How many of these open calls are free to apply?

Free to apply: 1 of 16. A fee to apply or to take part: 12. Fee not stated by the organiser: 3.

What do these open calls provide?

Out of 16: prize money: 14; exhibition: 13.

Can artists from any country apply?

No country or region limit in the terms: 13 of 16. Limited to residents or citizens of named countries or regions: 3 — each card names who may apply.

When is the next deadline?

Burnie Print Prize 2027: 30 October 2026. Closing within 30 days: 5. Open on a rolling basis: 0.

Art competitions in Australia, 2026–2027

30 Oct 2026

Burnie Print Prize 2027

Burnie Regional Art GalleryBurnie, Tasmania, Australia

CompetitionA$18,000 acquisitive major prize

3 Nov 2026

Strand Ephemera 2027 — Townsville Beachfront Public Art Festival, $5,000 Artist Fee + $10,000 Excellence Award

Townsville City CouncilTownsville, Queensland, Australia

Competition$5,000 artist fee; $10,000 Artistic Excellence Award

4 Nov 2026

Northern Beaches Gallery Art Prize 2026 — $5,000 + Solo Exhibition (Open Theme)

Northern Beaches GalleryCromer, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Competition$5,000 + 2027 solo show; $2,000; $500 framing

8 Nov 2026

Elaine Bermingham National Watercolour Prize in Landscape Painting 2026 — $20,000

Queensland College of Art and DesignBrisbane, Queensland, Australia

CompetitionAUD 20,000 (non-acquisitive)

15 Nov 2026

Small Works Art Prize 2027

Brunswick Street GalleryBrunswick Street Gallery, Australia

CompetitionOver $15,000 in prizes

27 Nov 2026

Art in the Open — $5,500 Public Mural Commission, Barwon Heads (Victoria), Open to All Artists

Barwon Heads Arts CouncilBarwon Heads, VIC, Australia

CompetitionAUD 5,500 incl. fee, materials and install

11 Dec 2026

Ramsay Art Prize 2027 — $100,000 Acquisitive Prize for Australian Artists Under 40, Art Gallery of South Australia

Art Gallery of South AustraliaAdelaide, Australia

CompetitionAUD 100,000 acquisitive

11 Dec 2026

Collie Art Prize 2027 (CAP27), Western Australia — Major Acquisitive Award, Theme 'Identity'

Collie Art Gallery134 Throssell Street, Collie WA, Australia

CompetitionMajor acquisitive prize (historically A$50,000)

14 Dec 2026

The Marrow Chapbook Prize 2026 — AUD 1,000 + Publication with 5 Islands Press

The Marrow PoetryAustralia (open internationally)

CompetitionAUD 1,000 + publication + 10 author copies

11 Jan 2027

2027 Live Well, Die Well Art Prize "Conversations about end of life" — $30,000 Prize Pool, Free Entry

Palliative Care AustraliaAustralia

CompetitionFree to apply$30,000 prize pool across categories

13 Jan 2027

Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing 2027 — $25,000 Acquisitive Award, PLC Sydney

Adelaide Perry GalleryCroydon, Sydney, Australia

CompetitionAUD 25,000 acquisitive + AUD 2,000 People's Choice

14 Jan 2027

48th Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award 2027 — $30,000 Prize Pool incl. $20,000 Acquisitive First Prize

Walyalup Fremantle Arts CentreFremantle (Walyalup), Western Australia

CompetitionAUD 20,000 + 5,000 + 5,000

15 Jan 2027

Paper Bird Illustration Exhibition & Award 2027 — AUD 5,000 Prize and Thames & Hudson Consultation (Fremantle, Theme 'Home')

Paper Bird Children's Books & ArtsFremantle, Western Australia

CompetitionAUD 5,000

22 Jan 2027

Glover Prize 2027 — Landscape Painting of Tasmania ($80,000)

John Glover SocietyEvandale, Tasmania, Australia

CompetitionAUD 80,000 acquisitive prize

19 Feb 2027

2027 John Villiers Outback Art Prize "Outback: A Sense of Place" — $22,500 Prize Pool

Waltzing Matilda CentreWinton, Queensland, Australia

Competition$10,000 acquisitive major + $6,000 residency; $22,500 pool

22 Feb 2027

The Jury Art Prize 2027 — $40,000 Regional WA Art Prize, $10,000 Acquisitive Judges' Prize, Port Hedland

The Junction CoPort Hedland, Western Australia

CompetitionAUD 40,000 total; AUD 10,000 Judges' Prize

Art competitions in Australia

Art competitions in other countries

All open calls here: 16