2025's Archibald Prize Finalists Include Portraits of Artist Jason Phu, Nicole Kidman and 'Boy Swallows Universe' Star Felix Cameron
Abdul Abdullah won this year's Packing Room Prize for his likeness of Phu and, among 2025's 57 shortlisted contenders, he's a finalist for the seventh time.
It isn't easy to capture a person on a canvas, or to attempt to convey who someone is in a piece of art beyond recreating their appearance. For more than a century, the Archibald Prize has not only understood this, but also rewarded the very best Australian examples. The prestigious art award turns 104 in 2025, and will again anoint the top instance of Aussie portraiture from an impressive range of contenders. Will a painting of artist Jason Phu by Abdul Abdullah win? Also, how will likenesses of Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Boy Swallows Universe star Felix Cameron, Miranda Otto, Grace Tame, Vincent Namatjira, filmmaker Warwick Thornton and comedian Aaron Chen fare?
These are some of the questions sparked by this year's Archibald Prize shortlist, with 57 finalists in contention. After the Art Gallery of New South Wales revealed the pieces that are down to the last hurdle on Thursday, May 1, it will announced 2025's winner on Friday, May 9.
Winner Packing Room Prize 2025, Abdul Abdullah 'No mountain high enough', oil on linen, 162.4 x 136.7 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Abdullah has already claimed a gong for his depiction of his friend Phu, with No mountain high enough earning the Archibald's Packing Room Prize for 2025. Decided by gallery staff that unpack and hang the awards' entries each year, the accolade is in its 34th year. With his place among the Archie finalists, Abdullah has now made the shortlist on seven occasions, alongside placing on the Wynne and Sulman prize lists in the past as well.
Courtesy of No mountain high enough, Abdullah's latest Archibald achievement is for a work showing another of this year's contenders, too. Phu, who is also a previous finalist for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes, is among 2025's Archie competitors for his portrait of Weaving.
Abdul Abdullah, image courtesy the artist
"It is always an honour to be selected as a finalist for the Archibald Prize, and I am especially honoured to be picked for the Packing Room Prize. I see it as a sort of community prize, where the Packing Room team, which is made up of professional art handlers — many of whom are artists themselves — get to pick a painting they like. I am so glad they picked this one. It's kind of like an artists' pick, and I'm extra happy for that," said Abdullah.
"Jason is my best friend. We talk on the phone every day, he was the best man at my wedding and we have travelled together. I've painted him as I see him, as a ceaseless adventurer who at any one time is involved in a dozen conversations on a dozen different platforms, bringing his unique perspective to one flummoxed friend or another."
Art Gallery of New South Wales Packing Room team with director Maud Page and the Packing Room Prize 2025 winning work by Abdul Abdullah 'No mountain high enough', photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Diana Panuccio
The Packing Room team selected No mountain high enough after being "instantly drawn to Abdul Abdullah's portrait of Jason Phu. Both are accomplished artists whose works have a distinct style and engage with complex social and cultural themes using wit and cartoonish references. The team holds great respect for the way both Abdul and Jason have progressed in their careers," advised AGNSW's Senior Installation Officer Alexis Wildman.
"On a technical level, this portrait is very well painted. It really captures the essence of the subject with the image of a lone ranger, an intrepid jokester or a quiet hero navigating the rocky terrain of today's social climate. This immediately sparked conversation among the Packing Room team."
Archibald Prize 2025 finalist, Vincent Namatjira 'King Dingo', 8 panels: synthetic polymer paint and oil stick on linen, 152.9 x 204 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Abdullah's Phu portrait and its 56 fellow finalists were picked from 904 Archibald Prize entries, with the total pool of 2394 submissions across the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes marking the second-highest number ever received. Only 2020 had more. For the Wynne, which is all about landscape painting, 52 finalists are in contention. With the Sulman, which rewards genre painting, subject painting and mural projects, 30 are vying for the prize.
Across all three, 2025 is the first year that there's more finalist works by women artists in the accolades' history.
This year's Archibald Prize recipient will follow 2024 winner Laura Jones for her portrait of author Tim Winton, 2023's Julia Gutman for a depiction of Montaigne, Blak Douglas' 2022 victory for a likeness of artist Karla Dickens in the Lismore floods, Peter Wegner's 2021 portrait of fellow artist Guy Warren and Vincent Namatjira's 2020 piece featuring Adam Goodes among the gongs' picks in the 2020s so far.
Archibald Prize 2025 finalist, Jason Phu 'older hugo from the future fighting hugo from right now in a swamp and all the frogs and insects and fish and flowers now look on', synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 183.2 x 152.5 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Archibald Prize 2025 finalist, Jaq Grantford 'Sisters', oil on canvas, 167.5 x 167.5 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Archibald Prize 2025 finalist, Adrian Jangala Robertson 'Warwick Thornton', synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 61.1 x 61.7 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Archibald Prize 2025 Exhibition Dates
Saturday, May 10–Sunday, August 17, 2025 — Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, NSW
Saturday, August 30–Sunday, November 9, 2025 — Geelong Gallery, Victoria
Saturday, November 22, 2025–Sunday, January 11, 2026 — Gosford Regional Gallery, NSW
Saturday, January 23–Saturday, March 7, 2026 — Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, NSW
Friday, March 20–Saturday, May 3, 2026 — Mudgee Arts Precinct, NSW
Saturday, May 16–Sunday, July 19, 2026 — Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, NSW
Archibald Prize 2025 finalist, Jeremy Eden 'Felix Cameron', oil on canvas, 119.6 x 180.1 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
The winner of 2025's Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes will be announced on Friday, May 9 at 12pm — check back here then.
If you can't make it to any of the above exhibition dates, you can check out the award winners and finalists of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes on the Art Gallery of NSW website.
Top image: Winner Packing Room Prize 2025, Abdul Abdullah 'No mountain high enough', oil on linen, 162.4 x 136.7 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
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