The Bald Archy Prize

Celebrating its 30th touring year, the Bald Archy Prize is one of Australia's most beloved and irreverent art competitions. The prize invites artists to submit comic or satirical portraits of Australians distinguished in art, science, letters, politics, sport, or the media.

Finalists compete for a $10,000 acquisitive first prize and a $2,000 People's Choice Award, sponsored by Briggs Law. The competition is judged by Professor Maude Cockatoo, the sulphur-crested Visual Arts Laureate of Coolac and sole judge of the prize since its inception at the 1994 Coolac Festival of Fun. According to Maude's judging criteria, prize-winning entries must be funny, encompassing wit, slapstick, satire, vulgarity, farce, black comedy, irreverence, and everything between high and low comedy. The judge explicitly rejects 'hate portraiture' or 'soap box art'.

Eligibility: National. Categories: Photography, Drawing, Painting. Submission Deadline: February 1, 2026. Entry Fee: $50 AUD per artwork.