Archibald Prize facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Archibald Prize |
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Desbrowe Annear by W B McInnes, the first Archibald Prize winner (1921)
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| Location | New South Wales |
| Country | Australia |
| Reward | AU$100,000 |
| First awarded | 1921 (Desbrowe Annear) |
| Currently held by | Julie Fragar for Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene), 2025 |
The Archibald Prize is a famous art competition in Australia. It is known as the most important portrait prize in the country. A portrait is a painting of a person.
The prize started in 1921. It was created thanks to money left by J. F. Archibald. He was the editor of a magazine called The Bulletin. He passed away in 1919.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales manages the prize. It is given for "the best portrait" painted by an Australian artist. The person in the portrait should be famous. They might be known in art, writing, science, or politics. The prize has been given out every year since 1921, with only two exceptions. Since July 2015, the winner receives AU$100,000.
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Archibald Prize Winners
The Archibald Prize has been awarded to many talented artists. Each year, a new portrait is chosen as the best.
Prize Money Over Time
The amount of money given to the winner has changed over the years.
- 1921 – £400 (pounds)
- 1941 – £443 / 13 / 4
- 1942 – £441 / 11 / 11
- 1951 – £500
- 1970 – $2,000 (Australian dollars)
- 1971 – $4,000
- 2006 – $35,000
- 2008 – $50,000
- 2013 – $60,000
- 2012 – $75,000
- 2015 – $100,000
Other Awards at the Archibald Prize
Since 1988, two more awards have been added to the Archibald Prize event. These awards celebrate different ways of choosing a favorite portrait.
People's Choice Award
The People's Choice Award lets the public vote for their favorite portrait. Visitors to the exhibition can choose the painting they like best. This award started in 1988. The winner receives A$3,500.
The first People's Choice Award winner was Fred Cress. His portrait of artist John Beard also won the main Archibald Prize that year. This was the first time one painting won both awards. It happened again in 2004 when Craig Ruddy won both with his portrait of David Gulpilil.
Packing Room Prize
The Packing Room Prize was created in 1992. This award is special because the staff who handle the artworks vote for their favorite. These are the people who unpack and hang the paintings in the gallery. The head packer, Brett Cuthbertson, gets 52% of the vote.
The winner of the Packing Room Prize is not always one of the main Archibald finalists. Since June 2014, this prize has been A$1,500.
"Kiss of Death" Award
No Archibald Prize winner has ever also won the Packing Room Prize. In fact, many Packing Room Prize winners don't even make it to the Archibald finalists. Because of this, winning the Packing Room Prize is sometimes called "the kiss of death award." It means you probably won't win the big one!
However, two paintings have won both the Packing Room Prize and the People's Choice Award. These were Paul Newton's portrait of Roy Slaven and HG Nelson in 2001, and Jan Williamson's portrait of singer Jenny Morris in 2002. Neither of these won the main Archibald Prize.
Danelle Bergstrom has won the Packing Room Prize twice. She won in 1995 with a portrait of singer Jon English. She won again in 2007 with a portrait of actor Jack Thompson. In 2020, Meyne Wyatt became the first Indigenous artist to win the Packing Room Prize.
Other Exhibitions and Competitions
The Archibald Prize is a big event, but there are other related art shows and competitions.
Salon des Refusés
Since 1992, some paintings that don't become Archibald finalists are shown in another exhibition. This is called the Salon des Refusés. It means "Exhibition of the Refused."
Salon des Refusés People's Choice Award
Since 1999, there has also been a People's Choice Award for the Salon des Refusés. A law firm in Sydney sponsors this award.
Young Archie Competition
The Young Archie competition started in 2013. This is a special art competition for children and young people. It is open to ages 5 to 18. Entrants are put into four different age groups. It's a great way for young artists to get involved!
Associated Art Prizes
The Archibald Prize is held at the same time as several other art prizes. These include the Sir John Sulman Prize and the Wynne Prize. Other prizes shown alongside it are the Australian Photographic Portrait Prize and the Young Archie competition. Before 2003, the Dobell Prize was also part of the event.
The Archibald is the second richest portrait prize in Australia. The Doug Moran National Portrait Prize offers more money.
In 1978, Brett Whiteley made history. He won the Archibald, Wynne, and Sulman Prizes all in the same year. This has never happened again. It was his second time winning each of those prizes.
There is also a funny competition called the Bald Archy Prize. It started in 1994 as a joke about the Archibald Prize. A cockatoo is supposedly the judge! It became so popular that it moved to Sydney.
