Finalists announced for Adam Portraiture Award 2026

Unconventional materials and fresh perspectives define this year’s Adam Portraiture Award, with painted nails, woven tape measures and corrugated aluminium among the surfaces used in works selected for the 2026 finalist exhibition. From 429 entries, 43 artists have been shortlisted by international judge Jude Rae. The selection brings together a dynamic mix of subjects and stories. Familiar New Zealand faces appear alongside intimate portrayals of friends, whānau and colleagues, as well as a number of striking self-portraits. Among them are portraits of comedian Chris Parker, actor Tanea Heke and artist Brett A’Court, while finalist Rodney Fisher, frontman of Goodshirt, turns the lens on himself.

Presented biennially by the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata and supported by the Adam Foundation, the Adam Portraiture Award continues to be one of the country’s most significant and long-standing art prizes. This year marks a notable milestone, with the first prize increasing to $30,000, reinforcing the award’s role in supporting and elevating New Zealand artists.

Several familiar names return to the finalist pool, including five artists who were also selected in 2024—Dita Angeles, David Owain Jones, Duncan Pepe Long, Jasmine Middlebrook and Clark Roworth—alongside previous winner Sacha Lees. More than half of this year’s finalists, however, are new to the award, highlighting a strong wave of emerging talent. Finalists are drawn from across New Zealand, with additional entries from Sydney and even as far away as Alaska.

This year also introduces significant changes to the award. All entries were required to be painted portraits of living New Zealanders, created from at least one live sitting or study from life, encouraging a deeper level of observation and connection between artist and subject. The reintroduction of a single international judge also marks a shift in approach, with Jude Rae responsible for selecting both finalists and the eventual winner, bringing a clear and unified curatorial vision to the exhibition.

Director of the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata, Brian Wood, says the evolution of the award is reflected in the finalist’s work. “There’s a real sense of momentum in this year’s finalists. The move toward working from life has brought a deeper sense of connection with the sitter, more immediacy and presence to the portraits, while the range of materials and approaches shows just how expansive contemporary portraiture can be.”

“The Adam Portrait Award received well over 400 entries this year, many of a calibre that could easily have been selected,” says Jude Rae. “This was an enormous challenge, but testament to the high regard I have for artists here after a decade spent in Aotearoa.”

The winner will be announced on Wednesday 20 May, with a $30,000 first prize awarded alongside a $2,500 runner-up prize and a $2,500 People’s Choice Award.

All finalist works will be exhibited at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata, Shed 11 on Wellington’s waterfront, from 21 May to 9 August 2026, after which most of the works will tour nationally.