The Sovereign Young Artist Competition 2026 Launches in Conjunction with Gibraltar Cultural Services
The Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF), in conjunction with Gibraltar Cultural Services (GCS), is delighted to announce the launch of The Sovereign Young Artist Competition 2026, in aid of the Sovereign Art Foundation.
Both organisations have been running art competitions in Gibraltar in recent years and have now combined forces to expand the scope of the prize. The prize will feature two distinct categories, recognising both students and young adults:
- The SAF Students Prize (ages 11–18)
- The Young Adult Prize (ages 19–24)
The competition seeks to encourage creativity, support emerging talent, and showcase the next generation of artists.
The Minister for Culture and Youth, The Hon. Christian Santos GMD MP, said:
“I am delighted Gibraltar Cultural Services and the Sovereign Art Foundation, two stalwart supporters of the arts, especially for young people, are collaborating on this Young Artist Competition. As Minister for Culture and Youth, these initiatives are exactly what I want to be supporting. Giving young people the direction and opportunities early on to express themselves, be creative and hopefully give them the encouragement to want to dedicate themselves to a future career in the arts. Given the amount of talent in Gibraltar, I do not envy the position of the judges. I want to thank these professionals for giving of their time and expertise to this competition.
My message to the artists – work hard, commit to developing your talents and interests, and above all, believe in yourselves.”
Howard Bilton, Chairman and Founder of the Sovereign Art Foundation, said:
“At The Sovereign Art Foundation we believe that art is under taught and underappreciated at schools. We have initiated schools prizes in:
Hong Kong (est. 2012), Singapore (est. 2017), Isle of Man (est. 2017), Guernsey (est. 2019), Malta & Gozo (est. 2019), Portugal (est. 2020), Bahrain (est. 2020), Mauritius (est. 2020), London (est. 2020), Gibraltar (est. 2021), Chester (est. 2023), and Cyprus (est. 2024).
We hope to encourage Gibraltar students to get involved in art and hope that some of them will continue art after school and perhaps become professional artists. We see some fabulous work in these schools prizes. Some works would not look out of place in our professional prizes. We encourage all students to make their work available for sale. The student gets 50% of the sale price – as they would do in a professional gallery – and we use the other 50% to help charitable causes in Gibraltar.”
The competition is open for entries from September 2025, with the deadline for submissions on 30 January 2026. Shortlisting will take place in early February, with finalists announced in late February 2026. The competition will culminate in a Finalists Exhibition and Prizegiving Ceremony in March 2026.
Submissions can be made online at: https://www.sovereignartfoundation.com/sp-gibraltar/
Entries will be assessed by a distinguished panel of professionals representing the arts and cultural sector:
- Howard Bilton, Founder and Chairman of SAF
- Beatrice Garcia, Illustrator and Artist
- Eleanor Dobbs, Author and Illustrator of Children’s Books & Director of The Rock Retreat • Stefano Blanca Sciacaluga, Multidisciplinary Artist, Writer and Musician
- Amy Shepherd, Head of Creative Development at The Growing Artists Programme
Awards
Cash prizes will be awarded across both age categories, with additional grants supporting school art departments in the Students Prize category.
Ages 11–18 (SAF Students Prize)
- SAF Judges’ Prize | Finalist with the highest judges’ mark | £800 to the winner and £2,000 to their school
- SAF Public Vote Prize | Finalist with most public votes (excluding Judges’ winner) | £400 to the winner and £1,000 to their school
- Alwani Foundation Award | Finalist with the highest mark from Year 9–11 (GCSE), excluding SAF winners | £500 to the winner
Ages 19–24 (Young Adult Prize)
- Ministry of Culture Award | Finalist with the highest judges’ mark | £1,000 to the winner
- AquaGib Second Prize | Finalist with the second highest judges’ mark | £500 to the winner
The winner of the SAF Judges’ Prize will be entered into the Sovereign Art Foundation Global Students Prize, joining winners from SAF prizes around the world.
The competition represents a unique platform for young artists in Gibraltar, offering recognition, support, and international exposure.
