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The 9th John Ruskin Prize 2027 invites artists, designers, and makers to respond to the theme Not for Present Delight, reflecting on what it means to create with an awareness of the future rather than for immediate use or pleasure alone. The UK-based prize is open to international artists aged 18 and over, with a submission deadline of November 17, 2026.
The John Ruskin Prize welcomes work across a wide range of media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, textiles, digital art, installation, film, and photography. Four main awards provide a combined £9,500 in prize money, while shortlisted work will be presented at Trinity Buoy Wharf in London from January 28 to February 21, 2027. Entry fees are tiered, beginning at £15 for international digital entries. The November deadline also places the award late in the year within Deartline’s photo contest calendar.
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Prizes
The John Ruskin Prize offers a range of cash awards recognizing artists at different stages of their careers and work across multiple disciplines.
- 1st Prize: £3,000, supported by the Guild of St George.
- The Alan Davidson Under 26 Prize: £1,000 for an eligible artist, designer, or maker under the age of 26.
- Ruskin Mill Trust Prize: £3,000 for a high-quality crafted functional object.
- Chelsea Arts Club Trust Prize for Mid-Career Artists: £2,500 for a mid-career artist with a sustained practice who is not currently represented by a gallery.
- GreatArt People’s Choice Award: £500 worth of art materials for the selected artist, with £100 in materials also awarded to one participating voter.
Shortlisted artists will also have their work presented in an exhibition at Trinity Buoy Wharf in London.
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Categories or Themes
The John Ruskin Prize is a multidisciplinary award and does not have conventional subject categories. Instead, all submissions must respond to the central theme: Not for Present Delight.
The theme asks artists to consider the longer-term consequences and responsibilities of making. Inspired by John Ruskin’s writing about creating with future generations in mind, the 9th edition opens the question across the fine and applied arts, including contemporary concerns such as environmental urgency and social inequality.
The prize accepts a wide range of media, including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, photographic collage, textiles, ceramics, digital art, animation, film, performance, installation, metalwork, typography, and mixed media.
Dates and Entry Fees
The 9th John Ruskin Prize closes in November 2026, with the awards ceremony and shortlist exhibition taking place at Trinity Buoy Wharf in early 2027.
| Submission deadline | November 17, 2026, at 5 p.m. |
| Awards ceremony | January 27, 2027 |
| Exhibition | January 28–February 21, 2027 |
Entry fees:
| Entry Type | 1 Artwork | 2 Artworks | 3 Artworks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Entry | £25 | £40 | £50 |
| Under 26 Entry | £20 | £30 | £38 |
| International Digital Entry | £15 | £20 | £30 |
International entrants submit and are judged digitally. If selected, they may exhibit digitally or arrange for the physical work to be shown in London, without being required to ship the original work to the UK.
How to Enter
Applications are submitted through the ArtOpps application portal. Up to three JPEG images may be uploaded for each artwork, with each file under 5 MB. Applicants should also provide the dimensions of the work and its weight where applicable.
Framed two-dimensional work should not exceed 2.4 meters in any dimension, while three-dimensional work has a maximum longest dimension of 2.4 meters and a maximum weight of 60 kg. Film and video submissions should not exceed 10 minutes at the application stage.
About the Jury
The 2027 selection panel includes figurative painter Miranda Forrester, artist and designer Adam Nathaniel Furman, artist and Royal Drawing School Artistic Director Ishbel Myerscough RA, and clay artist and curator Clare Twomey.
The panel selects the shortlist and the recipients of the four main monetary awards. The organizers do not state that judging is anonymous or publish a detailed scoring framework.
Why Enter The 9th John Ruskin Prize?
The John Ruskin Prize places photography within a broader conversation across fine art, craft, and design. Photographic work is considered alongside painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, digital practice, and other forms of making, creating a different context from a photography-only award.
Being shortlisted also leads to a physical or digital presentation through the Trinity Buoy Wharf exhibition. Shortlisted artists can offer their work for sale during the show, with a 30% commission applied to sales handled through the exhibition.
For photographers exploring the best photography competitions to enter, The John Ruskin Prize offers an unusual multidisciplinary setting for work concerned with social, environmental, conceptual, or longer-term questions beyond photography itself.
Rules and Copyright
We reviewed the official rules of The 9th John Ruskin Prize 2027 to summarize the key participation requirements, copyright terms and image usage conditions. Before entering, we recommend checking the complete rules published by the organizer.
Rules
- The prize is open to amateur and professional artists, designers, and makers of all nationalities aged 18 or over.
- Individual artists and collectives may apply.
- Submitted work must respond to the theme Not for Present Delight.
- Work may be recent or have been created within the previous four years.
- Photography and photographic elements are explicitly eligible.
- Installation pieces, diptychs, and triptychs may be treated as a single artwork.
- Applicants must confirm during submission that the work was created by a human.
- International entrants may participate digitally if shortlisted.
- Shortlisted artists may offer their work for sale during the exhibition, with The Big Draw retaining a 30% commission on works sold through the show.
Copyright and Image Usage
Artists retain full copyright in their work and must hold the necessary intellectual property rights for everything they submit. Where third-party copyrighted material is incorporated into an artwork, prior permission must be obtained.
By entering, artists authorize The John Ruskin Prize and its organizers to photograph and reproduce submitted work for promotional purposes connected with the prize and exhibition. This includes catalogues, press, publicity, social media, and websites in all territories. Copyright itself remains with the artist, and copyright inquiries are referred directly to the creator.
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For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
