Canberra Times photographer Dion Georgopoulos finalist in 2021 National Portrait Prize

The National Portrait Gallery made the announcement on Tuesday, with Georgopoulos and the other finalists notified late last month.

While the gallery announced the list of finalists, the works themselves will not be revealed until closer to the July exhibition opening.

This is not the first time that Georgopoulos has been recognised for his photography. In 2020 the photographer was a finalist in the prestigious Walkley mid-year awards. The Young Journalist of the Year Awards recognises the work by the nation's leading young journalists and photographers. In these awards, Georgopoulos was selected a finalist in the visual storytelling category for his coverage of the 2020 bushfires.

Georgopoulos joins the list of Canberra Times photographers who have been nominated for the National Photographic Portrait Prize, with both Jamila Toderas, Rohan Thomson and Andrew Sheargold nominated for the award during their time at the publication.

The 2021 edition of the National Photographic Portrait Prize incorporates a year like no other - 2020. As such, the National Portrait Gallery has decided to name this year's exhibition Living Memory.

The prize also features significantly more finalist works than previous years and, in a bid to support the artistic community after such a tough year, every finalist will receive a supporting payment.

The most outstanding portrait will receive $30,000 cash, and a prize pack valued at $20,000 from prize partner Canon. The People's Choice will receive $5000 from The David Roche Foundation and the Highly Commended will receive a ColorEdge CG2730 27" monitor from Eizo. The winner of the Art Handlers' Award will receive $2000 from IAS Fine Art Logistics.

In addition to the usual suite of prizes, there will also be mentorship opportunities awarded to selected finalists to support career aspirations.

This year's exhibition will run from July 31 until November 7 - which is longer than previous years. The winner will be announced on July 30.

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