The award offers a $20,000 first prize, a $2,500 Young Artist Award and a $2,500 People's Choice Award. The competition invites Māori artists of all ages to depict their ancestors in any medium.
The award is hosted and administered by Te Pūkenga Whakaata, the New Zealand Portrait Gallery, in honour of the late Māori King Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII and with the blessing of Te Arikinui Kuini Ngāwai Hono i te Pō.
Finalist works will be shown at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery in Wellington for three months, with the exhibition timed to coincide with Matariki; judging takes place shortly before the opening.
The inaugural competition was held in 2021, and the next award will be held in 2027.
The Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award provides Māori artists with the opportunity to showcase their talents on the national stage, while also playing an important role in recording and celebrating ancestors and their stories.
