Enter the Sulman Prize 2026

Entry forms and payment can only be submitted online. Forms cannot be posted or emailed.

You don’t upload an image.

AFTER the online form has been completed, you will be provided with a printable PDF version of the form. You will need to bring two printed copies of this form with your original artwork to the Art Gallery, between the specified dates.

When entries are open, a link to the form will appear at the top of this page.

$50 handling fee to be paid by credit/debit card when filling in the online form.

Check our prize entry FAQs

Contact us to discuss any particular needs
Tel 02 9225 1700
entries@ag.nsw.gov.au

• Entry forms available online: 2 February – 27 March 2026

• Date of artwork: must be completed 27 March 2024 – 27 March 2026

• Eligibility period: resident in Australia 27 March 2021 – 27 March 2026

• Delivery of entries BY COURIER ONLY: 8am – 4pm, 19–20 March 2026

• Delivery of entries BY ARTIST OR REPRESENTATIVE OR COURIER: 8am – 4pm, 23–27 March 2026

• Collection of works not selected EXCEPT if sending a courier: 8am – 4pm, 4–8 May and 11–15 May 2026

• Collection of works not selected IF sending a courier: your courier company will be advised

• Collection of works selected for Sulman Prize: selected artists to be advised

• Finalists announced: 30 April 2026

• Winners announced: 8 May 2026

• Sulman Prize 2026 exhibition: 9 May – 16 August 2026

Note: No delivery or collection of works on weekends.

The artist must have been resident in Australia for the eligibility period: see ‘Key dates for 2026’.

Entrants must have resided in Australia for the stated prize eligibility period, either as a citizen, permanent resident, or as a holder of an Australian offshore humanitarian visa, a protection visa, or have some other legal right to reside in Australia.

In any year, the artist may enter ONE WORK ONLY. This does not prevent the artist entering other works in other competitions such as the Archibald or Wynne Prizes.

Entries that do not meet the prize instructions and conditions will not be accepted for judging.

• Must be a genre painting, subject painting or mural project. A genre painting is normally a composition representing some aspect or aspects of everyday life, and may feature figurative, still-life, interior or figure-in-landscape themes. A subject painting, in contrast, is idealised or dramatised. Typically, a subject painting takes its theme from history, poetry, mythology or religion. In both cases, however, the style may be figurative, representative, abstract or semi-abstract. A mural is a picture fixed directly to a wall or ceiling as part of an architectural and/or decorative scheme. See FAQs for definitions of ‘paint’ and ‘painting’.

• Paintings may be in oil, watercolour, acrylic or mixed media.

• May be a multi-panel work, as long as the overall dimensions are within the size limits (below).

• Paintings must be larger than 4640 square cm (eg 76.2 x 60.9 cm) if a subject/genre painting. These dimensions apply only to the work of art (excluding the mounting or frame).

• Paintings cannot exceed the size limit of 90,000 square cm, with a maximum height of 300 cm (eg height x width of 300 x 300 cm, 150 x 600 cm). Dimensions apply to the entire work of art, including the mounting or framing.

• Mural submissions must be in the form of a colour scale design in any media and less than 150 x 100 cm, and accompanied by a photograph of the mural site.

• If the work contains electrical components, these must comply with the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS3000:2018 for electrical installations (known as the Wiring Rules), and the work must be ‘tested and tagged’ by a licensed electrician before submission.

The work:

• Must be suitably framed for handling. A stretched canvas is considered a suitable frame.

• Must be clearly marked on the back with the artist’s name and address and the title of the work.

• Must be clearly marked on the back with the correct orientation of the work.

• Must not be wet when submitted.

• Must not include any hanging devices such as hooks or wires. These must be removed as they can damage other works. If the work is selected, the Gallery will attach its own hanging system.

Other important information:

• Artworks which do not meet the Art Gallery’s safe manual handling requirements will not be accepted.

• Complex artworks, such as multi-panel paintings, must be delivered with printed installation instructions and appropriate reference photography. Access to the exhibition space for entrants, including for artwork set-up, is prohibited.

The work must be accompanied by TWO printed copies of the completed entry form.

The first copy should be attached to the back of the work.

The second copy should be: EITHER handed in with the artwork if you’re delivering in person; OR put in an envelope and attached to the back of the work (in addition to the first copy) if you’re using a courier.

The work must be accompanied by printouts of the completed entry form (see ‘Preparing the work for delivery’).

Entries will only be accepted during the specified period (see ‘Key dates for 2026’) via the delivery dock at the rear of the Naala Nura building of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery Road, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia.

Delivery must be made in person, by a nominated representative (such as a friend, relative or artist’s agent) or by a courier/freight company.

The Art Gallery will not pay for any costs incurred in the delivery of any entry, including freight.

The Art Gallery recommends each artist maintains their own insurance for packing and transit to and from the Art Gallery. While the works are in the care, custody or control of the Art Gallery, the Art Gallery will provide cover in accordance with the NSW Treasury Managed Fund Statement of Cover. Cover will commence upon receipt of delivery at the Art Gallery until such time as the work is collected, returned after exhibition or tour, or you are notified by the Art Gallery.

An artist whose work is not selected for display is responsible for organising the collection of their work during the time period specified by the Art Gallery (see ‘Key dates for 2026’) and must indicate on the entry form how the work will be collected. The options outlined in the entry form are the only options available for the return of works. There will be no returns by Australia Post.

For artists sending couriers for pickup, collection will be from an offsite location during a period specified by the Art Gallery. These works cannot be collected until notified by the Art Gallery. The Art Gallery will contact the nominated courier with this information.

The Art Gallery will not pay for any costs incurred in the collection of any work not selected as a finalist.

The Art Gallery will endeavour to return works in their original packing material; however, this is not guaranteed.

If the artist does not collect a work, the Art Gallery will give one month’s notice of the Trustees’ intention to sell or otherwise dispose of the work, by sending a notice by email or post to the artist at the last known address or by placing a notice on the Art Gallery website if no address is known. The Trustees may then sell the work and, after deducting from the proceeds the costs of and incidental to the sale, shall hold any balance for the artist. If, however, it is the opinion of the Trustees that the work is unsaleable then the Trustees may destroy or otherwise dispose of it in any manner they deem fit and shall be under no liability whatsoever to the artist in respect of the work so destroyed or disposed of.

The finalists of the Sulman Prize, including the winner, are judged by an artist selected by the Trustees. The 2026 judge is Del Kathryn Barton.

The prizes are not acquisitive (that is, the finalist works do not automatically enter the Art Gallery of New South Wales collection).

The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence shall be entered into.

Finalists and prize winners will be announced to the media and published on the Art Gallery website at approximately 12 noon on the same day: see ‘Key dates for 2026’. These artists will be advised beforehand.

An artist whose work is selected for display will be asked to provide additional information (such as biographical details and a statement about the work) to assist with preparation of prize-related material.

Selected works will be photographed by the Art Gallery. The Art Gallery will not accept alternative images of the work from another source. Artists will be provided with the opportunity to access high resolution images of selected works at a time specified by the Art Gallery.

For each selected work, the Art Gallery will pay a one-off fee of $1000.

In addition, the winner of the Sulman Prize receives payment of $40,000.

In addition, works which are selected for reproduction on postcards, small merchandise items or as the cover for any catalogue produced will receive a merchandise fee.

All amounts are in Australian dollars and exclusive of GST. Artists of selected works will be contacted to provide payment information.

The artist of a selected work grants the Art Gallery permission to display the work in an exhibition of finalists for the Sulman Prize 2026 at the Art Gallery or such other venue as the Trustees may in their absolute discretion determine (see ‘Key dates for 2026’).

It is the artist’s responsibility to ensure that the original work is available for these purposes, including the full duration of the exhibition and tour (if applicable), whether or not they are the owner of the work. It is the artist’s responsibility, not the Art Gallery’s, to advise any purchaser of the work of these obligations.

The Art Gallery reserves the right to not include a work in an exhibition, including a tour (if applicable), if the work is deemed unsuitable for display for any reason.

Artists of selected works agree to make themselves available for the purposes of exhibition-related events, promotion and publicity at times and dates and in places reasonably requested by the Art Gallery.

As a condition of entry, the artist grants to the Art Gallery a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual licence to reproduce, publish and communicate the selected work via any medium in existence now or in the future for the following range of purposes:

• administering the Sulman Prize

• general marketing and promotion of the prize, the exhibition and touring exhibition (if applicable)

• general promotion of the Art Gallery and its objectives (including fundraising and sponsorship)

• archival purposes

• reporting purposes

• if a work is selected, inclusion in a catalogue for the Sulman Prize 2026 (where one is produced)

• educational and research purposes, including making digital versions of the 2026 catalogue or other commercial publications featuring the work available to the public in the future.

The Art Gallery may also create a selection of postcards and other merchandise which reproduce some selected works. Where an artist’s work is chosen, the artist grants the Art Gallery the right to reproduce the work on postcards and other small merchandise (‘Exhibition Merchandise’) during the exhibition period, in return for the set merchandise fee. Exhibition Merchandise will be offered for sale by the Art Gallery as an adjunct to the exhibition. Post-exhibition, the Art Gallery is permitted to offer remaining stock for sale. To be clear, the merchandise fee represents the limit of compensation payable to the artist for this Exhibition Merchandise right. Any additional commercial use of the selected work (including re-prints after the exhibition period) will be subject to a separate commercial agreement.

This licence includes the right for the Art Gallery to sublicense its rights to touring partners, sponsors and other stakeholders.

It is the artist’s responsibility, not the Art Gallery’s, to advise any purchaser of the work, or purchaser of rights in the work, of these licensed rights.

The Art Gallery will attribute the artist when exhibiting, reproducing or publishing the work or communicating the work to the public, unless it is reasonable in all the circumstances not to do so, or the artist has consented in writing, and the Art Gallery will use its reasonable endeavours to ensure that touring partners and sponsors do the same. The artist consents to the display of the work, including in relation to any other work in relation to the exhibition, tour and the prize.

The Art Gallery will generally reproduce the work in full. However, details of the work may be used under the licence above at the Art Gallery's discretion, and the artist consents to any such use. The Art Gallery will not make other material changes to the work without the prior written consent of the artist, unless it is reasonable in all the circumstances to do so, and will use its reasonable endeavours to ensure that touring partners and sponsors do the same.

The artist warrants that the work is their original work and does not infringe the copyright, moral rights or other rights of any third party.

Where the work was created collaboratively, the artist warrants that the collaboration was done under the direction of the artist.

Indigenous cultural and intellectual property (ICIP) rights are the rights that Indigenous people have, and want to have, in their traditional arts and culture or cultural heritage. Such rights may include the rights to: protect traditional knowledge and sacred cultural material; ensure that traditional laws and customary obligations are respected; attribution or naming of the community associated with such rights; prevent insulting, offensive or misleading uses of such traditional arts and culture; and control the recording of cultural customs and expressions which are essential to cultural identity, knowledge, skill and teaching about Indigenous culture.

If the work incorporates, is sourced from, or refers to ICIP material, the artist warrants that they have, or have obtained, the informed consent of the community custodians of, the ICIP rights to use such material, and for the Art Gallery to display and reproduce the work as outlined in these entry conditions (including consent to produce postcards and other small merchandise for commercial sale), and must provide evidence of ICIP consent to the Art Gallery upon request. When submitting their entry, the artist must advise the Art Gallery of any ICIP requirements that may impact attribution, display or reproduction of the work.

Personal information provided to the Art Gallery is collected, used and stored in accordance with the Art Gallery’s privacy statement.

Where, for any reason beyond the reasonable control of the Art Gallery (including, for example, earthquake; flood; fire; act of God; terrorism; pandemic; government directions, orders or regulations; labour strikes; or another emergency event), the Art Gallery is prevented or materially hindered from holding the competition or an exhibition of works at the Art Gallery, then it may vary, postpone or cancel the competition by notice in writing to that effect to the artists and by a notice on its website.

These terms are governed by the laws of the state of New South Wales.