25th Dobell Drawing Prize 2026 – $30,000 Australian Art Prize

Overview

The Dobell Drawing Prize is a biennial, acquisitive art prize and exhibition dedicated to contemporary drawing practice, presented by the National Art School in partnership with the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation. It is open to artists working in drawing broadly defined, including works on paper and alternative formats that expand on traditional drawing practice. Approximately 50 finalists are selected for a group exhibition at NAS Gallery, from which an overall winner is chosen.

Eligibility

• Open only to Australian citizens, permanent residents, or holders of an Australian-issued refugee or humanitarian visa, residing in Australia
• Aged 18 years or over
• One entry form with up to two artworks per entrant
• Artwork must have been completed within 12 months of the closing date (14 September 2026)
• Entrant must be the original creator and sole rights-holder of the submitted work

Awards & Benefits

• $30,000 AUD acquisitive prize awarded to the overall winner, donated by the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation
• Includes acquisition of the winning work into NAS permanent collection; copyright remains with the artist
• Inclusion in finalists' group exhibition at NAS Gallery for all ~50 selected finalists
• Finalist artworks covered for loss or damage by NAS's insurer once in custody

Key Dates

• Application Deadline: 14 September 2026
• Judging Panel Convenes: November 2026
• Finalists Announced: 20 November 2026 (discrepancy noted in source: 27 November 2026 per Terms and Conditions)
• Finalist Artwork Delivery: 9:00 am–5:00 pm, Friday 26 March 2027
• Winner Announced / Exhibition Opens: Thursday 8 April 2027 (announcement) / Friday 9 April 2027 (public opening)
• Exhibition Closes: Saturday 3 July 2027

Fees

• $50 AUD (including GST) per artwork entered
• Up to two artworks per entrant (maximum $100 AUD)
• Payment confirmed by emailed receipt, which serves as entry confirmation
• No refunds given for entry fees, including for withdrawals, duplicate entries, or artworks not selected

How to Apply

Submit online via the entry form at https://nas.edu.au/whats-on/news/25th-dobell-drawing-prize-entry-form/. Entries are reviewed individually by a panel of three judges before convening to select finalists.

Judging & Display

Three judges (Joan Ross, Paula Latos-Valier AM, and Dr Lorraine Kypiotis) review entries individually then convene as a panel; the judges' decision is final. Unframed or unmounted works must be protected in suitable casing or wrapping for handling during installation.

Delivery, Sales & Rights

Finalists are responsible for delivering (personally or via agent), insuring in transit, and collecting their own work; freight costs are not reimbursed. Finalist works may be offered for sale through NAS Gallery at 40% commission plus GST. Finalists grant NAS and the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual licence to reproduce, publish, and communicate the work for marketing, publicity, educational, and archival purposes.