Melbourne-based, Archibald Prize-finalist Sean Layh has won the 2026 Packing Room Prize for his portrait of Australian actor Jacob Collins as Hamlet.
Sean Layh, The tragicall historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke, 2025, oil on board, 114.1 × 150.2cm / Winner of the 2026 Packing Room Prize / © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Now in its thirty-fifth year, the $3,000 prize is judged by Art Gallery of New South Wales staff who receive, handle, and unpack entries and hang the finalists for exhibition. Senior installation officer William Newell calls it a “dark, complex, and beautiful double portrait.”
