Top Art Competitions 2025

Discover current open calls for national and international art competitions.

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  • Clear overview of the best grants, prizes, residences
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  • Deadline reminders and agenda
  • Monthly cancellable

Deadline

June 29, 2025

Information

Aschaffenburg Art Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Painting / Drawing / Photography / Video / Graphic / Installation / Performance / Sculpture / Textile Art / Ceramics
Theme: Stufen

Reward

5,000 € + Exhibition
2,000 €

Location

Aschaffenburg
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Resident of Bayern (DE)
Artist related to Aschaffenburg, DE

Deadline

June 30, 2025

Information

Institut Français: Bureau des Arts Visuels - Space is the place

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Painting / Architecture / Drawing / Photography / Graphic
Theme: New uses for old places

Reward

5,000 € + Exhibition
3,000 € + Exhibition
2,000 € + Exhibition

Location

Berlin
Germany

Eligibility conditions

No students
Resident of France, Germany

Deadline

June 30, 2025

Information

BBK Unterfranken - Gunter Ullrich Art Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Painting / Drawing / Video / Graphic / Installation / Performance / Sculpture
Theme: Überfranken

Reward

7,000 € + Solo Exhibition
2,000 €
1,000 €

Location

Würzburg
Germany

Eligibility conditions

No students
Resident of Bayern (DE)
For artists based in Unterfranken (DE)

Deadline

June 30, 2025

Information

Young Generation Art Award

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Painting / Drawing / Photography / Video / Graphic / Installation / Performance / Sculpture / Textile Art / Ceramics

Reward

10,000 € + 500 € production budget + Exhibition
4 x: 3,000 € + 500 € production budget + Exhibition

Location

Frankfurt am Main
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Born between 1990 (included) and 2007 (included)

Deadline

July 1, 2025

Information

ZKM | Karlsruhe & SWR Experimentalstudio - Giga-Hertz Award

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Sound
Theme: Electronic music and sound art

Reward

10,000 €
2 x: 5,000 € + Residency

Location

Karlsruhe
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Deadline

July 4, 2025

Information

Mainzer Kunstpreis Eisenturm

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Drawing / Photography
Theme: Selbstportrait

Reward

5,000 €
3,000 €
2,000 €

Location

Mainz
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Resident of Germany

Deadline

July 18, 2025

Information

Aichacher Kunstpreis

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Painting / Drawing / Photography / Video / Graphic / Installation / Sculpture / Textile Art / Ceramics

Reward

2,500 € + Exhibition
500 €

Location

Aichach
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Resident of Bayern (DE)

Deadline

Aug 31, 2025

Information

Buxtehuder Kunstück

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Painting / Drawing / Photography / Video / Graphic / Installation / Performance / Sculpture / Textile Art / Ceramics
Theme: Freundschaft und Zusammenhal

Reward

2,000 € + 10,000 € budget for the realisation

Location

Buxtehude
Germany

Eligibility conditions

No students
Resident of Hamburg (DE)

Deadline

Aug 31, 2025

Information

Ennepe-Ruhr Art Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Painting / Drawing / Photography / Video / Installation / Sculpture
Theme: Licht und Schatten

Reward

3 x: 1,500 € + Exhibition

Location

Schwelm
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Born from 2000 (included)
Resident of Nordrhein-Westfalen (DE)
For artists with a personal connection to the Ennepe-Ruhr district

Deadline

Anytime

Information

Förderpreis der Stadt Konstanz

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Sound / Painting / Drawing / Photography / Video / Graphic / Installation / Performance / Sculpture

Reward

2,000 €

Location

Konstanz
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Born between 1984 (included) and 2001 (included)
Resident of Baden-Württemberg (DE)
Bezug zum Landkreis Konstanz

Art Competitions – Prizes, recognition and exposure

Art competitions are great opportunities for artists, offering cash prizes along with the rewards of exposure and recognition. By validating your artistic practice, they increase your visibility in the art world. Art competitions can serve as a catalyst that accelerates an artist's progress to success. Visit our website to view the best current art competitions.

Are you looking for open calls for art competitions in a specific country or city? Check our carefully chosen selections:
FAQs: Art Competitions

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding art competitions here:

What is an art competition?

Art competitions are events where artists are invited to submit their work based on a particular theme or category. Organized by a variety of entities such as institutions, galleries, or other art organizations, these competitions aim to identify, acknowledge, and support talented artists. A panel of judges typically awards prizes, exhibitions, publications, or other forms of recognition to the best entries. Winning art competitions offers artists crucial exposure and recognition.

What are typical prizes of art competitions?

Art competitions offer artists a variety of prizes. These can range from cash awards, to opportunities in order to exhibit works and gain exposure. Some competitions also offer artist residencies, scholarships, as well as art supplies or equipment as prizes. Winners may have their work featured in a catalog, an art magazine, or on an online platform, increasing recognition and exposure. Ultimately, winning awards become a valuable addition to an artist's resume.

The list of art competitions on our website specifies in each case clearly what the “prize“ entails.

How does the judging process work?

The jury panel generally consists of a number of distinguished persons from the art world, who, over the course of several rounds, individually decide which applications to eliminate or pass on to the next rounds. Shortlisted works are then subjected to further scrutiny. The process concludes with the panel collectively deciding on the winners.

How do I apply for an art competition?

Most open calls for art competitions require artists to submit a comprehensive application, including a portfolio, an artist statement, and a resume. The number of applicants for art competitions is often high, especially for the more prestigious prizes. Therefore, your application needs be impactful, clear, straightforward, and inviting to review.

Do you need help in these matters? Check our online courses “How to make a portfolio” and “How to write an artists statement” which serve as step-by-step guides giving you all the tools you need to build a strong application for art competitions.