Melbourne artist Nathan Beard has won the $30,000 National Photographic Portrait Prize for his faceless portrait of his aunt Mae Khong, who died in July before learning of the award. The photograph is one of 30 finalists selected from over 1,000 entries and was taken while visiting his aunt in Thailand after she suffered a medical scare. Beard will also receive $20,000 worth of camera equipment with the prize. This year's competition marks the final iteration in its current format, with a new prize model to be announced by the National Portrait Gallery in 2027.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Nathan Beard, a Melbourne artist of Australian-Thai heritage, has won the $30,000 National Photographic Portrait Prize for his portrait of his aunt, Mae Khong, who passed away before the announcement. The photograph, taken in Thailand earlier this year, captures a private moment of Mae Khong recovering from a major medical scare. Despite being faceless, the image conveys fortitude and strength alongside fatigue and vulnerability, according to Isobel Parker Philip, Director of Curatorial and Collection at the National Portrait Gallery. Beard's aunt was an influential figure in fostering his sense of cultural pride and belonging. This year's winner received a cash prize of $30,000, while Phuong Nguyen Le won the $3,000 First Time Finalist Award and Hussein Abdirahman Mohamud won the $3,000 Art Handlers' Award.
Written for “National Photography Contest” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 1684 · logged 2026-08-31
In short:
The National Photographic Portrait Prize has gone to artist Nathan Beard for his portrait of his aunt, who died before the announcement.
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who → go → announcement
Phuong Nguyen Le won the $3,000 First Time Finalist Award and Hussein Abdirahman Mohamud won the $3,000 Art Handlers' Award.
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Mohamud → win → Award
A new prize model will be announced by the National Portrait Gallery in 2027.
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model → announce → 2027
Melbourne artist Nathan Beard has won the $30,000 National Photographic Portrait Prize for a faceless and intimate portrait of his aunty recuperating after a major medical scare.
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Beard → win → scare
Beard captured the private moment while visiting the beloved matriarch, Mae Khong, in Thailand earlier this year.
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Beard → capture → Thailand
"On this particular trip she had suffered a fall at home and I was the only one in the house with her," he said.
"
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he → suffer → her
She insisted that evening, even after the shock of the event, to bathe herself, and to do so independently."
The National Portrait Gallery's Director of Curatorial and Collection, Isobel Parker Philip, said the photograph conveyed fortitude and strength, coupled with fatigue and vulnerability.
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photograph → insist → fatigue
"You can't see her face but that doesn't mean you don't have an emotional connection to her," she said.
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she → see → her
"You might look at it and see one of your loved ones; you can read the many, many years of her life experiences in the frame.
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"
Mae died in July, meaning she will never know of the prestigious accolade bestowed on her nephew.
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she → die → nephew
"It is bittersweet being recognised for the award because it's sort of a final gift of hers to me,"Beard said.
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it → recognise → me,"Beard
The multidisciplinary artist, who draws on his Australian-Thai heritage, said his aunty was an influential figure in fostering his sense of cultural pride and belonging.
"She always struggled with why I would find her such a captivating subject," Beard said.
"She always thought it was silly that someone would think her worthy of that sort of status.
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her → draw → status
Alongside the $30,000 prize money, Beard will also receive $20,000 worth of camera equipment.
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Beard → receive → equipment
Moments of joy, humour, tenderness
The image is among 30 finalists selected in this year's National Photographic Portrait Prize from more than 1,000 entries.
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The selection showcases a diverse array of styles and subjects, from moments of joy and humour to poignant and tender snapshots.
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"It truly is a celebration of portraiture in its most expanded form,"Ms Parker Philip said.
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Phuong Nguyen Le won the $3,000 First Time Finalist Award for a portrait of his father, taken to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
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Le → win → War
Earlier this week, Melbourne photographer Hussein Abdirahman Mohamud won the $3,000 Art Handlers' Award for his image of a Flemington public housing resident, packing to leave her home after it was earmarked for demolition.
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it → win → demolition
This National Photographic Portrait Prize was launched in 2007 and is open to emerging and established artists.
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This year marks the final iteration of the competition in its current format, with a new prize model to be announced by the National Portrait Gallery in 2027.
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year → mark → 2027
Hanging alongside the 2026 show is a retrospective exhibition of almost two decades of finalists' work.
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exhibition → hang → work
It includes some famous faces, such as former prime minister Bob Hawke sipping a milkshake.
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"Photography makes up about 57 per cent of our collection,"Ms Parker Philip said.
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"It's really important to the gallery and we're excited to support more photographers in the future."
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we → support → future