RBA 2027 Annual Exhibition - Open Call
Mall Galleries | North, East & West Galleries
Thu 25 February – Sat 6 March 2027
Submissions Open
The Royal Society of British Artists invites artists of all backgrounds to submit painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing for the RBA Annual Exhibition 2027 at Mall Galleries. Submissions are online only and open from Monday 7 September 2026 to Friday 8 January 2027. Successful applicants exhibit alongside RBA members, with eligibility for prizes and awards worth over £15,000 — including The Huaicun Zhang Award for Excellence of £10,000.
SUBMIT NOW FULL DETAILSCollectors’ Evening
Wednesday 24 February, 6pm to 8pm
Private View
Thursday 25 February, 5pm to 9pm
Exhibition
25 February to 6 March, 10am to 5pm daily
Key Dates
Activity
Deadline
Submissions open
Monday 7 September 2026, 12 noon
Submissions close
Friday 8 January 2027, 12 noon
Entry deadline for members
Monday 11 January 2027, 12 noon
Digital selection
Monday 11 / Tuesday 12 / Wednesday 13 January 2027, 10am starts
Notification of selection
Friday 15 January 2027, 12 noon
Receiving Day
Saturday 13 February 2027, 10am to 5pm
Prize judging
No later than the Collectors’ Evening
Collectors’ Evening
Wednesday 24 February 2027, 6pm to 8pm
Exhibition opens
Thursday 25 February 2027, 10am to 5pm
Private View
Thursday 25 February 2027, 5pm to 9pm
Exhibition closes
Saturday 6 March 2027, 5pm
Collection of unsold work
Thursday 11 March 2027, 10am to 5pm
Eligibility
Who may enter?
Any artist aged 18 or over may enter, from anywhere in the world.
How many works?
A maximum of six works each, from which up to four works per artist may be selected.
What work is eligible?
Work must not have been exhibited previously in London. Works should not be larger than 2.4m along the longest dimension. All works must be an original creation by the artist.
Acceptable media
Painting, sculpture, drawing and original prints (excluding photography).
Submission fee
£22 per work, or £14.50 per work for artists aged 35 or under. The fee includes free admission to the exhibition for all entrants and is non-refundable.
How to submit
A single-stage online judging of all submitted works takes place, after which selected works are delivered to Mall Galleries for inclusion in the exhibition.
• Register or log in to the Open Exhibition Submission System (OESS) between Monday 7 September 2026 and Friday 8 January 2027.
• Upload images in JPEG or PNG format under 5MB. One image per submission showing the complete work is required; up to two optional detail images may be added.
• Provide title, medium, size (cm), year of completion and price per work. Minimum price £300 (prints: framed £180, unframed £120). All work must be for sale.
• Log in from 12 noon on Friday 15 January 2027 to see if your work has been selected.
• If selected, deliver your work on Receiving Day, Saturday 13 February 2027, 10am to 5pm, to Mall Galleries, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5BD.
SUBMIT NOWFull terms, presentation requirements, courier information and sales conditions are on the Mall Galleries open call page.
Prizes & Awards
The RBA Annual Exhibition offers major cash awards, art materials and framing prizes, media features and more, worth over £15,000 in total.
The Huaicun Zhang Award for Excellence 2027
An award of £10,000 for a work (or works) of exceptional quality. The selection committee may split the award as appropriate.
The de Laszlo Foundation Award
£2,000 for an artist aged 35 or under for the best work from life, plus four Highly Commended awards of £300 each.
The Michael Harding Awards
Two prizes of £500 worth of art materials.
The Daler-Rowney Award
£500 of art materials for an outstanding work.
The John Lynn Commemorative Award for a Young Artist
£500.
Ronald Benham Memorial Award
£500 for work painted in a traditional manner in celebration of the natural world.
The Winsor & Newton Award
Art materials to the value of £500 for an outstanding painting.
Frinton Frames Award
£300 of picture framing at Frinton Frames.
The MONTOOLI Award
£300 for an outstanding portrait painting.
The Peter Kelly Commemorative Prize
£300.
The Gordon Hulson Memorial Prize
£250 for draughtsmanship, variety and exploration.
The Ronald Morgan Memorial Award
£250.
The Stuart Southall Print Prize
£250.
The President's Award
Ten free submissions to Federation of British Artists exhibitions at Mall Galleries for a non-member exhibitor.
Nathan David Award for Sculpture
£150.
Painters Online Award
Feature in The Artist magazine.
The Dry Red Press Award
The winning work published as a greetings card.