ross, Paulina Kwietniewska, Uthman Wahaab.
• Dates: The exhibition is on until Sunday 21st December (11am - 6pm) 
• Venue: 67 Great Titchfield Street, London W1W 7PT - which is a hop skip and jump due east of the BBC HQ and a few minutes walk north from Oxford Circus tube.
• Entry: Free

It is by the way a very nice "white box" gallery on two floors with excellent lighting. I'd certainly recommend any small group looking for a space for an exhibition to give it a visit.

PAOTY - What are the winners doing now? (series 1-6)

This is about the first six artists who achieved the title of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year. (Series 1-6) The year at the end of each heading below relates to the year the series was broadcast and not the year it was filmed.

My previous post PAOTY - What are the winners doing now? (series 7- 11) covered the winners of Series 7-11. 

Portraits of Amir Khan and Sir Ian McKellen painted by Christian Hook

Today's post is about

• Series 1: Nick Lord
• Series 2: Christian Hook
• Series 3: Gareth Reid
• Series 4: Samira Addo
• Series 5: Duncan Shoosmith 
• Series 6: Christobel Blackburn

Links to their websites are embedded in their names.

Nick Lord - Series 1 (2013)

The very first series began with heats held in London, Cardiff, Glasgow and Dublin. 

Nick Lord (Instagram) won the very first series in 2013 by beating the 1,800 applicants to become the overall winner. 

He was born and raised in Cardiff. He studied for a BA in Fine Art at Kingston University and graduated in July 2011 with a BA in Fine Art First Class Honours from Kingston University  

Nick won with a portfolio of work done throughout the series

• He painted Gavin Henson in his Cardiff heat. 
• For the Final

• he was commissioned to paint Lance Sergeant Johnson Beharry VC
• and he painted Sophie Dahl in Paris - with the other artists

The unveiling of Nick Lord's commissioned portrait for the Final
of Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry VC

After winning the series, as his prize, he was then commissioned to paint a portrait of double-Booker author Hilary Mantel for The British Library

Nick Lord with Hilary Mantel at the unveiling at the British Library.

Oddly, I can identify an Instagram account but no website. He also did not participate in the Portrait Artist of the Decade programme to celebrate 10 series of Portrait Artist of the Year and there is no bio that I can find about his subsequent career.

Christian Hook - Series 2 (2014)

I find that Christian Hook is probably the artist who gets mentioned most by those thinking back to who was the artist that had the most impact on them or the one they liked the most.

He has an amazing ability to use contemporary texhnciques and yet get a good likeness every time. He combines accurate portraits which really look like the sitter with Gerhard Richter type swipes of paint.

For the final he painted

• Sir Ian McKellen in 4 hours
• a very large painting of Amir Khan for his commissioned portrait

Waiting to hear who has won Series 2 of PAOTY
Christian Hook in the middle has the two biggest portraits from
the 4 hour painting in the Final Session and the commission completed beforehand

Never ever underestimate the impact of very good portraits in the Final which are also very big!

His commission painting for the Scottish Portrait Gallery of Scottish Actor Alan Cuming.....

PAOTY - What are the winners doing now? (series 7- 11)

This started out as a review of what next for Portrait Artist of the Year. I pondered on what people had achieved from the various series. Which is how it turned into a review of what's happened to the artists who have won the various series.

This post is about the winners of Series 8 - 11 (Curtis Holder, Calum Stevenson, Morag Caister, Wendy Barratt and Brogen Bertie)

The next post is about the winners of Series 2 - 7 (Christian Hook, Gareth Reid, Samira Addo, Duncan Shoesmith, and Christobel Blackburn)

I'd say that what people achieve post PAOTY is a product of their:

• natural talent - and the artwork they produce
• application to the business side of art
• ability to communicate
• application of effort to getting things done and making things happen.

Curtis Holder Series 7 (Autumn 2020)

Curtis Holder has become a very regular feature of the art scene in the UK since he won in 2020 and gave up his teaching job.  He has an extremely extensive "things done since PAOTY" list of activities on his website.  

To my mind he has achieved the most through winning the PAOTY competition - by some margin.

Curtis Holder won the second series in 2020 (in the autumn slot on Sky Arts)

• Curtis Holder wins Portrait Artist of the Year (Series 7 Autumn 2020)
• PAOTY Commission: Curtis Holder draws Carlos Acosta

Sinec then:

• He's joined various national art societies 
• He has been a selector or Judge for 11 exhibitions since 2020.
• He's participated in a very large number of group exhibitions
• 14 in 2025
• 8 in 2024
• 16 in 2023
• 17 in 2022
• 6 in 2021
• He's also become an artist Ambassador for Derwent Pencils.

Educated at Kingston University and Central Saint Martins, Holder is a member of Contemporary British Portrait Painters, The Society of Graphic Fine Art, and The Pastel Society. He has served as a selector for major national and international art competitions and collaborates with institutions to engage diverse audiences, fostering creativity and discussions on identity and representation. 

I'm getting very used to seeing his large coloured pencil portraits in various annual exhibitions. I'm also seeing a lot of media coverage - check out his CV, it's very impressive

 

Curtis Holder - with two of his portraits
at The Pastel Society Annual Exhibition 2024 at the Mall Galleries

The exhibition of artwork selected by Curtis Holder
at the ING Discerning Eye Annual Exhibition 2025.

He's also had a number of solo exhibitions since 2020

2025

• Curtis Holder: Portraits of Brotherhood, RBSA Gallery (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), Birmingham, UK 

2024 - 2025

• Silent Echoes, Spoken Truths: Curtis Holder, Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds, UK 
• Curtis Holder: Drawing Carlos Acosta, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Birmingham, UK 

2024

• Curtis Holder: Portraits of Brotherhood, Guildford House Gallery, Guildford, UK

2023

• The Makers: Portraits from Backstage, National Theatre, London, UK

2021 - 2022

• Something Unspoken, 45 Park Lane, Dorchester Collection, London, UK 

These are his awards going all the way back to winning PAOTY in 2020.

• Winner, ArtEvol Award, London Art Collective | 2025
• Winner, Audience Choice Award, London Art Collective | 2025
• Shortlist, Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize | 2025
• Winner, President’s Award, Society of Graphic Fine Art | 2024
• Winner (First Prize), The John Ruskin Prize | 2024
• Longlist, The Aesthetica Art Prize | 2024
• Winner, The Tom Coates Memorial Prize, The Pastel Society | 2024
• Winner, Drawing with a Dry-Based Medium Award, The Gallery at Green & Stone and St Cuthberts Mill | 2024
• Winner, Guildford House Open | 2023
• Highly Commended, RBSA Drawing Prize | 2023
• Shortlist, Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize | 2022
• Winner, St Cuthberts Mill Award, Wells Art Contemporary | 202
• Shortlist, The Derwent Art Prize | 2022
• Winner, The Anthony J Lester Art Critic Award, The Pastel Society | 2022
• Winner, The Frank Herring & Sons Award, The Pastel Society | 2022
• Highly Commended, UK Coloured Pencil Society | 2021
• Highly Commended Award, Society of Graphic Fine Art | 2021
• Longlist, The Self-Portrait Prize, Ruth Borchard Collection | 2021
• Highly Commended, The British Art Prize | 2021
• Longlist, Jackson’s Painting Prize | 2021
• Winner, Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year | 2020

Calum Stevenson Series 8 (2021)

Calum Stevenson won in 2021. 

• See Calum Stevenson wins Portrait Artist of the Year (Series 8 Autumn 2021). He was commissioned to paint the violinist Nicola Benedetti.

PAOTY 2025: Commission Painting of Hannah Fry

This is about "The Winner's Story - Painting Hannah Fry" and the very last episode of Series 12 of Portrait Artist of the Year (2025)

I include this here, because of course this is not painting so much as printmaking. I guess that the good people at Storyvault Films forget that artists and painters are not interchangeable words - and one is a subset of the other.

Either that or they made up this graphic in advance of the series on the basis you might as well get all the titles done at the same time.....

Title frame for the Winner's Story - Episode 11 of Series 12 of PAOTY (2025)

That illustrates how much a PAINTER is expected to be the winner. 

Yet this year Chloe Barnes, who is a mono printmaker, won and hence this winner's story is about the process of moving from winning to getting the commission to create a portrait of Professor Hannah Fry for the Royal Society started, worked on, done and then unveiled - as a MONOPRINT.

The portrait was commissioned by the Royal Society as part of a year-long celebration of the 80th anniversary of the first women elected to its Fellowship, Kathleen Lonsdale FRS and Marjory Stephenson FRS.

The Sitter and the Unveiling

We'll start at the very beginning and then the end - with the Sitter and the Unveiling

Every year the last episode in each series of the "Portrait Artist of the Year" programmes, made by Storyvault Films and broadcast on Sky Arts, is about the £10,000 Commission awarded to the winning artist.

The Commission

Every year, the winner of the Portrait Artist of the Year Award receives a £10,000 commission to 

• create a portrait of a specific individual - who is typically well known and has contributed in a significant way to public life.
• for a particular organisation - who would like to have a portrait of that individual. 

The Client

So this year the organisation was The Royal Society 

• formally founded in 28 November 1660 and  formally known as The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, 
• It is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. It is also known as

the oldest scientific organisation in continuous existence in the world

In 2025, the Royal Society is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the admission of the first women to the Royal Society Kathleen Lonsdale and Marjory Stephenson in 1945.

The Sitter

The Sitter, Professor Hannah Fry, is the 

• first ever Professor of the Public Understanding of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. Previously she was the Professor of the Mathematics of Cities at University College London (UCL)
• President of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications
• a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
• has received various awards, including latterly the Royal Society's David Attenborough Award and Lecture 2024 in recognition of her significant work in public engagement with science and for her prolific role in popularising mathematics. The medal is bronze, is awarded annually and is accompanied by a gift of £2,500.
• plus she has 1.7 million followers on Instagram @frysquared

Interestingly she is NOT a Fellow of the Royal Society - although I'm assuming that this will probably follow.

In November 2025, she also joined Goalhanger to deliver a brand new podcast The Rest is Science with educator Michael Stevens (Vsauce). This is what's currently all over her Instagram account @frysquared - NOT the portrait!

The Unveiling

First we all wait, 

Left: Royal Society people and programme presenter
Right: Chloe Barnes and Prof. Hannah Fry with her two daughters

Then we all take a jolly good look

Keith Moore, Head of Library at the Royal Society comments on the fact
this is the first print portrait of a living female scientist at the Royal Society

and then, like at all good parties, we get a pic taken with the most important person in the room i.e. the monoprint

Posing for photographs - Hannah Fry and her daughters
with the monoprint by Chloe Barnes

....and then the Royal Society publish a news statement / press release about the new portrait of Professor Hannah Fry. 

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..and then we get to see the portrait

Chloe Barnes wins Portrait Artist of the Year 2025

Yesterday, Portrait Artist of the Year programme revealed that Chloe Barnes won the Final of Series 12 of Portrait Artist of the Year.

Chloe Barnes and her monoprint of Brian Cox in the Final

I'm splitting my comments about PAOTY Series 12 and the two most recent programmes into three separate posts:

• Today - a review about the Final and the final and commission paintings produced for the Final by the artist 
• Sunday 7th December: the Winner's Programme and the Commission
• Monday 8th December: - a review of the PAOTY series and approach taken this year, and a summary of why the Judges , rather than the programme, continue to annoy so very many viewers and whether the competition is really a competition.

Followed sometime soon after with the details of how to enter Series 13 in 2026!

This review covers:

• The Final: Artists, Sitter and Set
• The Portrait Paintings for the Final
• The Judges' Perspective
• The Final Portraits - and my comments
• Why Chloe Barnes won.

The Final

The Artists working in the Final - watched by the audience
(left to right) Lauren, Katie and Chloe

The audience for many of the episodes was largely female and middle aged to older; plus very proud parents and a smattering of young people who seemed to be associated with individual artists. I think this probably reflects the audience for the programme too.

They are VERY well behaved - as you have to be when filming is taking place. I highly recommend those that want to, to apply to watch the heats next year - and you'll learn a lot more about this competition is really like!

The Artists

Katie Jones, Lauren Ross and Chloe Barnes
sat on the steps outside Battersea Arts centre

In order of the heat they appeared in, they are

• Episode 3: Katie Jones (Instagram) - A community arts tutor who lives and works in Somerset and has a studio on the Mendip Hills.
• Episode 4: Chloe Barnes (Instagram) - a printmaker with a first class honours degree in Illustration and an MA (Distinction) in Multi-Disciplinary Printmaking. She works as a Gallery Production and Studio Manager and lives in Peckham in London. 
• Episode 5: Lauren Ross (Instagram) - an art tutor and painter from Edinburgh. 

You can read more about them in The PAOTY 2025 Semi Finalists + their Exhibition!

The Sitter and the Setup

The Sitter was Brian Cox, the 'media mogul' star of "Succession"who is 79, still active and still acting to great acclaim.

There was no repeat of the craziness of last year when, with absolutely no notice, the contestants suddenly found themselves painting two sitters - with an extra half hour for the challenge!

Instead we had a stripped back set and one sitter this year.

• The Set used a comfortable burnt burnt orange armchair. 

"That armchair is doing a lot of work" Kathleen Soriano

• The cloth hanging at the back was Jute which is very much associated with Brian's home town of Dundee and his ancestors where it has been produced for very many years
• The jute and the armchair, both combined to create a very warm set.

The one benefit for the artists is that were rather nearer the sitter in the Final than they were during the semi final.

The Start: The sitter - Brian Cox - and the setup for the three artists
and how close the cameras are over every artist's shoulder

Review: Semi Finals of Portrait Artist of the Year 2025

This rather late review is about the semi-finals of Portrait Artist of the Year 2025 (Series 12) which was broadcast on Wednesday night - except it wasn't uploaded to Now until a LOT later) Which is why this is late!

It covers various observations about the Semi-Final (the reality and the programme) including:

• The Semi Finalists (Heat winners)
• The Heat Portraits
• The Sitter setup and setting
• Themes of the semi-final
• Judging and Finalists
• Sitters for the Final

Dame Mary Berry sees the portraits after they've been turned around

The Semi Finalists

You can read all about the Semi Finalists in my post last week in my blog post last week about The PAOTY 2025 Semi Finalists + their Exhibition!

They are - in order of the episodes (i.e. not the heats) as follows:

• Episode 1 - Edie Bound (Instagram) - review of Episode 1
• Episode 2 - Paulina Kwietiewsska (Instagram) - review of Episode 2
• Episode 3 - Katie Jones (Instagram) - review of Episode 3
• Episode 4 - Chloe Barnes (Instagram) - review of Episode 4
• Episode 5 - Lauren Ross (Instagram)- review of Episode 5
• Episode 6 - Uthman Wahaab (Instagram) - review of Episode 6
• Episode 7 - Vincent Stokes (Instagram)- review of Episode 7
• Episode 8 - Courteney Bae (Instagram) - review of episode 8

The Heat Portrait Wall

The Wall of Heat Portraits
Left to right: Katie, Uthman, Vincent, Courtenay, Lauren, Paulina, Chloe and Edie

Imagine walking into a semi final. You have absolutely no idea about:

• who your fellow semi-finalists are
• what they can do in four hours!

......and then you see the Heat Portrait Wall (see above i.e. NOT the self portrait wall or both together)

What you don't know as a semi finalist is if any of the others spent time and effort producing an absolute stunner for their self portrait - and then went small for their heat.

Then the artists line up next to the side of the support they're working on - and you begin to get the picture of what you are up against!

The Setting and the Sitter

The Nightmare Set-up

The Artists in the Semi Final enter the room
This is what it looks like - with easels very close together

I've been to a couple of Semi-Finals at the Battersea Arts centre - and it's an absolute nightmare of a set-up.

• Eight artists is just too many to be comfortable and have space to walk around, think etc. 
• Plus the audience seems much closer than in the heats
• Eights artists means ALL must be further away from the sitter than in the heats
• Some are going to have very acute side profiles - if working from life
• Notwithstanding some are going to be painting from devices rather than from the sitter.

Chloe Barnes summed it up rather well in her blog post about the Semi Finals (link further down - near the end of this post)