Stephanie Galloway Brown's portrait of Layne Beachley AO oil on linen 138 x 102 cm, © the artist
On Thursday April 30 2026 the Art Gallery of New South Wales announced the 2026 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes finalists, with a distinctive Pittwater thread among these.
Among these is the Artist Lorrie Morgan, the lady who was the dynamo behind so many years of promoting Pittwater Artists, said - ''You watch, Steph will be in the Archibald one day, she's so good''.
Lorrie was speaking of Stephanie Galloway Brown whose portrait of Layne Beachley AO has been selected as a finalist.
‘’Absolutely thrilled to announce that Layne Beachley AO is selected for the Archibald Prize 2026 Art Gallery of New South Wales.’’ Stephanie said
‘’A huge thank you Layne Beachley for your trust, your time, your energy and incredible life story. It has been awe-inspiring to work with you on this and painting your portrait is one of my greatest honours.
Big congratulations to all the finalists, can’t wait to celebrate!’’
Layne Beachley is a seven-time world champion surfer and the only athlete in the sport’s history to win six consecutive world titles. In 2015, Layne was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia for her distinguished service to the community, as a mentor for women in sport and as a champion for mental wellness. In 2025, she received The Dawn Award, recognising her role in breaking barriers, achieving pay equity in surfing and embodying resilience.
‘I approached Layne through a mutual friend and was honoured when she agreed to sit,’ says Pittwater artist Stephanie Galloway Brown, who won the People’s Choice at the 2024 Portia Geach Memorial Award with a portrait of artist Sally Robinson.
‘I have portrayed her easy-going nature, grounding her near her happy place, the ocean. The dimple in her cheek, a small battle scar from competition, is an understated mark of a life spent pushing limits in the surf. The phrase on her T-shirt, “Be Where Your Feet Are”, reflects a philosophical invitation to be present and deeply connected to the moment.’
Stephanie was also a Finalist in the 2024 Archibald Prize for her Sydney-based artist Kathrin Longhurst.
Issue 100's Profile of the Week featured renowned North Narrabeen Artist Stephanie Galloway-Brown, as she was bringing out her 'Face of Extraordinary: Volunteers' exhibition and accompanying book.
Stephanie has been a long-term member of the Pittwater Artists Trail, was very active in Pittwater Community Arts as well as pulling together and overseeing the great Pittwater ArtFest 2012. Her 'Face of Extraordinary: Volunteers' project not only celebrated local volunteers, it brought into sharper focus the extraordinary work being done by Stephanie herself.
Stephanie states her work has evolved a lot since these earlier portraits.
For Layne's portrait the work began soon after Layne was named the Dawn Award recipient towards the end of 2025. Stephanie states she focused on what she calls Layne's 'down to earth' qualities and found through conversations with Layne more about the lady herself.
For instance, ''that line on her face people may think is a dimple, but it's actually one of what Layne calls her 'battle-scars'.'' Stephanie explained this week.
''Layne was in a competition in Japan and somehow split her cheek open during the heats. Layne, being Layne, was determined to continue. She had the cheek stitched up and went back out the next day to do her best.''
Stephanie Galloway Brown - a member of the Pittwater Artists Trail
Photo: Layne with her portrait at special sneak peek event, May 2, 2026
Artist and subject, May 2 2026. Photos: Stephanie Galloway Brown
Stephanie said:
''What an exhilarating evening! So honoured to be invited to guest speak alongside these two dynamos, Layne Beachley and Maud Page at the major sponsor EY Preview Event at the Art Gallery of NSW.
Thanks also to Michael Rose, Clare Sporle and the team. A real pinch-me moment, even if I was a bundle of nerves on the inside and how cool to get a sneak peak at the hanging.''
Richard Leplastrier AO Portrait - Finalist
A portrait of national icon and acclaimed architect, Richard Leplastrier AO by Andrea Wilson has also been shortlisted in the renowned Archibald Prize.
The Art Gallery of NSW webpage for her work states:
‘Richard Leplastrier is highly regarded globally as an architect’s architect, although here in Australia he very deliberately flies under the radar, eschewing publicity and guarding his privacy,’ says Andrea Wilson.
A Sydney-based artist, Wilson was a practising architect until the death of her mother caused her to take stock of her life.
‘My mother always told me I should paint. She would have been so thrilled I’m an Archibald finalist.' Andrea said
‘I’ve had the good fortune to work with Richard on many projects. Our families are close, and he is a very dear friend. Over the years, I’ve painted him several times. My first attempt this year was a nude of him in the bath – an outdoor Japanese wood-fired bath, where bathing is a social event in his family – which was a fail.
‘But then, at one of our many gatherings at Richard and Karen’s house on the western shores of Pittwater, we were chatting about all the things we’ve done together. It was a beautiful sunny day, everything was perfect, and that was how this portrait began.’
In closing, Andrea said: 'Made it into the Archibald! Still picking myself up off the floor. '
Andrea Wilson's portrait of Richard Leplastrier AO, oil on board, 122 x 122 cm, © the artist
Andrea began painting in 2017 after asking herself ‘what would you change about your life if you knew you only had a short time to live’, stating in Conversations with Artists:
''And of course the answer for me was painting. Shortly after that I entered a competition and won which led to closing my architecture practice to become a full time painter.
My process and style is painterly contemporary realism. But it is also experimental and changes constantly along with my subject matter which jumps between still lives, landscapes, animals, insects and portraits. This is deliberate. I don’t want to get stuck with one genre, but also -I see paintings in everything.
I guess there’s a bit of architecture there too. In architecture there is an ethos which is about allowing the building to be what it wants to be, but to achieve this first requires an deep understanding of the site and its cultural and environmental context. It might seem a stretch, but I think like this when I’m painting something as small as a fly. The fly must be what it wants to be -aside from how I see it as an engineering marvel with glorious iridescent skin and extraordinary eyes, it is alive. The process of painting a fly is a kind of confirmation that its life is as important to it as mine is to me.''
Andrea became a full time Artist in 2020.
Packing Room Prize 2026
Melbourne artist Sean Layh has been named the winner of the Packing Room Prize 2026 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales for his portrait of Australian actor Jacob Collins as Hamlet. Layh’s portrait marks his first time as an Archibald Prize finalist, selected from 59 finalists for Australia’s most prestigious art award.
Now in its 35th year, the Packing Room Prize, valued at $3000, is awarded to the best entry in the Archibald Prize as judged by the Art Gallery staff who receive, handle and unpack artwork entries and hang the finalists for exhibition.
William Newell and Alexis Wildman, senior installation officers and members of the Art Gallery’s Packing Room team, today announced Layh as the winner of the Packing Room Prize at an event unveiling the finalists for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2026.
‘Sean’s entry was an instant standout for the Packing Room crew. It’s a dark, complex and beautiful double portrait – a tormented Hamlet portrayed by actor Jacob Collins, captured by Sean with his obvious compassion and technical skill. We couldn’t stop looking at the painting; the work feels alive, as if the exchange between artist, character and actor continues to unfold on the canvas,’ said Newell.
Wildman added: ‘There’s a quiet intensity to the work and, despite the surrounding darkness, light persists. It’s the balance of tension and subtle illumination that ultimately set this painting apart for us.’
Born in Melbourne, Sean Layh is a self-taught figurative painter whose work is grounded in narrative and deeply informed by classical literature and theatre. While drawn to art from an early age, Layh initially pursued a PhD in biological science at Monash University, before leaving academia during the COVID-19 pandemic to commit to painting full-time. His practice is shaped by close study of European art of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries – from romanticism to impressionism – with much of his technical education forged through sustained engagement with the National Gallery of Victoria’s permanent collection.
Layh was inspired to paint Collins after seeing him perform the title role in Iain Sinclair’s 2024 production of Hamlet at Melbourne’s fortyfivedownstairs theatre. His portrait, The tragicall historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke – a title jointly agreed upon by artist and sitter – retains the Elizabethan spelling of the play’s earliest printed editions. The composition draws on Albert Maignan’s The last moments of Chlodobert 1880. Layh has exhibited nationally and internationally and is the recipient of several international art prizes.
On receiving the news of his win, Layh said he was delighted to be selected as a finalist for the Archibald Prize and even more so to be the recipient of the Packing Room Prize.
‘There is something special about being selected from a group of your peers, as many of the Packing Room crew are artists themselves. It is particularly special as one painting that left a deep impression on me as a teenager was Paul Newton’s 2001 Archibald entry, Roy and HG, which won the Packing Room Prize that year. It’s surreal to receive the same honour 25 years later.
‘Iain Sinclair’s production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet was striking, and Jacob really brought it home with his beautiful performance. I enjoy the layering of a subject painting like this – a portrait within a portrait. It’s a portrait of Jacob, but not as himself. It captures him as an actor portraying one of the most extraordinary fictional figures in Western literature.
‘It is immensely satisfying for me to have this work recognised. While Jacob and I are modern artists, we are both continuing artistic traditions that have a strong history in our culture – theatre and painting respectively,’ said Layh.
Jacob Collins (also known as Jacob Collins-Levy) is an actor and musician from Melbourne, known for his work across film, television and theatre. He began his screen career in 2015, with early appearances in Holding the man and the ABC series Glitch. Collins gained international recognition for portraying the lead role as Henry VII in the historical drama The White Princess (2017), followed by prominent roles in Netflix’s Young Wallander (2020) and The Witcher: Blood Origin (2022). His other film credits include Joe Cinque’s consolation (2016), Justin Kurzel’s True history of the Kelly Gang (2019) and Doctor Who (2020). Alongside his screen career, Collins maintains an active stage practice in Australia, including recent performances in Burn this (2021), Nosferatu (2023) and Hamlet (2024).
This year, the Art Gallery received 2524 entries for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, marking the second-highest combined number of entries in the prizes’ history, exceeded only by the pandemic-delayed record year of 2020. The Archibald Prize 2026 received 1034 entries; the Wynne Prize 2026 received 773 entries; and the Sulman Prize 2026 received 717 entries.
In total, 137 works have been selected as finalists across the 2026 prizes: 59 finalists in the Archibald Prize and 52 finalists in the Wynne Prize, both selected by the Art Gallery’s trustees, and 26 finalists in the Sulman Prize, selected by guest judge artist Del Kathryn Barton.
The popular Young Archie 2026 competition received more than 4300 entries, a record number for the youth competition that continues to delight and engage visitors at the Art Gallery each year. Entries were received from talented young artists aged five to 18 from every state and territory, with 70 finalists selected across four age categories by guest judge, artist Jumaadi. All finalists are displayed in a free exhibition in the John Kaldor Family Hall at the Art Gallery.
The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2026 exhibition and the Young Archie 2026 competition are generously supported by presenting partner ANZ.
Mark Whelan, Group Executive, Institutional at ANZ, said: ‘Congratulations to Sean Layh on winning the 2026 Packing Room Prize for his portrait, which captivated the Packing Room team. ANZ has a proud history of supporting the arts community in Australia and we are pleased to continue our support of the Archibald Prize in 2026.’
The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes delight and surprise audiences every year with fresh presentations of contemporary Australian painting and sculpture.
At its heart, the Archibald Prize is about storytelling. Who are the people our artists have chosen to paint and what do their portraits reveal to us? In this exhibition, Australian and New Zealand artists use portraiture to share the beauty and complexity of our times.
The Wynne Prize celebrates two major categories of art: Australian landscape painting and figurative sculpture. Diverse representations of our country appear alongside the variety and ingenuity of contemporary sculpture. The Sulman Prize is for subject painting, genre painting or a mural project.
Each year, the trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales judge the Archibald and Wynne Prizes and invite a guest artist to judge the Sulman. In 2026 the Sulman will be judged by renowned artist Del Kathryn Barton.
This must-see annual exhibition of finalists and winners has become a fixture in our artistic calendar. A single ticket gives you access to see all three of these prestigious awards.
Have your say by voting for your favourite portrait in the ANZ People’s Choice award for the chance to win $2000.
Don’t miss Young Archie, a free display in the Kaldor Hall on the ground level, showcasing art by the next generation of artists, aged 5 to 18. Plus, grab a free self-guided children’s trail in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2026 exhibition.
The winners of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2026 will be announced at 12pm on Friday 8 May. All winning and finalist works will then be exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from Saturday 9 May to Sunday 16 August 2026.
Following the exhibition at the Art Gallery, the Archibald Prize 2026 finalist works will tour to six venues across New South Wales and Victoria, offering audiences beyond Sydney the opportunity to experience this nationally celebrated portrait prize.
Winner Packing Room Prize 2026, Sean Layh The tragicall historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke, oil on board, 114.1 x 150.2 cm © the artist
Young Archies 2026
Entries: more than 4350 (70 selected as finalists + 20 honourable mentions)
Guest judge: artist Jumaadi
From 9 May to 16 August 2026, finalists are exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in a free display alongside the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes. Honourable mentions are displayed at the SH Ervin Gallery alongside the Salon des Refusés.
See the works online at: www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/young-archie/2026/