APPLICATIONS CLOSING 22nd April 2025
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Be in with a chance to win a prize package worth over £10,000
Overall Artist of the Year Winner: £1k, Art Supplies, their choice of any VAA Short Course, 12-month Mentorship Online Solo Expo & Lifetime VAA Membership, Certificate.
Best International Artist: Certificate, premium membership for 1yr, their choice of any VAA Short Course.
Best Professional & Established Artist: Certificate, premium membership for 1yr, their choice of any VAA Short Course.
Best New & Emerging Artist: Certificate, premium membership for 1yr, their choice of any VAA Short Course.
Members Choice: Certificate, premium membership for 1yr, their choice of any VAA Short Course.
5 Highly Commended Artists: Certificates & Profiling Opportunities.
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Welcome to the VAA Artists of the Year Awards. This inclusive competition celebrates creativity and talent at all stages. These awards honour artists’ dedication, passion, and unique visions. The competition features six categories, so whether you are a seasoned artist or an emerging creative, you will have an opportunity to showcase your talents.
Entry is free for VAA Premium Members and is open to VAA Standard Members & Non-Members for a pricing structure of:
1 Artwork = £20
2 Artworks = £30
3 Artworks = £40
4 Artworks = £50
5 Artworks = £60
Now in their 4th year, the awards were previously renamed from the VAA Professional Artist Awards, to develop and celebrate a broader range of artists.
All winners of the awards are set to bask in the spotlight, with media coverage and a robust online presence. More than just accolades, we’re committed to nurturing your artistic passion and providing dedicated support to enhance and expand your practice. Seize this opportunity, share your masterpieces, and let the world witness the power of your art. Your stage awaits at the VAA Artists of the Year Awards.
(Artwork displayed is Descent of Man by 2024 Overall Winner, Bea Last)
Dates
FAQ
Who can enter?
What is the submission procedure?
The application form can be found on this page. You can also download the application form and email it to hello@visual-artists.org
Entry is free for VAA Premium Members and is open to VAA Standard Members & Non-Members for a pricing structure of:
1 Artwork = £20
2 Artworks = £30
3 Artworks = £40
4 Artworks = £50
5 Artworks = £60
Once you have submitted your application, your application will be processed within 5 working days. You will then be sent a confirmation email, to the email address provided in your application form.
If you have not received an email from us then please email hello@visual-artists.org
Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are only able to notify artists that have been successful in both stages. You will be notified by email, using the email address you have provided
Why are there two application phases?
Do I need to submit artwork that is for sale?
No, we can select an alternative artwork for the finalists’ exhibition. However, you need to let us know in advance, or you could lose your place.
How do I submit an image?
Within the online application form, you can upload your images, if you have any trouble doing so please email us, at hello@visual-artists.org.
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(Artwork displayed is several pieces by 2024 Overall Winner, Bea Last)
Judges
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Elizabeth Fullerton
Elizabeth Fullerton is a critic, writer, podcaster and doctoral researcher at Birkbeck College, University of London. She writes for international publications including The New York Times, The Guardian, Art Monthly, Art in America, ARTnews and Art Quarterly and is the author of Artrage! The Story of the BritArt Revolution (Thames & Hudson (2016, 2021). She also co-hosts the podcast Art Fictions.
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Gemma Peppe
Gemma Peppé founded Art on a Postcard in 2014 to fundraise for The Hepatitis C Trust. Former Trust CEO Charles Gore brought Gemma on board to utilise her experience as a music agent in fundraising within the music industry. Before running Art on a Postcard, Gemma managed The Hepatitis C Trust’s successful prevention campaigns, What Not to Share, which featured Lily Allen and Mark Ronson, and the Get Tested Campaign. These campaigns were highly effective in raising awareness, with T-shirts designed by Bella Freud and Sadie Frost; the campaign involved a collaboration with Boy George on a photographic project in which they dressed contemporary celebrities as 1980s icons. This campaign culminated in a concert at London’s Jazz Café featuring Boy George duetting with major stars, including a unique performance with Adam Ant.
Art on a Postcard has raised over two million pounds and receives approximately 1,000 artworks annually. A diverse range of artists have participated, from Marina Abramović, Peter Blake, Paula Rego, Hurvin Anderson, Loie Hollowell, Christina Quarles and Gilbert and George to emerging talents such as Antiona Showering, Victoria Cantons, and Sikelela Owen. The auctions also showcased many top photographers, like Miles Aldridge, Paz Errázuriz, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Larry Clark. More recently, Art on a Postcard has collaborated with numerous independent curators to broaden its impact and enhance auctions. The organisation has also started collaborating with other charities. In 2022, they held an auction in aid of the refugee charity Choose Love; in 2023, they fundraised for War Child UK and St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Eastbourne; and in 2024, they saw the inaugural Sound and Vision event in aid of War Child curated and conceived by Gemma.
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Mimi Spendiff
Mimi Spendiff is the Gallery Manager at Print Club London, a vibrant screenprinting studio and contemporary online gallery located in Hackney, East London. In her role, she works closely with the studio’s community of artists, helping to showcase a wide variety of limited edition screenprints, original artworks, and curating exciting drops for collectors. Prior to joining Print Club London, Mimi was a curator at Artfinder, an online art marketplace, where she curated unique collections and collaborated with artists to refine and expand their portfolios. With a First Class Honours degree in Photography from the University of the West of England, Mimi brings over three years of experience in both sales and curation to her work. Her career also includes roles at a contemporary art gallery featuring artists like Billy Childish, and as an Artist Liaison at Art Republic. Driven by a passion for creating dynamic art collections and fostering artist development, Mimi is committed to connecting collectors with fresh, engaging art.
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Stephen Snoddy
Director The New Art Gallery, Walsall; Honorary Member Royal Ulster Academy; Visiting Professor Manchester School of Art 2019 – 22.
He was born in Belfast. He trained at Belfast College of Art where he graduated in 1983 with an M.A. in Fine Art. His first job was to run a small community arts centre in Lisburn.
He graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Art Gallery & Museum Studies from Manchester University and then moved in 1987 to become Exhibitions Organiser at Arnolfini Gallery. He worked from 1987-91 on an exhibitions programme that included Richard Long, Giuseppe Penone, Rachel Whiteread, Jack B. Yeats and Juan Munoz.
In 1991 he became Exhibitions Director of Cornerhouse, Manchester, where he was responsible for bringing The British Art Show 4 to Manchester, as well as such shows as the John Baldessari Retrospective and a Bruce McLean film.
In 1996 he became Director of Southampton City Art Gallery, where he organised the Chris Ofili solo exhibition which won him the 1998 Turner Prize, and an exchange of collections with the Museum of Fine Art, Bilbao, to coincide with the opening of the new Bilbao Guggenheim.
In the spring of 1998 he moved to Milton Keynes to direct the construction of a brand new gallery – MK G opened on 8 October 1999 with ‘The Rudimentary Pictures’, an exhibition by Gilbert & George.
In 2003 he was appointed Director, BALTIC Gateshead made organisational and structural changes, refreshed the programme and engaged with artists of the region. In 2005 he began to work on freelance projects, lectured at MMU and continued to be on the VAGA Executive Board. He was also Director of the inaugural Contemporary Art Norwich (CAN05).
In May 2005 he was appointed as Director of The NAG, Walsall where he has reviewed policies, restructured the organisation and enabled an acquisitions budget.
In 2013 he started painting again and has had solo shows in Brussels, Southampton and London and been in many group and mixed exhibitions. His work is in the following public art collections. Art Care, Northern Ireland, CORPO, Toledo / Cuenca, Spain, Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland, Limerick City Art Gallery, National Collection of Contemporary Drawing, (NCCD), Open University, Milton Keynes, Southampton City Art Gallery, Southampton Solent University, Ulster Television, Belfast and Yantai Art Museum, China.
Private collections in UK, Ireland, Belgium, Morocco, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain and USA
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Bea Last
Bea Last is a professional practicing Contemporary Artist, Mentor and Educator. Currently she is based in Scotland but her practice is both national and international. She has ehibited widely, showing recently in Venice as a finalist for the Laguna Arte Prize and in York 2023 as a finalist for the Aesthetica Art Prize. In 2024 Bea received the VAA ARTIST OF THE YEAR AWARD and locally Artist of the Year award from D&GLife sponsored by The Chricton Trust for her contribution to the Dumfries and Galloway community. Bea has a wide range of experience from commercial galleries, commissions for the corporate sector, public galleries and artist run initiatives along with sitting on various selection panels in partnership with Creative Scotland- the equivalent to The Arts Council. She also has experience & training through working with young people with additional learning barriers.
As a Mentor and Educator Bea facilities UpLand Arts (www.upland.com ) Visual Arts Studio Portfolio Preparation course, for young artists intending to apply to art school along with mentoring both emerging and established artists.