The BP Portrait Award is the most prestigious portrait painting competition in the world and represents the very best in contemporary portrait painting. With a first prize of £35,000, and a total prize fund of £74,000, the Award is aimed at encouraging artists to focus upon and develop portraiture in their work.

The competition is open to everyone aged 18 and over.

The BP Portrait Award 2018 exhibition will run at the National Portrait Gallery from 14 June to 23 September 2018. It is in its thirty-ninth year at the National Portrait Gallery and twenty-ninth year of sponsorship by BP and continues to be an unmissable highlight of the annual art calendar.

Call for Entries closing date: 22 January 2018

• First Prize: A cash award of £35,000 with a commission valued at £7,000
• Second Prize: £12,000
• Third Prize: £10,000
• BP Young Artist Award: £9,000 - All entrants aged between 18 and 30 will automatically be considered for both the BP Young Artist Award and the BP Portrait Award, but an individual cannot win both.
• BP Travel Award 2017: £8,000

To enter the BP Portrait Award 2018 artists should upload a digital image of their work for a first round of judging. All images will be viewed by a panel of judges and the entrants who are successful in this round will be invited to deliver their work to a venue in London for the final round of judging and the exhibition selection, including Award-winners.

Find out more about the entry procedure and judging process here.

The BP Portrait Award 2017 received 2,580 entries from 87 countries. Judged anonymously, 53 portraits were selected for the exhibition.

Many artists who have had their work exhibited have gained commissions as a result of the considerable interest in the BP Portrait Award and the resulting exhibition. Recent commissions by BP Portrait Award artists include Dame Sally Davies by Daphne Todd (BP Portrait Award 2010 winner).

To find out more please visit the website.

Image below - Society by Khushna Sulaman-Butt, 2016

© Khushna Sulaman-Butt