Wednesday 17 September 2025
UK artists capture icons of stage and screen, including Dame Mary Berry, Yungblud, Billy Porter, Adjoa Andoh, and Brian Cox
Brushes in hand and easels at the ready! Sky Arts and streaming service NOW welcome the return of Portrait Artist of the Year to our screens on 1 October. With returning host Stephen Mangan, the twelfth series promises to be another exhilarating celebration of artistic talent, as emerging artists from across the UK compete for the prestigious 2025 title.
This year's sitters bring together an impressive mix of household names and cultural icons from television, stage, music, comedy and beyond. Flying the flag for stage and performance are Adjoa Andoh, Billy Porter, Kyla Harris, Royal Ballet star Reece Clarke, and musicians Yungblud, Cat Burns, Jacob Collier and Boyzone's very own Shane Lynch. From the worlds of TV and broadcasting are Emily Atack, Max Beesley, Melvin Odoom, Gabby Logan, Beth Rigby, Clara Amfo, Alex Jones, Emma Barnett, James May and Si King, alongside comedy favourites Jack Dee, Jack Rooke and Fatiha El-Ghorri. Completing the line-up are British astronaut Tim Peake, rugby international Joe Marler and acclaimed author Elif Shafak.
Broadcaster and author, Dame Mary Berry, sits for the semi-final, and Succession star Brian Cox for the final. Competing artists will showcase their creativity, technique, and vision, aiming to impress returning judges, Tai Shan Schierenberg, Kathleen Soriano, and Kate Bryan.
The winner will paint mathematician and broadcaster Hannah Fry, who was awarded the Royal Societys David Attenborough Award and Lecture 2024 in recognition of her significant work in public engagement with science and for her prolific role in popularising mathematics. This year's winning commission is from The Royal Society - the world's oldest continuously operating scientific academy and home to leading scientists.
Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts, said: "Our flagship arts competition, Portrait Artist of the Year, returns for its twelfth series, continuing to celebrate the remarkable talent of artists from across the UK. Even after twelve series, we are continually inspired by the extraordinary skill on display. With a compelling line-up of sitters, from celebrated national treasures to leading cultural voices - and the chance to secure a prestigious Royal Society commission - this series continues to fly the flag for the arts and celebrate creativity at its best."
Portrait Artist of the Year is produced by Storyvault Films. The Series Editor is Nelda Sale, the Series Director is Southan Morris and the Series Director of Production is David Buckley. Executive producers are Danielle Graham, Samantha Richards and Stuart Prebble. Commissioned by Phil Edgar-Jones, Executive Director, Unscripted at Sky, and the Commissioning Editor for Sky Arts is Benedetta Pinelli.
Portrait Artist of the Year airs weekly on Sky Arts, Freeview Channel 36 and NOW from 1st October.
For more information on Portrait Artist of the Year:
poppy.alexander@premiercomms.com / mike.thomas@premiercomms.com
Images available on PXL
Latest news
More from BskyB
17/09/2025
Wednesday 17 September 2025
UK artists capture icons of stage and screen, inclu...
12/09/2025
Friday 12 September 2025
The Boomtown Rats, Nyah Grace, Soweto Kinch, Royal Ballet and Madness also announced to perform at the ceremony on Tuesday
Sky today ...
03/09/2025
Wednesday 3 September 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cooki...
03/09/2025
Wednesday 3 September 2025
Sky News will host a live immigration debate in Birm...
02/09/2025
Friday 5 September 2025
Current slide, 0 0, undefined1
0
Garsington Opera - Body of Work
Claudette Johnson,Three Women, installation view, Art on the Under...
29/08/2025
More than half of all NFL games live on Sky for the first timeFriday 29 August 2025
Sky Sports has announced a new three-year deal with the NFL, extending its ...
27/08/2025
Sky unveils 24 portraits in 24 hours as nominations open for the Arts Hero Award...
22/08/2025
Friday 22 August 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cookies. To do so, click Privacy Options below and Accept All
Privacy options
The Brassi...
21/08/2025
The Sky Original event series - a symphony of genius, rivalry and vengeance - al...
21/08/2025
Sky today announces psychological thriller The Good Daughter will launch on Sky ...
21/08/2025
Thursday 21 August 2025
Current slide, 0 0, undefined1
0
Voices of the Valley...
21/08/2025
Thursday 21 August 2025
Sky today announces Alien Autopsy (w/t), a new Sky Orig...
21/08/2025
Thursday 21 August 2025
Sky has teamed up with Gemma Collins for a brand-new se...
20/08/2025
Created by George Kay (Lupin, Hijack), and produced by New Pictures, WAR is a ne...
18/08/2025
Monday 18 August 2025
Sky and the United States Golf Association (USGA) have announced a five-year broadcast extension that will see Sky Sports and NOW remain ...
18/08/2025
Monday 18 August 2025
Comedian, musician and lifelong arts advocate Bill Bailey...
18/08/2025
From Neil Cross, acclaimed creator of Luther, the eight-part series launches thi...
15/08/2025
Friday 15 August 2025
Sky Media today reveals a standout Premier League partner line-up as it prepares to kick-off the 2025/26 season, welcoming four new brand...
14/08/2025
Thursday 14 August 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cookies. To do so, click Privacy Options below and Accept All
Privacy options
Full Tra...
14/08/2025
Thursday 14 August 2025
All Her Fault starring Sarah Snook, Dakota Fanning, Jak...
13/08/2025
Wednesday 13 August 2025
Grow to receive its world premiere at the Edinburgh ...
12/08/2025
Tuesday 12 August 2025
With excitement for the new football season reaching fev...
12/08/2025
Tuesday 12 August 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cookies. ...
12/08/2025
Tuesday 12 August 2025
Current slide, 0 0, undefined1
0
Sky Sports has today ...
06/08/2025
Wednesday 6 August 2025
Filming has commenced in London on the second series of...
05/08/2025
Nick Cave and Matt Smith to appear at the Southbank Centres London Literature Festival for a special preview of the Clerkenwell Films-produced series on 30 Octo...
05/08/2025
Tuesday 5 August 2025
As the 2025/26 Premier League season kicks off on Friday ...
01/08/2025
Friday 1 August 2025
It's been a busy year, but there's still an almighty line-up of new telly and brand-new movies coming to Sky and NOW for you to en...
31/07/2025
Thursday 31 July 2025
First Look Teaser HERE
Download images HERE
Sky today r...
31/07/2025
Thursday 31 July 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cookies. To do so, click Privacy Options below and Accept All
Privacy options
Gemma Coll...
30/07/2025
Sky Sports' cricket team were put through their paces by the next generation of reporters with some mischievous help from current stars of The Hundred.Wedne...
30/07/2025
Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Nuremberg trials, Sky will release James Va...
28/07/2025
Monday 28 July 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cookies. To ...
28/07/2025
Monday 28 July 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cookies. To ...
25/07/2025
Friday 25 July 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cookies. To ...
23/07/2025
Wednesday 23 July 2025
Sky Media has today announced the six winning brands of the 2025 Sky Zero Footprint Fund, securing a share of £2 million in media value ...
18/07/2025
Friday 18 July 2025
Credit: Marc Sethi
The Sky Arts Awards will return on 16 September, once again taking place at the iconic Roundhouse in London. Produced b...
16/07/2025
Wednesday 16 July 2025
Sky and ITV today announced an extension of their long-standing partnership, which will see ITV's content and services remain seamle...
16/07/2025
Sky Sports lifts the lid on Lions life with hilarious behind-the-scenes mockumentaryWednesday 16 July 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cooki...
10/07/2025
Thursday 10 July 2025
The Very Small Creatures
Jaime's Treetop Tales
Emerald
BooSnoo! Christmas Mashup
Pip & Posy's Spooktacular Party
The Very Sm...
10/07/2025
Thursday 10 July 2025
Brand new rewards are coming to Sky customers, with free ...
09/07/2025
Wednesday 9 July 2025
Sky Broadband now has the UK's fastest broadband spee...
04/07/2025
Friday 4 July 2025
Watch the trailer here https://youtu.be/Od5WpvWmDr8
Further...
03/07/2025
Thursday 3 July 2025
David Harewood and Matthew Broome in Mozart: Genius for Hi...
Wednesday 17 September 2025
