The Maire Ragnhild Hollingsworth Oil Painting Prize
at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
The prize, in memory of my wife of 54 years, was inaugurated in 2023, the year she died. She was overjoyed at the notion of having a prize named after her at the RA for 25 years.
In 2022, when this prize was conceived, there was no prize offered by the RA specifically for oil painting. The terms agreed were “£5,000 to be awarded to an artist who is considered to have placed particular emphasis on the exploration of oil painting, using oil as the predominant medium, on any type of support.”
Each of the prize-winners to date (2026) has said that their winning the prize has had a profound effect on the way they are perceived as artists.
I take this opportunity to thank my co-judges for their insights and good humour. Especially, I must thank the Royal Academicians on the panels for their guidance and sharing their profound knowledge of Art Now.
Paul Hollingsworth
Bruges, 2025
2026 Prize Winner
Congratulations to Jiyoung Pyo on receiving the Maire Ragnhild Hollingsworth Oil Painting Prize at the 2026 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.
Pictured (right): Paul Hollingsworth and Jiyoung Pyo with her winning painting 'Bittersweet'.
© Justine Trickett
Previous Winners
Rachael Robb
Photo, Zurbaran's Agnus Dei Postcard & Pink Lady Sticker
2024
Judges:
Paul Hollingsworth,
Jock McFadyen RA,
Lewis Dutton Gilbert, Mohammed Adil.
Frances Featherstone
Motherly Loves
2025
Judges:
Paul Hollingsworth,
Emma Dabiri,
Vanessa Jackson RA,
Bryony Knight,
Djofray Makumbu,
Lisa Reuben.
Frances Featherstone’s expressive, narrative-driven paintings capture the emotional depth of female contemporary life within interior spaces.
Receiving the prestigious Maire Ragnhild Hollingsworth Painting Prize has given her the validity and confidence to push the boundaries of her distinct visual storytelling. Building on this momentum, her painting Madonna and Child (2026) is currently on display at the National Portrait Gallery as part of the prestigious Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award exhibition.
Jiyoung Pyo
Bittersweet
2026
Judges:
Paul Hollingsworth,
Sikelela Owen RA,
Louise Roe,
Sophie Ashby,
Josephine Daniel,
Bryony Knight,
Gaenor Farren-Smith.
"Thrilled to be receiving this prize. Oil painting carries a vast and rich history, and I feel honoured to continue that dialogue with the past and the responsibilities it brings. This recognition encourages me to carry on this incredible lifelong journey as an artist"
- Jiyoung Pyo on receiving the prize.