The Lester Prize is one of Australia’s most prestigious portraiture awards—an annual celebration of artists and their communities, giving them the recognition they deserve.
Established in 2007 (originally as the Black Swan Prize), it provides a major platform for Australian portraitists to showcase their work in Western Australia.
Now in its 18th year, The Lester Prize has grown to become Australia’s largest national art prize by total prize money, with more than $130,000 awarded across two awards (Main and Youth), and multiple categories.
In keeping with its ethos of “art accessible for all”, the Judging Panel—made up of independent experts—has chosen works from both established and emerging artists nationwide. The 2025 season will feature the work of forty outstanding finalists, selected from a record 1,124 entries—the largest number since the prize began.
Main Awards
The Lester Prize is one of the country’s premier art prizes—an award that places artists and community proudly front-and-centre. Our prize is about the advancement of the artists, not the celebrity of the sitters.
The $130,000+ Prize pool consists of:
Youth Awards
The Lester Prize Youth Awards encourages the creative talents of young and aspiring artists. It is open to all High School students across Australia.
The Prize allows entrants to showcase their works and present their unique artistic perspectives; helps build their confidence to further their art practice; and allows them to share their stories with the wider community.
The Prize pool consists of:
In April 2019, the Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, one of the country’s richest prizes for portraiture was renamed The Lester Prize in honour of the award’s leading patron, Richard Lester AM.
The move came about after extensive consultation with artists, arts administrators, sponsors and partners to develop a name that was more ‘ownable’ and recognisable than ‘Black Swan’—a moniker that is shared by many businesses, products and organisations in WA.
The new name recognises the leadership and support of Richard (Dick) Lester in helping the prize grow into one of the most prestigious on Australia’s visual arts calendar.
Along with the new name has come a new look for the Prize. The look reflects both the quality of the awards and its approachability.
John Langoulant, former Chairman of The Lester Board comments, “Portraiture is the most accessible form of visual art. No matter the style in which it is rendered, the human likeness is something we can all relate to. It’s the one form of art we have all created at some point in our lives – there is something elemental in human nature that drives us to draw or paint the likenesses of people. We don’t have to be experts to enjoy portraiture and we are proud to provide Western Australia with the opportunity to engage with the best of the artform each year in a format that puts the artists and community front-and-centre.”
Founder, Patron and former Executive Director, Tina Wilson, agrees. She says, “The Black Swan Prize was created by a community of passionate people, fuelled by a shared vision to support artists and to engage the community to embrace visual arts. I am thrilled that the Prize has a new identity. It recognizes the past but, more importantly, looks towards an amazing future. To quote Dr. Seuss: ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’—I am excited to watch its evolution.”
The Lester Prize is managed by The Lester Inc, a not-for-profit organisation. It was formerly ARTrinsic Inc which was founded in 2007 by Tina Wilson to provide an avenue for artists to exhibit works of portraiture within Western Australia. After successfully taking the Main Awards and Exhibition to its new home at the Art Gallery of Western Australia in 2016, Tina stepped down to return to her own artistic practice.
Tina Wilson was made Patron of the Prize in 2018 in recognition of her passionate and tireless work to ensure there was a prize of ever-increasing excellence and prestige.
Dick Lester was made Lifetime Patron of the Prize in 2018, in recognition of his passion for the Arts, his encouragement of Tina Wilson during her tenure as Executive Director, and his advice and financial assistance that, from modest beginnings, enables the Prize to flourish.
The Lester Prize’s annual program includes exhibitions at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip, outdoor exhibitions, big screen displays, guided tours, floor talks, live demonstrations, workshops and outdoor pop up events (many of which are free to the public).
We work with Starlight Livewire at Perth Children’s Hospital, aged care residents, and schools working towards making positive changes within their communities, including NESB (Non-English Speaking Background) and Indigenous groups.
Ph 08 9423 5116
PO Box 1110
Nedlands WA 6909
