The Adam Portraiture Award is Aotearoa’s most prestigious and popular portraiture prize.

The biennial competition for painted portraits is held at The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata and generously sponsored by the Adam Foundation. The Adam Portraiture Award provides painters from Aotearoa at all stages of their careers with the opportunity to showcase their talents on the national stage, while also playing an important role in recording the changing face of Aotearoa.

The inaugural competition was held in 2000 and called the National Portrait Competition. It has been known as the Adam Portraiture Award since 2002. Since 2006 the winning artworks have been acquired into the New Zealand Portrait Gallery collection. In 2020 the Award expanded its judging panel to two judges. 

First Prize: $20,000 
Runner up: $2,500 
People’s Choice: $2,500 

The Adam Portraiture Award is generously funded by the Adam Foundation

The Adam Portraiture Award 2024 finalists exhibition has closed at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery, and will be touring until mid-2025. See Touring Exhibitions for more details.