Royal Award for Modern Painting 2025

His Majesty the King will award the Royal Award for Modern Painting 2025 at Royal Palace Amsterdam on Friday 31 January. After awarding three winners, the King will open the exhibition, where the works of both the winners and the other nominees will be on display until 30 March.

From this edition onwards, the Award will be awarded annually at the end of January. This date change offers the opportunity to present the exhibition for a longer period at the Royal Palace Amsterdam. This will give the artists and their work a platform for longer.

Winners of 2025

HM the King will announce the winners on 31 January 2025.

Nominees of 2025

The nominees for the Royal Award of Modern Painting 2025 are: Taqwa Ali, Akiboji, Gegee Ayurzana, Eniwaye Oluwaseyi, Eddy Eustache, Jesse Fischer, Lieve Hakkers, Frederique Jonker, Shani Leseman, Samuel Mackiewicz, Jochem Mestriner, Josse Pyl, Pedram Sazesh, Thijs Segers en Marilyn Sonneveld.

Jury 2025

The jury of the Royal Award 2025 consists of: Mounira Al Solh, Laurie Cluitmans, Esiri Erheriene-Essi, Yasmijn Jarram, Natasja Kensmil, Rezi van Lankveld, Mirjam Westen (chair).

The Exhibition

Each year, discover the work of up-and-coming young artists at the Royal Palace Amsterdam.

Each year the exhibition opens after the award ceremony of the Royal Award for Modern Painting. Around thirty works of art by the nominated and winning artists are shown.

A selection of artworks, from the winners and nominees, will be exhibited from 1 February through to 30 March at the Royal Palace Amsterdam. The exhibition shows what is going on among the current generation of young artists.

These young talents translate their personal beliefs and visions into paintings with a rich diversity of genre, themes and materials. From abstract to realistic, socially engaged to personal, this selection reflects the rich diversity of the medium of painting.

The prestigious Award has provided a stage for promising young artists since 1871. For many artists, winning the Award is a springboard for their careers.

The Public Award

The exhibiting artists also have a chance to win the audience award. During the visit, cast a vote for one of the exhibited works. The painting with the most votes will be raffled off among visitors who express a preference for this artwork.

About the Award

The Royal Award for Modern Painting is one of the oldest art awards in the Netherlands. The Award was established in 1871 by King William III as a Royal Grant for Free Painting. After King William III, Queen Emma, Queen Wilhelmina, Queen Juliana and Queen Beatrix developed this incentive award into a tradition of royal attention to painting. King Willem-Alexander has continued this tradition since the year 2013.

The Award has been awarded to leading artists such as: Jan Toorop (1887), Jan Sluijters (1904), Jan Dibbets (1974), Natasja Kensmil (1998), Raquel van Haver (2018), Bobbi Essers (2023). See the list of winners from 2011-2024.

Each year three young artists are presented with a Royal Award of € 9,000 tax-free. After the award ceremony the King will open the exhibition with works of the winners and nominees.  The list of nominees is carefully compiled by a professional jury through two judging rounds.

The Royal Award for Modern Painting is designed to encourage young painters in their work as artists. Talented artists receive special attention and are encouraged to develop further and increase their visibility.

Open Call 2026

June 2025 will open the OPEN CALL for the Royal Award for Modern Painting 2026. Keep an eye on the social media channels of the Royal Palace Amsterdam to stay informed.