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The 2025 Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize mobile image

The 2025 Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize

Launched in 2021, The Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize increases the international exposure of artists in Portugal or of the Portuguese diaspora, whilst raising funds for arts education programmes in the country.

How it works

01

Nomination and Shortlisting

The Prize invites contemporary artists, nominated by a board of independent art professionals, to each enter up to three artworks online. A judging panel comprised of world-class art experts then shortlists the 30 best artworks from a range of digital images.

Click here for T&Cs.

Clique aqui para consultar os Termos e Condições.

02

Exhibition

The shortlisted artworks are exhibited in Portugal. Members of the public can enjoy the artworks and engage in the public vote. Local students are offered the opportunity to engage in educational programming.

At the exhibition, the artworks are judged for a second time and voted on by the public. The judges scores are aggregated, and a Grand Prize winner is named.

03

Public Vote

To increase exposure for the artists, the general public are invited to cast a vote online or in person for their favourite shortlisted artwork. The most popular artwork is awarded the Public Vote Prize.

04

Sale of Artworks

The shortlisted artworks besides the Grand Prize winner will be sold at a fixed price and are split evenly between the artists and the local expressive arts programming.

Artists receive the same split as they would through a gallery and Associação SAF, the Portuguese arm of The Sovereign Art Foundation, receives the other half to fund expressive art programs for disadvantaged children in need in Portugal.

 

Our Aims

Ellipse 69
To Promote Artists

To widen and build knowledge of the work of artists from each region, increasing their public visibility, exposure in the art market and a attracting a wider international following. 

Ellipse 63 (1)
To Educate

To share a balanced representation of the most significant artists from each region and showcase the diverse character and qualities of their works through rich educational programmes. 

Engage the public
To Engage the Public

To exhibit the works in a public art space or museum so visitors may directly engage with some of the best  art from the region and to make this exhibition available to as broad an audience as possible. 

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To Raise Funds

To sell the finalists artworks for charity, raising a significant amount for the artists and for our expressive arts programmes that support vulnerable children. 

The Prizes

There are two cash prizes available to shortlisted artists. In addition, all shortlisted artists enjoy increased international exposure, top tier media coverage, and the opportunity to exhibit their work publicly in Portugal.

01
Grand Prize image

Grand Prize

Awarded to the artist with the highest score from the judges.

02
Public Vote Prize image

Public Vote Prize

Awarded to the artist with the most votes from the public.

SPAP 1 SPAP

Key Dates

Entry Deadline

— 19 June 2025

Shortlist Announcement

— August 2025

Finalists Exhibition

— November 2025

Winner Announcement

— November 2025

Judges

David Elliott image
David Elliott
Writer, Curator and Museum Director
David Elliott image

David Elliott

Writer, Curator and Museum Director

David Elliott is a cultural and art historian, writer, curator and museum director primarily concerned with modern and contemporary art. Elliott was Director of the Museum of Modern Art in Oxford, England from 1976-96, Director of Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden from 1996-2001, the founding Director of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan from 2001-06, the first Director of Istanbul Modern, Turkey in 2007 and from 2016-2019, Vice-Director and Senior Curator of the Redtory Museum of Contemporary Art in Guangzhou. From 1998-2004, he was President of CIMAM (the International Committee of ICOM for Museums and Collections of Modern Art) and in 2008, the Rudolf Arnheim Guest Professor of Art History at Humboldt University, Berlin; from 2012 to 2017 he was a guest professor in curatorship at the Chinese University, Hong Kong. Since 2010. He has been the Artistic Director of biennales of contemporary art in Sydney, Kiev, Moscow and Belgrade and is currently working freelance as a writer and curator.

João Paulo Queiroz image
João Paulo Queiroz
President of the Board of the Sociedade Nacional de Belas Arte
João Paulo Queiroz image

João Paulo Queiroz

President of the Board of the Sociedade Nacional de Belas Arte

João Paulo Queiroz holds a PhD in Fine Arts from the University of Lisbon, an MA in Communications from the University Institute of Lisbon, and a BA in Painting from the Escola Superior de Belas-Artes de Lisboa. He is a Professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Lisbon, in the PhD courses in Art Education of the University of Porto, and PhD in Arts of the University of Seville, Spain. Queiroz acted as coordinator for the International Congress CSO annually from 2010 to 2022 and of the academic journals Studio, Gama, and Croma. From 2012 to 2022, he coordinated the Congress Raw Material, Practices of Visual Arts in Basic and Secondary Education annually. He currently serves as President of the Board of Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes (SNBA, National Society of Fine Arts). He has held several solo exhibitions and was awarded the Gustavo Cordeiro Ramos Painting Prize by the National Academy of Fine Arts in 2004.

Maura Marvão image
Maura Marvão
Specialist, Representative for Portugal and Spain, Phillips
Maura Marvão image

Maura Marvão

Specialist, Representative for Portugal and Spain, Phillips

Maura Marvão has a law degree from Universidade Católica Portuguesa and a Master’s in Arts Administration from New York University. She has worked at the United Nations and the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. For the last 17 years has been the representative in Portugal and Spain of the international auction house Phillips. Teaches Art Markets and Practices of Collecting on the Culture Studies Programme (Master’s and PHD’s) at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon.  Has organised numerous international conferences and seminars and has been involved in various culture-related projects. Was president of ADIAC (Associação de Difusão Internacional de Arte Contemporânea), a member of the Board of Directors of the Fundação da Juventude (culture department), founding president of the Portuguese branch of the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington and president of the Group of Friends of the Ricardo Espirito Santo Silva Foundation. 

Maura Marvão is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Bagos D’Ouro Association, which promotes the education and social integration of children and young people in the Douro region 

 

Vicente Todolí image
Vicente Todolí
Artistic director of Hangar Bicocc
Vicente Todolí image

Vicente Todolí

Artistic director of Hangar Bicocc

Vicente Todolí was appointed artistic director of Hangar Bicocca (Pirelli Foundation) in May 2012 where he is responsible for the program. Vicente Todolí career in the visual arts spans more than 30 years and includes positions as Chief Curator (1986-88) and then artistic director of the IVAM (Valencian Institute of Modern Art, 1988-1996), before joining the Museum of Contemporary Art Serralves as its founding director in 1996 until 2002. In 2002 he was appointed Director of the Tate Modern by the Trustees of the Tate, where he joined full-time in March 2003 and left in June 2010.

Tim Marlow image
Tim Marlow
Chief Executive and Director, Design Museum
Tim Marlow image

Tim Marlow

Chief Executive and Director, Design Museum

Tim Marlow is Chief Executive and Director of the Design Museum in London.

Formerly Artistic Director of the Royal Academy of Arts and Director of Exhibitions at White Cube, Marlow has been involved in the contemporary art world for the past thirty years as a curator, writer and broadcaster.  He has worked with many of the most important and influential artists of our time to deliver wide-ranging and popular programmes and brings a commitment to diverse and engaging exhibitions to his new role showcasing the transformational capability of design.

Marlow sits on the Board of Trustees for the Imperial War Museum, the Design Age Institute and Cultureshock Media. Marlow was awarded an OBE in 2019.

Francisco Trêpa image
Francisco Trêpa
2024 Grand Prize Winner
Francisco Trêpa image

Francisco Trêpa

2024 Grand Prize Winner

Francisco Trêpa (1995) is a Portuguese artist based in Lisbon. He studied ceramics at Escola Artística António Arroio (2013) and holds a BA in Sculpture (2017) and an MA in Multimedia Art (2022) from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon. Since 2015, he has exhibited nationally and internationally in various galleries and institutions. His work is included in the António Cachola Collection (MACE), the PLMJ Foundation Collection, and several private collections. In 2024, he was a finalist for the EDP Foundation New Artists Award and won the Grand Prize of the Sovereign Art Prize.

Francisco Trêpa (1995) é um artista português que vive em Lisboa. Com formação em cerâmica pela Escola Artística António Arroio (2013), é licenciado em Escultura (2017) e Mestre em Arte Multimédia (2022) pela Faculdade de Belas Artes da ULisboa. Exibe, nacional e internacionalmente desde 2015, em diversas galerias e instituições. O seu trabalho está representado na coleção Antonio Cachola (MACE), na coleção da Fundação PLMJ e em varias colecções privadas. Em 2024, foi nomeado finalista do Prémio Novos Artistas da Fundação EDP. No mesmo ano, venceu o Grande Prémio do Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize.

Nominators

Alex Seton

Alex Seton

Alise Careva

Alise Careva

Anne-Laure Pilet
Anne-Laure Pilet image

Anne-Laure Pilet

Founder ANALORA Gallery

She had already dreamed of a gallery in China, where she lived for 6 years before choosing Lisbon. Frenchwoman Anne-Laure Pilet came to Portugal with the firm intention of giving substance to her project, and the Portuguese capital, with its human scale and proximity to artists, quickly made things concrete and achievable.
Deciding that contemporary art should be at the heart of her project, she sets out to meet creatives and artists.
The last major exhibition was in Lisbon in September 2024, with a solo show of the painter Jules Milhau.
In May 2025 it is in Paris that the gallery will present 4 artists ceramicists.

Carolina Trigueiros

Carolina Trigueiros

Eliette Rosich

Eliette Rosich

Emília Ferreira

Emília Ferreira

Emma Lochery
Emma Lochery image

Emma Lochery

Museum Director, Museum of Diversity

Emma is an acclaimed specialist in arts, heritage, and cultural tourism, with a strong track record of championing artists and major cultural initiatives around the world. Her work has consistently focused on creating platforms that amplify creative voices and connect local talent to international audiences. She collaborates with leading cultural institutions—including: Museum of Diversity, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the US National WWII Museum—bringing strategic insight to the evolving arts landscape. Passionate about equity and sustainability in the arts, she is committed to nurturing emerging talent and fostering opportunities for artists through impactful, culturally resonant projects.

Frederico Duarte
Frederico Duarte image

Frederico Duarte

Design writer and curator

Frederico Duarte (Lisbon, 1979) is a design critic and curator. He has a degree in communication design from FBAUL, an MA in design criticism from SVA and a PhD in curatorial studies from Birkbeck College and Victoria & Albert Museum. He is currently guest assistant professor at FBAUL and communication coordinator of the Bauhaus of the Seas Sails project at IST’s Interactive Technologies Institute. He is also, with Vera Sacchetti, co-founder of Fazer magazine and co-curator of the International Exhibition of the first Covilhã Design Triennial.

www.05031979.net

Howard Bilton

Howard Bilton

Isabel Nogueira
Isabel Nogueira image

Isabel Nogueira

Contemporary art historian, art critic

PhD in Fine Arts/Sciences of Art (Univ. of Lisbon, 2010) and a Post-Doc in History and Theory of Contemporary Art and Image Theory (Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, 2016). She is a contemporary art historian and art critic, professor and writer. Professor at National Society of Fine Arts, researcher at CIEBA/FBAUL. She directs the academic publication Arte e Cultura Visual. Recent books: L’image dans le cadre du désir : transitivité dans la peinture, la photographie et le cinema (L’Harmattan, 2018); Teorias da arte: do modernismo à actualidade (Book Builders, 2019; 2.ª ed. 2020); Como pode ‘isto’ ser arte? Breve ensaio sobre crítica de arte e juízo de gosto (Edições Húmus, 2023).

Janire Bilbao

Janire Bilbao

Karen Larkins

Karen Larkins

Kean Paker

Kean Paker

Merve Pakyürek

Merve Pakyürek

Pedro Magalhães

Pedro Magalhães

Sara Vincent

Sara Vincent

Sara Ferreira
Sara Ferreira image

Sara Ferreira

Gallery Manager

Nestled in the vibrant heart of Lisbon’s Prata Riverside Village, 28ART Gallery stands as a distinctive and intimate space dedicated to bringing art closer to everyone. Located at Rua B aos Jardins Braço de Prata, Lote 1 Loja 3, Marvila, 1950-127 Lisbon, the gallery offers a welcoming environment where artistic expression meets inclusivity and innovation.
28ART Gallery was founded with a clear mission: to serve as a platform for emerging artists while also celebrating the work of established creators. It is a space that embraces ideas, concepts, and projects that challenge artistic norms and promote a broader understanding of inclusion in all its forms—conceptually and representationally.

Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes

Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes

Valérie Marendaz Banier
Valérie Marendaz Banier image

Valérie Marendaz Banier

Founder and CEO of Do-N-e

Valérie Marendaz Banier has been developing a worldwide career, for the past 30 years, in the creative fields as Art Director, Curator, trailblazer and talent scout, Collectors Advisor and Art/Cultural Programmer developing groundbreaking concepts and exhibitions.
Founder of “Do-N-E”, created an international artistic platform, which supports and reveals the rising generation in Collectible Design, and elevates new artists under a multidisciplinary approach and dialogue. With a visionary mindset and an accurate analysis of the art market has been highlighting the “Collectible Design / Fonctional Art” field considering it as the ultimate experimental and non academic creative process”

Vânia Carvalho
Vânia Carvalho image

Vânia Carvalho

Cultural Heritage Management and Museology, Museu de Leiria

Cultural Heritage Management and Museology.
Tecnhical coordinator of Museu de Leiria, Centro de Interpretação do Abrigo do Lagar Velho and Centro de Diálogo Intercultural de Leiria.
She has an undergraduate degree in History (Archeology), a master’s in Human Evolution and Biology, and a postgraduate degree in Advanced Studies in Tourism, Leisure and Culture.
She believes that museums need to work with, listen to and give a voice to diverse communities, both within and around them, in order to become participatory, free, and authentic spaces.

Vera Appleton
Vera Appleton image

Vera Appleton

Founder, Artistic and Executive Director of Appleton

Graduated in Social Communication and PG in Marketing Management, holds a Master’s in Contemporary Art (Catholic University of Lisbon). Her career includes a roles such as Communications Manager, Project Manager, Senior Account, and Communications and Strategy Manager between 1996 and 2006. In 2007, founded Appleton Square, which became a non-profit in 2018. As executive director of the Appleton Cultural Association, she oversees artistic direction, financial management, and relationships with artists and patrons. She launched the Appleton Podcast in 2020, featuring around 160 conversations, has published texts on artists and provides consultancy in cultural management.

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Prize Winners and Previous Finalists

2024

Prize Winners and Previous Finalists arrow
Grand Prize Winner
Francisco Trêpa
Francisco Trêpa art
Public Vote Prize Winner
João Alexandrino
João Alexandrino  art

2023

Prize Winners and Previous Finalists arrow
Grand Prize Winner
Cássio Markowski
Cássio Markowski art
Public Vote Prize Winner
Leylâ Gediz
Leylâ Gediz art

2022

Prize Winners and Previous Finalists arrow
Grand Prize Winner
Jorge Queiroz
Jorge Queiroz art
Public Vote Prize Winner
Manuela Pimentel
Manuela Pimentel  art