BP Portrait Prize

The BP Portrait Prize is the United Kingdom National Portrait Gallery's annual portraiture competition.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - National Portrait Gallery

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British Petroleum (B.P.) took over sponsorship of the competition in 1989 from John Player & Sons (the tobacco company) and has sponsored it since.

Related Topics:
British Petroleum - John Player & Sons

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The exhibition opens in June each year and runs until September. First prize is typically £25,000. In the early years of the century, the prize went up from £5,000, and its catchment area was gradually extended from residents of the UK and is now unrestricted. It is regarded as the best showcase of young figurative painting in Britain, and many winners have gone on to become highly collectible. In spite of its traditional and non-headline-grabbing qualities, it has been highly popular with the general public, though in recent years there has been some controversy over the choice of winners.

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Past winners include:

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Tai-Shan Schierenberg

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Justin Mortimer

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