Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award?
The Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award is a competition that encourages and inspires Māori artists to create portraits of their tupuna (ancestors) in any medium. The Award is hosted and administered by Te Pūkenga Whakaata the New Zealand Portrait Gallery in honour of the late Maaori King, Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII with the blessing of Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po.
The next award will be held in 2027.
Who judges the Award?
The Portrait Gallery and the Office of the Kiingitanga invite a judge to choose both the finalists and the winners of the Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award. The 2027 judge will be announced soon.
What are the prizes?
First Prize - $20,000 – All artists entering the award are eligible for this prize.
Young Artist Award - $2,500 - Artists aged 30 or under at the time of the Award Ceremony are eligible for this prize.
Forsyth Barr People’s Choice Award - $2,500 – This is decided by votes from gallery visitors and will be announced on the final day of the exhibition.
What are the main conditions of the Award?
Entrants must be Maaori artists, aged 35 or under.
Portraits must depict a tupuna of the artist.
Portraits can be in any medium.
Portraits must have been completed in the last 2 years.
How do I enter?
Enter online using the form on our website: nzportraitgallery.org.nz
You must include:
A high-quality image, audio file or video link of your work. Please note that you will be judged for selection phase solely on the digital upload submitted with your entry form.
File Submission instructionsAn artist biography of no more than 100 words, confirming you are of Māori descent and your iwi affiliations, if known, and outlining your career and experience as an artist.
A statement of no more than 100 words, about your chosen tupuna and your relationship to them.
Only electronic entries will be accepted.
What if I made my artwork with other people?
One person will need to act as the applicant for the Award on behalf of the group and with permission of the other creators. The applicant must be an emerging Maaori artist with whakapapa connections to the depicted tupuna. You may acknowledge other collaborators or co-creators in your submitted biography.
How much does it cost to enter?
There is a $50 non-refundable fee to enter. This fee goes towards the cost of administering the award.
I have entered this Award before. Can I submit again in 2027?
Yes, for the 2027 competition, Māori artists of all ages, and at any stage of their career, are eligible to enter this Award, and may do so providing they still meet all the other requirements outlined in the Terms and Conditions.
Can I get help with funding the costs of producing my artwork?
Creative New Zealand’s Toi Tipu Toi Rea Fund offers up to $10,000 to support emerging Maaori artists or practitioners, at an early stage of their career, to undertake an arts project. This fund can be applied for online.
What permissions do I need?
Permission of the current owner and/or holder of copyright, if this is not you. This includes permission from other co-creators.
Permissions either from the person(s) depicted, or consent from whanau or descendants.
Permissions from any copyright holders or customary owner(s) of intellectual property used as source material in the creation of the work.
How do I seek permission?
It's recommended that you always obtain permission in writing from both copyright and/or customary owner(s) of intellectual property. Further guidance is available from the New Zealand Intellectual Property Office.
Is there a size restriction?
There is no size restriction for the portraits entered in the competition. Larger works, or complex shapes may not be able to be included in the touring exhibition.
What are the important dates I need to be aware of?
October 2026: Entries open
4pm, 24 March 2027: Entries close
12 April 2027: Finalist selection completed & finalists notified
7 May 2027: Finalist Portraits arrival deadline
17 May 2027: Final Judging commences
19 May 2027: Exhibition opens and winners announced
20 May – 18 August 2027: Exhibition runs
July 2027: Selection of artworks to tour announced
When do I send in my portrait?
The initial selection process is done using the digital file submitted online with your entry. Award finalists will be notified when to send in their physical portraits for final judging and the Award exhibition.
What happens during the judging?
The initial selection is completed by the judge. The digital image submitted by each artist is sent to the judge. They uses these digital images along with the bio and statement, to decide the finalists (approximately 40 works).
The shortlisted works are physically sent to the New Zealand Portrait Gallery to be hung for the final judging and exhibition. The judges take several days before the opening to decide on the winners, which are announced at the opening night celebrations.
The Forsyth Barr People’s Choice Award is chosen by visitor votes and is announced at the close of the exhibition at The New Zealand Portrait Gallery.
What happens to my artwork if I win the Award?
Once the winning artwork has finished touring with the finalists’ exhibition, ownership will be transferred to the Kiingitanga and the artwork will be kept in perpetuity in their collection.
Are the portraits for sale?
Many of the portraits are for sale. It is up to the individual artist to decide whether they would like to sell their work. The Gallery takes a 30% commission for handling the sales of the work.
Will the exhibition tour?
Yes. A selection of works from the exhibition may tour multiple venues in the North and South Island. Artists will be notified if their work has been selected to tour around July 2027.
More Questions?
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Ngā Pātai me Ngā Whakautu
He aha teenei mea Te Tohu Kiriaahua o Kiingi Tuheitia?
Koia ko Te Tohu Kiriaahua o Kiingi Tuehitia he whakataetae e whakatenatena ana, e whakahihiri ana i i ngaa ringa toi Maaori kia kiriaahutia teetehi tupuna ki ngaa momo toi. E pae whenua ana teenei tohu ki Te Puukenga Whakaata hei whakamahara i a Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Whertowhero VII, aa, e tautokona ana e Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po.
Ko te Tohu e whai ake nei ka tu hei te 2027.
Ko wai te kaiwhakawaa?
E tohungia ana e Te Puukenga Whakaata me te Kiingitanga teetehi kaiwhakawaa ki te whiriwhiri i ngaa whainara me te toa o Te Tohu Kiriaahua o Kiingi Tuheitia. Hei a kootata nei ka paoho te kaiwhakawaa moo te tau 2027.
He aha ngaa whiwhinga?
Ka riro i te whiwhinga toa te $20,000. E aahei ana teenei ki ngaa kaiwhakauru katoa.
Ka riro i te toa o Te Toi Rangatahi te $2,500. E aahei ana teenei ki ngaa ringa toi iti iho i te 30 te pakeke i te poo tuku tohu.
Ka riro i te toa o Te Whiringa Hapori te $2,500. Maa te hapori tae mai ki te whakaaturanga teenei tohu hei whakatau, aa, ka paoho teenei i te raa whakamutu o te whakataetae.
He aha ngaa paiherenga matua o te Tohu nei?
Me Maaori te tangata whakauru
Me matua whakaatu te kiriaro i teetehi tupuna
E taea ngaa toi ki ngaa momo toi huhua
Kua matua oti te toi i roto i te rua tau kua mahue ake nei
Me pēwhea taku tono kia uru?
Me tono mā te pepa whakauru e kitea i tō mātou pae tukutuku: nzportraitgallery.org.nz
Me matua whakauru tahi:
He ahua kounga teitei, he konae ororongo, he hononga ataata ranei o to mahi. Kia mōhio koe, ka whakawāngia āu mahi kia uru i runga anō i te whakaahua e kīnaki ana i tāu pepa whakauru.
Te tukuhanga o ngaa koonae hangarau hei whakawaaHe haurongo kaua e nui atu i te 80 ngā kupu, he whakapapa Māori me ōu iwi ina mōhiotia, ā, he kupu whakamahuki i tō umanga me ōu wheako hei ringatoi.
He pitopito kōrero e 80 ngā kupu te roa e pā ana ki tō tūpuna me tōu whanaungatanga ki a ia.
E whakaaetia ana ngā tono ipurangi anake.
He pēwhea mehemea kua mahi aku toi me tētehi atu?
Kia kotahi anake te kaitono mō te Tohu nei hei kanohi mō te rōpū, me whakaae rawa ērā atu. Me matua noho mai te kaitono hei kaitoi Māori whanake e whakapapa ana ki taua tūpuna. E taea e koe te whakamihi i ētehi atu hoa mahi i tāu tātai e tuhi nei.
He aha te utu kia uru?
He $50 hokinga kore kia uru. Ko te utu nei hei aawhina i ngaa whakahaere o te tohu.
Kua tuku kee ahau moo teenei whakataetae i mua. E taea ana te tuku anoo moo te tau 2027?
Ae rawa atu moo te whakataetae 2027. E aahei ana ngaa ringa toi Maaori katoa, ahakoa te pakeke, ahakoa te taumata o te mahinga toi ki teenei whakataetae, heoi anoo, me matua tutuki ngaa tikanga me ngaa tukanga katoa kei Ngaa Whakamahuki e tohua ana.
He āwhina-a-pūtea e puta ai taku mahi toi?
Kei reira te tahua $10,000 a Toi Tipu Toi Rea i raro i a Toi Aotearoa ki te tautoko i ngā kaitoi Māori whanake kātahi anō ka tīmata te mahi toi, kia puta he kaupapa toi rānei. Me tono ipurangi mō te tahua nei.
He aha ngā momo whakaaetanga hei whai māku?
Me whakaae te tangata nōna te mana, nōna te mana tārua rānei, mehemea he tangata i kō atu i a koe. Me whakaae hoki te hunga nā rātou i mahi tahi ki a koe.
Me whakaae mai te tangata nōna te āhua e whakaatu ana, te whakaae rānei o tōna whānau, o āna uri whakaheke
Me whakaae te hunga mana tārua, mana whakairo hinengaro rānei o te pūtakenga o te āhua e whakaatungia ana
Me pēwhea taki kimi whakaae?
E ākina ana koe kia whiwhi i te whakaaetanga o te hunga mana tārua, mana whakairo hinengaro rānei. He kōrero āwhina kei te pae tukutuku New Zealand Intellectual Property Office.
He herenga tō te nui o te mahi?
Kāore he here o te nui o ngā kiriaro ki tēnei whakataetae. Kāore te katoa o ngā mahi toi e hurihuri haere, he uaua ake te hurihuri haere mehema he nunui rawa, he rerekē rawa te hanganga.
He aha ngā rā hei aronga nui māku?
Ōketopa 2026: Ka tūwhera mō ngā tono
4 karaka i te 24 o Maehe 2027: Ka kati ngā tono
12 o Aperira 2027: Ka whiria ngā mahi whāiti, ka whakamōhiotia te hunga whāiti
7 o Mei 2027: Me tae mai ngā kiriaro a te hunga whāiti
17 o Mei 2027: Ka tīmata te mahi whakawā
19 o Mei 2027: Ka rewa te whakaaturanga, ka pānuitia ngā toa
10 o Mei ki te 18 o Ākuwhata 2025: Te rere o te whakaaturanga
Hūrae 2027: Ka pānuitia ngā toi e hurihuri haere.
Hei āwhea ka tukuna taku kiriaro?
Ko te whiringa tuatahi nā te whakaahua ipurangi ka tukua me tō tono. Ka whakamōhiotia te hunga whāiti mō āwhea ka tukua mai ngā kiriaro e tau ai te whakawākanga mutunga me te tū o te whakaaturanga o tēnei tohu.
Ka ahatia i te wa o te whakawakanga?
Kei te pae whakahirahira te whiringa whakawā tuatahi. Ka tukuna ngā whakaahua o ngā kiriaro o ia tono ki ngā kaiwhakawā. Ka whakawāngia te whakaahua me ngā tuhinga kōrero e ū ai ngā whiringa whāiti (ko tōna 30 ngā mahi).
Ko ngā mahi toi a te hunga whāiti ka tukua mai ki Te Pūkenga Whakaata, ka noi kia oti ngā whakawākanga me te whakaaturanga. Ka whia rā te roa e whakawāngia e ngā kaiwhakawā i mua tonu i te tūwheratanga kia ū ai ngā toa, ka pānuitia ngā toa i te pō tonu o te tūwheratanga.
Mā ngā pōti o ngā manuwhiri mātai te whiringa toa-a-iwi e ū, ka pānuitia tēnei i te pito whakamutunga o te whakaaturanga ki Te Pūkenga Whakaata.
What happens to my artwork if I win the Award?
Once the winning artwork has finished touring with the finalists’ exhibition, ownership will be transferred to the Kiingitanga and the artwork will be kept in perpetuity in their collection.
E taea te hoko i ngā kiriaro?
He nui tonu ngā kiriaro e taea te hoko. Kei te kaitoi anō mehemea e hiahia ana ki te hoko i tana mahi toi. Ka tangohia e Te Pūkenga Whakaata te 30 ō-rau mō te kōkiri i ngā hokonga.
Ka huihuri te whakaaturanga?
Koia hoki. Ko tōna 30 ngā mahi toi e huri whakaatu ki ngā wāhi huhua i Te Ika a Maui me Te Waipounamu. Ka whakamōhiotia ngā kaitoi mehemea kua whiringia tāna hei hurihuri, Hei te marama o Hūrae 2023 ka whakamōhiotia.