Ramsay Art Prize

A $100,000 art prize supporting contemporary Australian artists under 40

Open to Australian artists under 40 working in any medium, the Ramsay Art Prize is presented by the Art Gallery of South Australia and supported in perpetuity by the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation. The Prize aims to support and encourage contemporary Australian artists to make their best work at a pivotal moment in their career.

Finalist works are selected by an eminent panel of judges and shown in a major exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia. The winning work is judged from the exhibition and is acquired into the Gallery’s collection, with the winning artist receiving $100,000, thanks to the generosity of the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation.

The Exhibition also includes a People’s Choice Prize worth $15,000, supported by sponsor LK, and decided by public vote.

In 2025, the panel of experts is comprised of leading Australian artist Michael Zavros; Associate Professor and Program Director of Visual Art at the Queensland College of Art and Design and inaugural winner of the Ramsay’s People’s Choice Prize Julie Fragar; and Emma Fey, Acting Director of the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Entries for the Ramsay Art Prize 2025 are now closed.

Artist Enquiries

E ramsay@artgallery.sa.gov.au

Presented by
  • James & Diana Ramsay Foundation
People's Choice Prize
  • LK 2023

Entries for the Ramsay Art Prize 2025 are now closed.

Read our Terms and Conditions for more information.

Entries to the Ramsay Art Prize must be contemporary as defined by the entrant. There are no restrictions on scale, medium or subject matter. All media refers to the type/form and presentation of the art to be judged, including but not limited to sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, installation, sound digital, net or live art.

An administration fee of $50 (inc. GST) is applicable. The administration fee is payable at the time of entry via Visa or Mastercard only.

Only one entry per person or collective is permitted.

Duos or art collectives are eligible to enter. Only one entry per solo, duo or collective will be accepted, which means artists must select whether they enter with an artwork from their solo practice or from their duo/collective practice, not both.

For the Ramsay Art Prize 2025, all entrants (solo, duo or a collaborative/collective) must be under the age of 40 years on 13 December 2024 (submission deadline). Meaning, at the time of submission deadline you are not yet 40 years of age. Proof of age may be required.

Entrants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents, living in Australia as their main place of residence.

For the Ramsay Art Prize 2025, the entered work must be new or recent work, that is, the work must have been completed after 13 December 2023.

The following information will be required for your Ramsay Art Prize entry. Please note that it is not possible to save a partially completed entry and return to it at a later date. If you exit part way through the entry process any information you have entered will be lost.

  • Your Details
  • Details of Gallery representation (if relevant)
  • If the work has been exhibited before, exhibition venues, dates, title
  • Details of the work being entered (title, materials, dimensions / duration, date and place of completion)
  • Describe yourself as an artist (100 maximum words)
  • Describe materials and processes used in the work (100 maximum words)
  • Describe the ideas/themes you are exploring (100 maximum words)
  • Supporting media files (maximum of 3 with a minimum of 1 still image, JPEG or Tiff files are accepted, 300dpi, each file must not exceed 5 MB)
  • If your work is a video or sound file please make your file available for viewing on a website such as YouTube, Vimeo or Soundcloud. You will need this link address in your application. It is not possible to attach sound or video files to your entry.
  • Payment of the $50 entry fee is required as part of the entry process (Visa and Mastercard accepted)

The Ramsay Art Prize winning work will be acquired into the Art Gallery of South Australia’s collection at no additional cost.

In 2025, the panel of experts is comprised of leading Australian artist Michael Zavros; Associate Professor and Program Director of Visual Art at the Queensland College of Art and Design and inaugural winner of the Ramsay’s People’s Choice Prize Julie Fragar; and Emma Fey, Acting Director of the Art Gallery of South Australia.

The winner will be announced at an invitation only event on Friday 30 May 2025.

The finalist exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia will be held from 31 May to 31 August 2025.

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