TV Blackbox
AUSTRALIA’S budding portrait painters are being given the chance to put their talents on national television, with the ABC opening applications for a third season of Portrait Artist of the Year.
The popular arts competition has received an early renewal for 2027 while its second season is still airing, opening the door for amateur and professional artists from across the country to compete for one of Australian portraiture’s most significant prizes.
Each season brings together 54 artists who are challenged to capture the likeness and personality of a surprise celebrity sitter – with just four hours to complete their work.
Heat winners progress through to the semi-final and ultimately the grand final, where the competition culminates in a major opportunity for the successful artist.
The eventual winner will receive a commission to create a portrait for the National Portrait Gallery’s collection.
ABC Head of Arts, Music and Events Kath Earle said the program had helped bring Australian artists and their work to a much wider audience.
“Each season, Portrait Artist of the Year puts 54 talented Australian artists in the spotlight, bringing the arts straight into lounge rooms across the country,” she said.
Actor Miranda Tapsell and comedian Luke McGregor will return to host the third season, with National Portrait Gallery director Bree Pickering, acclaimed artist Abdul Abdullah and art historian Robert Wellington returning to judge the competition.
The announcement comes while season two continues to screen on Sunday nights on the ABC.
