{{Short description|Photography competition}} '''Portrait of Britain''' is an annual British portrait photography award run by the ''British Journal of Photography.''<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-04-24|title='Portraits of Britain' is coming to rail stations and shopping centres|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/blog/portraits-of-britain-is-coming-to-rail-stations-and-shopping-centres-083116|newspaper=Time Out London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-04-24|title=These Beautiful Pictures Aim To Paint A Portrait Of Britain|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/matthewtucker/these-portraits-celebrate-britains-rich-diversity|newspaper=BuzzFeed}}</ref> Its subject is the diversity of British people.<ref name="huffpost-driscoll">{{cite news|accessdate=2018-04-24|title=Adverts Replaced By Stunning Photo Exhibition To Reflect Diversity Of British Public|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/portraits-of-britain-photo-project_uk_57cecfbde4b09f5b5e37ceb0|newspaper=HuffPost UK|date=6 September 2016|first=Brogan|last=Driscoll}}</ref> The 100 winning portraits are displayed on JCDecaux's digital screens across Britain throughout the month of January.<ref name="time-genova">{{cite web|first1=Alexandra|last1=Genova|access-date=2018-04-24|title=100 Portraits Take Over Britain's Ad Screens|url=https://time.com/4499685/portrait-of-britain/|website=Time}}</ref> It launched in 2016.<ref name="time-genova" />

Since 2018, an eponymously titled book has been published with 200 of the shortlisted portraits from each year.

==Details== thumb|upright=0.75|One of the winning portraits from the 2023 competition The competition's subject is the diversity of British people<ref name="huffpost-driscoll" /> "and the way their narratives reflect its widely unstable political and social landscape."<ref name="dazed-manatakis" /> It was partly inspired by Brexit.<ref name="time-genova" /><ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-04-24|title=Portraits that reveal the changing face of Britain|url=http://www.huckmagazine.com/art-and-culture/photography-2/portraits-reveal-changing-face-britain/|newspaper=Huck Magazine|date=8 September 2016}}</ref>

It is open to anyone to enter but photographs must have been taken within the previous six years and "depict subjects living in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland) at the time of the photograph," the British nationals of the British Overseas Territories (those parts of the British Realm outwith the archipelago of the British Isles) being excluded.<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-04-24|title=Rules|url=http://www.portraitofbritain.uk/small-print/|newspaper=Portrait of Britain}}</ref>

The 100 winning portraits are displayed on the outdoor advertising company JCDecaux's digital screens located in railway stations, shopping centres, bus stops and high streets.<ref name="time-genova" /><ref name="huffpost-driscoll" /> Each image appears on each screen for five to ten seconds.<ref name="time-genova" />

The competition ran in September 2016,<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-04-24|title=New portraits that reflect the changing face of Britain|url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/photography/article/32646/1/british-photography-journal-new-portraits-show-the-changing-face-of-britain|newspaper=Dazed|date=2 September 2016}}</ref> September 2017<ref name="dazed-manatakis">{{cite news|accessdate=2018-04-24|title=Portraits that reflect the changing face of Britain|url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/art-photography/article/37201/1/portrait-of-britain-portraits-reflect-the-changing-face-of-britain|newspaper=Dazed|date=31 August 2017|first=Lexi|last=Manatakis}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-04-24|title=Displaying Britain's diversity|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-41108616|newspaper=BBC News|date=6 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-04-24|title=Survivors, celebrities and a septuagenarian surfer: Portrait of Britain – in pictures|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2017/sep/04/portrait-of-britain-in-pictures|newspaper=The Guardian|date=3 September 2017|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> September 2018,<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-08-31|title=A nanny, a rabbi, a puppy and a parrot: portraits of Britain today - in pictures|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2018/aug/30/portrait-of-britain-today-british-journal-of-photography|newspaper=The Guardian|date=30 August 2018|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-09-05|title=‘Portrait of Britain’ photography competition highlights diversity of nation|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/portrait-of-britain-photography-competition-shortlist-diversity-national-a8463351.html|newspaper=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-08-31|title=Portrait of Britain winners capture the diversity and beauty of the public|url=https://metro.co.uk/2018/08/30/portrait-of-britain-winners-capture-the-diversity-and-beauty-of-the-public-7896660/|newspaper=Metro|date=30 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-08-31|title=Portraits celebrate Britain's diversity in 2018|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-45344336|newspaper=BBC News|date=30 August 2018}}</ref> December 2021<ref>{{cite news|access-date=2021-12-26|title=Portrait of Britain 2021 winners – in pictures|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2021/dec/15/portrait-of-britain-2021-winners-in-pictures|newspaper=The Guardian|date=15 December 2021|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> September 2022,<ref>{{cite web|first1=Isabella|last1=Ruffatti|access-date=2023-01-09|title=BJP announces the Portrait of Britain Vol.5 winners|url=https://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/latest/photo-news/bjp-announces-the-portrait-of-britain-vol-5-winners-180603|date=9 January 2023|website=Amateur Photographer}}</ref> 2023,<ref>{{Cite web |title="The quirky, the mundane": Portrait of Britain selects some of its best winners yet |url=https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/portrait-of-britain-volume-six-photography-080124 |access-date=2025-02-05 |website=www.itsnicethat.com |language=en}}</ref> and 2024<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stone |first=Mee-Lai |date=2025-01-07 |title=Fight for the spotlight! Portrait of Britain winners – in pictures |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2025/jan/07/fight-for-the-spotlight-portrait-of-britain-winners-in-pictures |access-date=2025-02-05 |work=the Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Kalum|last=Carter |date=2025-01-06 |title=British Journal of Photography reveals the 100 winners of Portrait of Britain Vol.7 |url=https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/photography/awards-and-competitions/british-journal-of-photography-reveals-the-100-winners-of-portrait-of-britain-vol-7 |access-date=2025-02-05 |website=digitalcameraworld |language=en}}</ref> with winners announced the following year.

==Publications== *''Portrait of Britain.'' London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2018. {{ISBN|978-1-910566-38-1}}. With an introduced by Will Self. Work by 200 photographers alongside information about each image and selected quotes from the photographers. *''Portrait of Britain: Vol 2.'' London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2019. {{ISBN|978-1-910566-54-1}}. With an introduction by Ekow Eshun. *''Portrait of Britain: Vol 3.'' London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2020. {{ISBN|978-1-910566-77-0}}. With an introduction by David Olusoga. *''Portrait of Britain: Vol 4.'' London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2022. {{ISBN|978-1-914314-13-1}}. With an introduction by Jess Phillips. *''Portrait of Britain: Vol 5.'' London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2023. With an introduction by Rachel Segal Hamilton. *''Portrait of Britain: Vol 6.'' London: Bluecoat, 2024. With an introduction by Simon Bainbridge. *''Portrait of Britain: Vol 7.'' London: Bluecoat, 2025. With an introduction by Diane Smyth.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official website|www.portraitofbritain.uk}}

Category:Annual events in the United Kingdom Category:2016 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:Awards established in 2016 Category:Photography awards Category:Photography in the United Kingdom