One of Australia’s most prestigious prizes for landscape painting, the John Leslie Art Prize consistently attracts the highest calibre of artists from all corners of Australia. Named after the Gallery’s Patron and—in many ways the Gallery’s Founder—John Leslie OBE (1919–2016), the continuation of this highly sought $30,000 acquisitive prize is made possible through the generous ongoing support of the Gippsland Art Gallery Foundation.

This year’s exhibition of finalists will be held at the Gallery from 5 September until 22 November, with the announcement of winners (outright winner and ‘Best Gippsland Work’, which attracts an additional non-acquisitive Prize of $1,000) taking place at the Official Launch on Friday 4 September at 6.00pm.

Judges for the 2026 John Leslie Art Prize are Louise Tegart, Director of the Art Gallery of Ballarat, Simon Gregg, Director of Gippsland Art Gallery and Louisa Waters, Curator of Gippsland Art Gallery. The winners of the Prize will add their names to the growing Hall of Fame and cement their place in Gippsland art history alongside recent past winners Peter Gardiner (2024), Greg Wood (2022), and Sarah Tomasetti (2020).

Melbourne artist Natasha Bieniek has been announced as the winner of the 2026 John Leslie Art Prize for landscape painting.

The announcement of the $30,000 acquisitive prize was made at the Gippsland Art Gallery’s Spring Launch on Friday 4 September in front of a capacity audience by Wellington Shire Council Mayor, Councillor Cindy Madeley. Bieniek, a past winner of the Wynne Prize (2015), the Portia Geach Memorial Award (2015) and the Metro Art Award (2012) and a twelve-time finalist of the Archibald Prize, won the coveted John Leslie Art Prize with her miniature painting ‘Labyrinth’.

A secondary prize for ‘Best Gippsland Work’ went to Phillip Island-based artist Kate Shaw for her painting Last One.