ABOVE: : Works by James McDonald, Chris Close and Jack Handscombe from the 2023 Scottish Portrait Awards

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Scottish Portrait Awards 2024

Celebrating 10 years of the Scottish Arts Trust with three leading awards and Scotland’s biggest prizes for portraiture


Sutherland Independent Scottish Portrait Award in Fine Art

The Scottish Portrait Award in Fine Art accepts works created in any 2D or 3D medium. Our fine art exhibitions have featured works created in oil, acrylics, charcoal, coloured pencil, mixed media, collage, glass, wood, papier mache, porcelein, metal and more.

  • First Prize £5,000

  • Second Prize £1,000

  • Third Prize £250

  • Young Fine Artist (16-25 years) £500

The top 30 works are selected for the touring exhibition.

Entry fee £10 per work. You may enter up to five works. One free entry is available for anyone over 16 who lives in Scotland a household where any family member is receiving universal credit, disability or carers allowance, tax credit, or any other income support.

MPB Scottish Portrait Award in Photography

The Scottish Portrait Award in Photography is open to works created through any photographic process - in colour, monochrome, black and white and printed on any material.

  • First Prize (colour award) £2,000

  • First Prize (black and white award) £2,000

  • Albert Watson Portrait Prize £1,000

  • Second Prize £500

  • Third Prize £250

  • Young Photographer (16-25 years) £500 plus MPB Voucher £250

The top 50 works will feature in the touring exhibition, divided into colour and black and white sections.

Entry fee £10 per work. You may enter up to five works. One free entry is available for anyone over 16 who lives in Scotland a household where any family member is receiving universal credit, disability or carers allowance, tax credit, or any other income support.

Scotland Now! Phone Portrait Awards

ENTIRELY FREE TO ENTER

The Scotland Now! Phone Portrait Awards are open to anyone over 16 who lives in Scotland. Photographic portraits must have been taken on a phone, of someone who lives in Scotland. All photographs entered must have been taken after 1 January 2023. Entry to the Scotland Now! Phone Portrait Award is free for everyone over 16 who lives in Scotland.

  • First prize £500

  • Rolling digital exhibition for top 50 works, travelling with the Scottish Portrait Award exhibition

  • Online exhibition for 100 long-listed works.

About the Scottish Portrait Awards

Launched by the Scottish Arts Trust in 2017, the Scottish Portrait Awards have become a barometer of contemporary Scottish art practice. The Awards give visibility to a mix of well-established artists as well as newcomers across a wide variety of styles. Drawing on personal and universal narratives – from identity and family, to loss and personal reflections, the Scottish Portrait Award exhibitions are always diverse and engaging, generating contemplation as well as debate while celebrating the wealth of creative talent in Scotland today.

Entries to the Scottish Portrait Award in Fine Art and the Scottish Portrait Award in Photography cost £10 per work. Artists may submit as many pieces as they wish. Free entry for these awards is available for artists living in Scotland who receive any form of income support or universal credit. The Scotland Now Phone Prortait Awards are free to enter for everyone over 16 living in Scotland.

From 2024, the Scottish Portrait Awards is moving to a biennial schedule. After 2024, the next Scottish Portrait Awards will be in 2026.

Scottish Portrait Awards Catalogue 2023

144 pages featuring images and insights from all the artists whose work was shortlisted for the 2023 awards £6.00 plus postage and packing (UK)