Earlier this year, I was standing in the press pack at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), waiting for the announcement of the winner of this year’s Archibald Packing Room Prize. The stage was set, with broadcast media cameras lined up, ready to capture the action.

Once Abdul Abdullah was announced as the winning artist for his portrait of fellow artist and friend Jason Phu, and the formalities were over, a fellow art writer turned to me and quipped, “Well, that rules Abdul out of the running.” It’s true that no artist awarded the Packing Room Prize has gone on to win the main event, leading to the former becoming playfully known as the ‘kiss of death’. This disparity has reflected the differing preferences of the AGNSW trustees, who choose the winner of the Archibald Prize, and those in the packing room—but this year’s choice suggested these preferences might be evolving.

The Archibald Prize has been awarded since 1921 following founder of The Bulletin JF Archibald’s bequest to “the best portrait preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in arts, letters, science or politics, painted by any artist resident in Australasia.” The prize occupies a unique cultural intersection, and its relatively democratic nature gives it a recognisably Australian flavour. As with the Wynne Prize for landscape or figurative sculpture and the Sulman Prize for genre, subject or mural painting which run alongside, anyone with the resources to can enter. With the main prize, the Packing Room Prize, and People’s Choice on offer (and with those missing out on a place on the wall in the running to be selected for the Salon de Refusés at S.H. Ervin Gallery), there is an array of opportunities for entrants which reflects this cultural intersection—the viewing public, those working behind the scenes and the institution itself.

“I see it as a sort of community prize, where the Packing Room team, which is made up of professional art handlers—many of whom are artists themselves—get to pick a painting they like. I am so glad they picked this one. It’s kind of like an artists’ pick, and I’m extra happy for that.”

—Abdul Abdullah

The origin story of the Archibald Packing Room Prize has been told many times: In 1991, head packer Steve Peters became aware that those choosing works for the newly established Salon de Refusés had rejected a portrait of politician Gareth Evans by Greg Bridges. Peters admonished the panel for passing over the packers’ favourite, saying that the work had won the Packing Room Prize—a passing comment which gave birth to a tradition. The prize was formally established that year to be chosen by the staff who receive, unpack and hang the entries, with Peters holding 51 per cent of the vote. The selection criteria was that the work had to resemble its subject, and that subject had to be recognisable by “the average person on the street”—as Peters told Jo Litson on the eve of his retirement in the 2017 edition of Let’s Face It: A History of the Archibald Prize, “It has to be somebody you know. There are a lot of good paintings that come in but you have no idea who the hell these people are.” When Peters retired in 2017 after 34 years at the Gallery, his successor Brett Cuthbertson continued the ritual (now with a 52% vote). Cuthbertson told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2018 that “Steve and me have pretty much the same taste,” however while “Steve liked very much to go for sportspeople… I lean a bit more heavily towards celebrities.”

Following Cuthbertson’s retirement in 2022 after 41 years in the packing room, the newly anointed ‘Packing Room pickers’ Timothy Dale, Monica Rudhar and Alexis Wildman continued in this vein in 2023 and 2024, selecting Andrea Huelin’s colourful portrait of well-loved comedian the late Cal Wilson, followed by street artist Matt Adnate’s portrait of renowned singer-songwriter and rapper Baker Boy.

At this year’s announcement, the AGNSW noted that the 2025 Packing Room Prize was a group decision, “awarded by the staff who receive, unpack and hang the entries.” Following the announcement, the mutual respect between packing room team, winning artist and subject was clear, with Wildman, senior installation officer, speaking on behalf of the Packing Room team, saying: “We were instantly drawn to Abdul Abdullah’s portrait of Jason Phu. Both are accomplished artists whose works have a distinct style and engage with complex social and cultural themes… The team holds great respect for the way both Abdul and Jason have progressed in their careers.” This acknowledgement of the art practices and careers of Abdullah and Phu points to a generational change in the packing room, with installers who are also artists having their say: a changing of the guard.

Abdullah’s statement on winning articulated this shift: “It is always an honour to be selected as a finalist for the Archibald Prize, and I am especially honoured to be picked for the Packing Room Prize,” he stated at the time. “I see it as a sort of community prize, where the Packing Room team, which is made up of professional art handlers—many of whom are artists themselves—get to pick a painting they like. I am so glad they picked this one. It’s kind of like an artists’ pick, and I’m extra happy for that.”

“While self-portraits and portraits of fellow artists have always been included, they are becoming increasingly common among the finalists.”

—Chloé Wolifson

Jason Phu, the subject of Abdullah’s painting, is a well-established and highly regarded artist, however the choice is a departure from the winners of the Peters/Cuthbertson era, which featured household names including Taika Waititi, Kate Ceberano, David Wenham, Jimmy Barnes, Tara Moss, Scott Cam, Roy and HG, John Laws and Sir Les Patterson. In fact, the only previous artist-subject in 34 years of Packing Room Prizes was Kerrie Lester’s Self-portrait as a bridesmaid in 1998 (the title of which was Lester’s nod to many years of being a finalist, but not winning the Archibald).

Abdullah’s portrait of Phu reflects an evolution in the broader Prize, where audiences are increasingly seeing artists choosing to paint their fellow artists (and themselves). This year, of the 57 finalists, 22 were portraits of other artists, 12 were self-portraits, a couple of curators were depicted, with only a dozen subjects drawn from the categories of stage and screen, media and journalism, and music.

While self-portraits and portraits of fellow artists have always been included, they are becoming increasingly common among the finalists. Meanwhile, the faces of other high-profile, distinguished or celebrity sitters (categories historically difficult for Australian visual artists to crack) are becoming fewer and farther between. Perhaps this is a reflection of the changing nature of both celebrity and of portraiture in a digital world. The painted portrait has historically embodied status, fame and privilege. This shift suggests a reverence for, or a desire for intimate understanding of one’s fellow artists, is entering the limelight.

In the 104-year history of the main Archibald Prize, 13 self-portraits have won—but this is becoming increasingly common, with more than half of these being chosen over the past three decades. 12 of the last 30 Archibald Prize winners have depicted artists as subjects—including this year’s winner, a portrait of Justene Williams by Julie Fragar.

While the ‘kiss of death’ remains for another year, perhaps the vision of the packers is not as far from that of the trustees as it once was.

Archibald Prize 2025
Touring Exhibition
Geelong Gallery
(Geelong/Djilang VIC)
Until 9 November

Gosford Regional Gallery
(Gosford/Darkinjung Country NSW)
22 November—11 January 2026

Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre
(Muswellbrook/Wonnarua and
Gamilaroi Country NSW)
23 January—7 March 2026

Mudgee Arts Precinct
(Mudgee/Mowgee Country NSW)
20 March—3 May 2026

Shoalhaven Regional Gallery
(Shoalhaven/Jerrinja and
Wandi Wandian Country NSW)
16 May—19 July 2026

Yarrila Arts and Museum
(Coffs Harbour/
Gumbaynggirr Country NSW)
1 August—13 September 2026