We all know how competitive the art prize landscape has become, so do you select the prize that is right for you? And how to you best hedge your bets?
The Wyndham Art Prize has been described as ‘user friendly’, given that it provides a higher chance of being selected as a finalist than most art prizes.
Simply, this Prize gives you a chance to be considered.
Wyndham Art Prize: quick links
Higher odds of being selected
Entries to the Wyndham Art Prize 2026 have opened – a mixed disciplinary, non-acquisitive prize supported by the City of Wyndham in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria.
By increasing the number of finalists selected for the Wyndham Art Prize, artists have a better chance of making the cut. Typically, 80 artists make the finalists list each year from the entry pool, drawn from a variety of artforms including painting, sculpture, photography, video, works on paper, ceramics, glass and digital media.
Doing away with any thematic framework for the Prize further expands opportunity. Artists can submit an artwork that best reflects their practice, rather than having to create a piece that “fits” with a theme.
While it makes for a more interesting curatorial exercise, the Gallery says that it doesn’t want to limit opportunities for artists. Visibility is a key which often opens the door for an artist.
A curated exhibition first
A point of difference for the Wyndham Art Prize is that it is a curatorial-led prize exhibition.
Part of the selection process of finalists is a consideration of how the exhibition will sit together in the gallery space. Wyndham Gallery’s ethos is that the curatorial placement of works serves to better illuminate them – allowing artworks to bounce off each other – rather than putting them in competition.
This year’s finalists’ exhibition will be held in the newly refurbished Wyndham Art Gallery following its year-long refit. The elegant space is considerably larger, fully accessible, and facing the street, offers a more connected viewing experience for audiences.
It re-opened in August 2025, and the transformation enhances the Gallery’s role as a vibrant cultural hub in Melbourne’s west, offering an inclusive platform for artistic expression.
Wyndham Art Gallery aims to amplify underrepresented voices and foster dialogue across cultures, generations and disciplines. The rollcall of past Prize winners is testament to the success of this ambition. Included among them are the exciting photographers Arrayah Loynd and Lilah Benetti, First Nations artists Katjarra Butler and Amala Groom, celebrated multidisciplinary installation artist David Sequeira, printmaker Tina Barahanos, watercolourist Xiang Li, abstractionist Camille Hannah, landscape painter Aisha Hara, Anindita Banerjee, Wāni Toaishara, Ivy Mutuku and many others.
A wider pool of prizes to support artists
This year the Wyndham Art Prize has expanded its prize offerings, again deepening opportunities for artist.
Rather than awarding prizes by medium, the Gallery has chosen to use the more traditional model of first, second and third prizes across a general category.
On top of these substantial prizes, a local Emerging Art Prize is also offered, as well as a popular People’s Choice, bringing the prize pool to over $40,000. It is all about the Gallery’s ethos of supporting artists.
A defining character of the Wyndham Art Prize is that it attracts artists from all over Australia, and equally positions emerging and established artists in the expansive finalist pool.
The 2026 Judging Panel includes acclaimed artist and past Wyndham Art Prize winner, Camille Hannah, Kendrah Morgan, Head Curator at Heide Museum of Modern Art, and curator and writer Maya Hodge (Lardil).
Four monetary prizes are available
Wyndham Art Prize First Prize: $15,000 non-acquisitive
Second Prize: $10,000 non-acquisitive
Third Prize: $8,000 non-acquisitive
Local Emerging Art Prize: $5,000 acquisitive
People’s Choice Award: $2,500 prize
Key dates
Entries open: 1 August to 3 October 2025
Exhibition dates: 19 January to 22 March 2026
Learn how to apply to the Wyndham Art Prize.
