Please read About the prize, How to enter and FAQs carefully before you make your submission. 

Deadline for entries: 11.59pm (one minute to midnight) on Monday 8th June 2026.

All artists over 18 and of any nationality, presently living and working in the UK may submit work (see FAQs for further details). Family members of the judges and selectors, and members of Contemporary British Painting are not eligible to apply.

The entry fee is £25 for all entries and is non-refundable.

All works must be an original creation by the artist. Each artist, by entering the Contemporary British Painting Prize, confirms that they hold all intellectual property rights in the work.

Work entered must be viewed by the judges as being a painting (a visual artwork produced using a paint medium such as oil, tempera, acrylic, emulsion, enamel or watercolour which once completed results in a physical object). Each work must have been completed within the last 3 years, since 1st June 2023.

Work need not be framed, however if selected, the entry will be accepted on the condition that it is entered at your own risk; the organisers will not accept any liability for any loss or damage that may occur in the normal course of handling or display.

The selectors will agree a shortlist of at least 12 artists who will show at least three pieces each at the CBP Prize exhibition. The judges will select one prize winner and one highly commended artist from the exhibited works.

The entry fee is for the Contemporary British Painting Prize. The Judith Tucker Memorial Prize and the YAS Exhibition Award are additional prizes, awarded at the discretion of the respective judges.

All five works submitted by the artist must be available for the full duration of the exhibition. If a painting is already in a private collection, the owner must have agreed to the loan of the work for the prize exhibition.

Exhibiting artists will each receive a £400 exhibitor’s fee. Exhibitors are strongly encouraged to attend the prize announcement.

Selected artists must arrange delivery of their selected works to YAS Sheffield and collection of the paintings from Thames-Side Studios Gallery after the exhibition has closed. The organisers will liaise with the artists to confirm dates and to make arrangements.

Works that are for sale are subject to a 50% commission. Works do not have to be for sale. Shortlisted artists will be contacted by the organisers for details.

Artists are advised to arrange their own insurance.

The copyright for all works exhibited in The Contemporary British Painting Prize Show 2026 will remain the property of the artist, but it is a condition of entry that the artist or their representatives agree that ‘Contemporary British Painting’, ‘YAS Sheffield’ and ‘Thames-side Gallery’ may reproduce any exhibited works, free of charge, for the purposes of marketing, promotion and education in direct connection with the ‘Contemporary British Painting Prize’, in all media worldwide including exhibition catalogue and subsequent publications, posters, prints, postcards, the Internet and within television programmes, and may license these specific, limited rights to others only for the same purposes.

‘Contemporary British Painting’ also reserves the right to reproduce selected images free of charge for purposes such as displaying information on previous exhibitions on the ‘Contemporary British Painting’ website, ‘@paintbritain’ Instagram accounts and ‘Contemporary British Painting’ Facebook site indefinitely, as a public record. The processes of the competition may be filmed, and entering the competition constitutes agreement for a painting to be included in such filming, whether broadcast or not.

Artists submitting their Works to the prize (whether such submission is for an exhibition or any other purpose) shall indemnify and keep indemnified the prize organisers (including their agents and affiliates) against any actions, claims, proceedings, losses, liabilities, charges, costs and expenses which they may incur arising out of or in connection with any actual or alleged financial or contractual arrangements between the artist and any agent (other than the prize organisers) or any third party.

Personal data supplied by the artist on the submission form, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will only be used for administering the exhibition and for the purposes of the exhibition and continuing promotion of the Work(s). In entering, entrants agree that their contact details will be retained by the organisers of the Contemporary British Painting Prize and these will be added to the mailing lists for Contemporary British Painting, from which is it possible to unsubscribe at any time. The personal data will not be transferred to any other third party without the consent of the artist.

Unless expressly written to the contrary, the artist hereby consents to the organisers providing third parties with his or her contact details where such third parties might be interested in buying, commissioning or licensing the rights in and to, their work(s).

Artists will be notified of the results of their entry by email (please see Key Dates). The selectors’ and judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.

The organisers reserve the right to disqualify any Work if the artist has failed to adhere to these Terms and Conditions.

Dates and/or other arrangements including selectors and judges may be subject to change due to circumstances beyond the organisers control.