The winners of the prestigious Portrait of Britain 2026 competition have been unveiled, presenting a powerful and diverse mosaic of modern life across the United Kingdom. The award-winning images, selected from thousands of entries, capture intimate moments, personal triumphs, and quiet struggles from Glasgow to London, Bristol to Edinburgh.
A Celebration of Identity and Community
The collection, published in Portrait of Britain Vol 8 by Bluecoat Press, moves beyond mere likeness to tell profound stories. In Brixton, London, photographer Jennifer Forward-Hayter captured drag icon Bimini Bon-Boulash backstage at the Mighty Hoopla festival. This image symbolises a broader cultural fight, as the LGBTQIA+ festival faced cancellation after a battle with local residents over the use of Brockwell Park, highlighting tensions around gentrification and pride in the capital.
Elsewhere, the theme of belonging resonates deeply. Kirtana Rajeev's portrait of Kate in Brixton explores Guyanese-Caribbean heritage and the feeling of "in-betweenness" experienced by many. Similarly, Jaiyana Chelikha's work, 'Go Back to Where?', features Jounaid on Dartmoor, wearing a traditional Moroccan gandoura against a landscape synonymous with British identity, questioning what it means to belong as a second-generation immigrant.
Intimate Glimpses of Personal Journeys
Many portraits offer raw, personal insights. Adam Docker's image of Liela in London tells a story of resilience. A Sudanese community leader and founder of the You Are Not Alone organisation, she was caught up in Sudan's war in 2023 and made a difficult journey back to London. In a different vein, Katie Burdon's celebratory portrait of model Emily in their London room captures a moment of personal transformation, fresh from leaving the modelling world to embrace a truer self.
The series also does not shy away from hardship. Margaux Revol's 'Venus of Pain' is a poignant documentary portrait of Augustine, a young woman in London living with the agonising chronic condition endometriosis, flanked by supportive friends. Vivek Vadoliya's shot of his mother Sumitra in Stevenage, anxiously awaiting NHS results, is a universal moment of vulnerability.
Capturing Local Character and Changing Times
The portraits also serve as a document of Britain's social fabric. Stuart Edwards found Henry, the sharply dressed 78-year-old staple of Glasgow's Barras Market, whose motto is "Better than good – I'm lucky". In contrast, Jack Lawson's photo of Elvira in Clapham memorialises the now-closed independent shop she owned on the High Street, another victim of changing retail landscapes.
Activism and community action feature strongly. Yvonne E Maxwell's work documents the Occupying Lesnes Estate protest in Thamesmead, where residents and Housing Rebellion activists oppose demolition plans. In Manchester, Kymara Akinpelumi's image shows Mannie, who overcame post-prison challenges and the pandemic to found a youth running club, literally lifting up a young runner named Mateo.
From Tom Barrett's heartwarming scene of Adam having tea with his nan Janet in Norwich, to Francesca Jones's portrait of gender non-conforming couple Breckin and Dan at Cardiff's Big Queer Picnic, the collection is a masterclass in empathetic storytelling. It proves that the most compelling portrait of a nation is not a single image, but a tapestry of its people, in all their complexity, strength, and beauty.
