Artist awards with May deadlines
6 opportunities you won't want to miss!
“I can only speak from my own experience, but applying to arts awards and open calls initially proved pivotal in allowing me to paint full time after graduation." —Josh Raz
In our first by invitation only post, artist Josh Raz shared his insights for emerging artists. Among many other thoughtful pieces of advice, he emphasised how arts awards played a crucial role in turning his practice into a full-time career.
Inspired by Josh’s reflections, we’ve compiled a list of upcoming artist awards with fast approaching May deadlines.
1. Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year
Sky Arts are looking for entries to participate in Series 11 of this televised competition! Artists should submit landscape artwork created within the last 5 years and if selected, will compete in a 4 hour live painting heat.
Deadline: May 2
Entry fee: Free
Prize: £10,000 commission for a major British institution and £500 of art materials from Cass Art
Find out more and apply here
Paintings by Series 10 winner, Ben MacGregor:
2. Hampstead Art Society
Take part in a group exhibition in Central London! Hampstead Art Society are holding an open call for artists to submit work to be shown in their summer exhibition July 6th—12th, 2025 at Gallery 8, London.
Deadline: May 5
Entry fee: £12 per work (up to 6 works)
Prize: In addition to participating in a group exhibition, there are multiple awards up for grabs including a main cash prize of £3,000.
Find out more and apply here
Peter Thomson’s Dinner Table, last years winner of the Hampstead Art Society’s Henrion Award
3. The Hopper Prize
The Hopper Prize is a bi-annual, international prize, awarding various cash grants totalling $11,000 to artists around the world.
Deadline: May 13
Entry fee: $40
Prize: 2 artists will each receive $3,500 and 4 artists will each receive $1,000.
Find out more and apply now
Artworks by last years recipients of the $3,500 prizes, Suzanne Clements and Alex Bex:
4. The Cass Art Prize
The Cass Art Prize 2025, presented by The Cass Group, aims to champion contemporary art from across the UK and Ireland. Works will be judged by a respected panel of guest judges and there are category prizes across various mediums from printmaking and oil to watercolour and 3D artwork.
Deadline: May 13
Entry fee: £12 for 1 entry, £20 for 2 entries, £28 for 3 entries, £36 for 4 entries
Student fee: £10 for 1 entry, £16 for 2 entries, £22 for 3 entries, £28 for 4 entries
Prize: The Cass Art Prize 2025 will award a £10,000 cash prize and a free stand at The Other Art Fair in spring 2026 to the overall winner of the competition. There are additional prizes worth £15,000 including a Students Award and an award chosen by the public. Plus a prestigious group exhibition at Copeland Gallery, London in autumn 2025.
Find out more and apply here
Below is the artwork Ada (2022) by Reuben Murray, winner of The Cass Art Prize 2024:
5. NEAC Artist Scholarships
The New English Art Club scholarship prize supports early career artists who face financial barriers in pursuing the arts in a professional capacity. In addition to artistic development, the scholarships give the successful artists the opportunity to attend classes and develop mentoring relationships with the talented members of the NEAC.
Deadline: May 16
Entry fee: Free
Prize: NEAC are awarding three awards. One £5,000 scholarship and two £250 scholarships
Find out more and apply here
Theo Dunford’s vibrant Eucalyptus 2 still life saw him receive a NEAC Artist Scholarships in 2024:
6. The Lumen Prize
The Lumen Prize champions the innovative possibilities of technology-driven creativity, showcasing artists who are pioneering new visual languages at the intersection of art and technology.
Deadline: May 24
Entry fee: From $40
Prize: There are nine categories to enter, each with a $2,000 prize. Each year the Jury also selects one Gold Award Winner, who will be awarded $12,000.
Find out more and apply here
Below: Decoding Bias by Theresa Reiwer, winner of the overall Lumen Gold Award 2024
Best of luck to everyone applying and be sure to keep us up to date with how you get on!