BP drops out of National Portrait Gallery award judging panel for first time in 23 years

Though the oil company will no longer be involved in judging the winners, it remains a sponsor of the BP Portrait Award

BP has been sponsoring the National Portrait Gallery’s BP Portrait Award isince the 1980s. AFP

Oil and gas company British Petroleum will no longer be on the judging panel for the National Portrait Gallery's BP Portrait Award, in which it has participated since 1997 and has been sponsoring since the late 1980s.

A news report from The Guardian reveals the decision follows increased pressure from artists and activists for the gallery to end BP's involvement entirely, though the spokesperson for the gallery is quoted saying: "The judging panel is refreshed each year to ensure new perspectives are brought to judge the entries."

The spokesperson added that BP’s exclusion was a joint decision, and the move was not influenced by an artist-led campaign last year.

In 2019, Antony Gormley, Rachel Whiteread and Anish Kapoor joined a group of about 80 other artists, including those who have received the BP Portrait Award, asking the gallery's director to cut ties with BP, citing the fossil fuel producer's impact on the environment.

The National Portrait Gallery has faced pressure from climate change activists, too. At the end of last year’s BP Portrait Award exhibition in October, environmental group Extinction Rebellion staged a performance piece in the gallery.

In 2016, Tate became the first to conclude its relationship with BP, while the Royal Shakespeare Company decided to end a sponsorship deal with the oil giant in October 2019. The National Galleries Scotland soon followed, ending all alliance with BP. The National Theatre halted the corporate membership of another oil company, Shell, the same time.

While BP may not be on the judging panel this year, their sponsorship of the award continues.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the winner will be announced online on Tuesday, May 5 and the works will be exhibited virtually. The prestigious award boasts a top prize of £35,000 (Dh160,000).