Sovereign Young Artist Competition 2026 launches in partnership with GCS

The Sovereign Art Foundation, in partnership with Gibraltar Cultural Services, has launched the Sovereign Young Artist Competition 2026, aimed at encouraging creativity and supporting emerging talent.

The competition combines initiatives previously run separately by both organisations and introduces two categories: The SAF Students Prize (ages 11–18) and The Young Adult Prize (ages 19–24).

The Minister for Culture and Youth, Christian Santos, welcomed the initiative, describing it as an important opportunity for young people to develop their creativity.

“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,” Mr Santos said.

“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, added that The Sovereign Art Foundation believes that art is under taught and underappreciated at schools.

“We have initiated schools prizes in Hong Kong, Singapore, the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Malta and Gozo, Portugal, Bahrain, Mauritius, London, Gibraltar, Chester and Cyprus,” Mr Bilton said.

“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 a deadline of January 30, 2026.

Shortlisting will take place in early February, with finalists announced later that month.

A finalists exhibition and prizegiving ceremony will follow in March 2026.

Entries can be submitted online at www.sovereignartfoundation.com/sp-gibraltar.

A panel of judges representing the arts and cultural sector will assess submissions. The panel includes: Howard Bilton, Founder and Chairman of SAF, Beatrice Garcia, illustrator and artist, Eleanor Dobbs, author and illustrator of children’s books and Director of The Rock Retreat, Stefano Blanca Sciacaluga, multidisciplinary artist, writer and musician, and Amy Shepherd, Head of Creative Development at The Growing Artists Programme.

Cash prizes will be awarded across both age categories, with additional grants for school art departments in the Students Prize category.

The prizes include Ages 11–18 (SAF Students Prize): SAF Judges’ Prize £800 to the winner and £2,000 to their school, SAF Public Vote Prize £400 to the winner and £1,000 to their school, and Alwani Foundation Award £500 to the top finalist from Years 9–11 (GCSE), excluding SAF winners.

The prizes for Ages 19–24 (Young Adult Prize) include Ministry of Culture Award £1,000 to the winner and AquaGib Second Prize £500 to the runner-up.

The winner of the SAF Judges’ Prize will also compete in the Sovereign Art Foundation Global Students Prize, joining winners from other international competitions.

The organisers said the event represents a unique platform for young artists in Gibraltar, providing recognition, support and international exposure.