This is a list of winners of the Archibald Prize for portraiture. As many of the paintings are copyrighted, a link to images has been listed where available.
Notable finalists
Besides the winners, there have been many Archibald finalists of Australian celebrities, including musicians, athletes, politicians, film-makers and artists. Some selected ones: (listed Artist – Subject)
- 1946
- 1979
- Bressow, Lance – Dame Joan Sutherland
- Palaitis, Josonia – The Honourable John Howard, M.P.
- Pendlebury, L Scott – Anne and Drew Pendlebury (Actress and Musician respectively) ( Drew Pendlebury band member of The Sports )
1980s
- 1980
- Bush, Charles William – Sir John Kerr
- Dunlop, Brian – Joseph Brown
- 1981
- 1982
- Dupain, Rex – Max's Muse (Max Dupain)
- La Gerche, Geoff – Patrick White
- Markstein, Ted – The Great White Hope in the Land of the Blind (Patrick White) 15' x 5' oil on canvas. Lost by the University of NSW about 11 years ago.
- 1983
- 1984
- 1985
- Rothwell, Susan – Peter Weir
- 1986
- Berns, Naomi – David Williamson (playwright)
- Cress, Fred – David Armstrong
- 1987
- Looby, Keith – Manning Clark
- 1988
- Gruzdeff, Leeka – Don Burrows
- Nolan, Sidney – Arthur Boyd at Fitzroy Falls
- 1989
- Harris, Tim – The Doug Anthony All Stars with the Risen Elvis (Tim Ferguson, Richard Fidler, Paul McDermott)
- Heinrich, Bernd – Thomas Keneally
- Leak, Bill – Sir Donald Bradman
- Whiteley, Brett – Portrait of Francis Bacon
1990s
- 1990
- 1991/1992
- 1993
- 1994
- George Gittoes – Self Portrait in Somalia
- Leak, Bill – Malcolm Turnbull
- Li Bao Hua – Portrait (Hazel Hawke)
- Robertson, Peter – Kate Ceberano
- Valadon, Rosemary – Noni Hazlehurst – Summer '94 Waiting Again
- 1995
- Bergstrom, Danelle – Jon English
- George Gittoes – General John Sanderson in Cambodia
- Leak, Bill – Graham Richardson
- Naseby, David – Les Murray
- 1996
- Peter Churcher – Betty at Home (Betty Churcher)
- Lester, Kerrie – James Morrison with flugelhorn
- Palaitis, Josonia – Ray Martin
- Shead, Garry – Jacqueline McKenzie
- Valadon, Rosemary – Deborah Conway – in epic mode
- 1997
- Rick Amor – Peter Carey at the VACB Studio, Soho, New York (author)
- Adam Cullen – Portrait of Mikey Robins (comedian)
- George Gittoes – John Olsen (painter)
- Hannaford, Robert – Paul Davies (scientist)
- Newton, Paul William – Kate and Barbie (A portrait of Kate Fischer) (model)
- Sharp, Martin – Tiny Tim, Eternal Troubadour
- 1998
- Adam Cullen – Portrait of Frank Moorhouse AM (author)
- Dawson, Paula – Sleeping man (Barry Jones politician)
- Hannaford, Robert – Paul Keating (Former Prime Minister)
- Leak, Bill – Gough Whitlam (Former Prime Minister)
- Naseby, David – Les Murray (poet)
- Shen, Jiawei – Eyewitness (portrait of George Gittoes AM) (artist)
- 1999
- Bromley, David – Scott Hicks (film director)
- Dyer, Geoffrey – Margaret Scott (author and poet)
- King, Amanda – Natasha Stott Despoja (politician)
- Lester, Kerrie – Jimmy Barnes (singer)
- Naseby, David – Bob Ellis (political commentator)
- Newton, Paul William – Portrait of Maggie Tabberer (model)
- Ploeg, Evert – Deborah Mailman (actress)
2000s
- 2000
As well as the usual Archibald with its set criteria, there was a Sporting Archibald which had a focus on sport due to the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
- Antico, Chris – The Captain: Mark Taylor (cricket captain)
- Bell, Michael – The Sandman (comedian Steve Abbott)
- Benz, Simon – Anna Wilson (cyclist)
- Beowulf, Melissa – Ken Done (painter)
- Bromley, David – Strongest man of the games (Dean Lukin, weightlifter)
- Cullen, Max – Geoffrey Rush (actor)
- Fern, Nic – Vicki Wilson (netball player)
- Holmes à Court, Juliet – Portrait of George (George Gregan, rugby player)
- Jones, Glenda – Nova Peris-Kneebone (Gold Medalist with Australian Hockey Team)
- Lester, Kerrie – Susie Maroney, True Blue Sue (swimmer)
- Miller, Lewis – Ronald Dale Barassi (Ron Barassi, AFL footballer)
- Morton, Ann – Edwin Carr ‘Old Gold’ (athletics)
- Naseby, David – Kostya Tszyu (boxer)
- Newton, Paul William – Portrait of David Campese (rugby player)
- Ploeg, Evert – Louise Sauvage (wheelchair racing)
- Sibley, Andrew John – Marilyn Peddell (lawnbowls)
- Spooner, Kim – 'blue' (Kerry O'Brien) (television presenter)
- Wegner, Peter – Portrait of Darren Gauci (jockey)
- Williamson, Jan – Tom Carroll (surfer)
- Wood, Louise – Determination – Michael Klim (swimmer)
- Xie, Hui Hai – Johnny Raper – A living legend (rugby league player)
- 2001
- Armstrong, Bruce – Peter Carey in Kelly country
- Darby, Brendon Ross – Ian Parmenter (television presenter)
- Emdur, Martine – Laughing on the inside (Peter Berner)
- Georgiadis, Margarita – Excelle (Libbi Gorr, comedian, known for her Elle McFeast character)
- Guo Hua Cai – Lee Lin Chin (SBS newsreader)
- Leak, Bill – Nothing if not critical (Robert Hughes)
- Lester, Kerrie – Contemplating the emperor's new clothes (fashion designer Akira Isogawa
- Spooner, Kim – And see the light surrounding you (Daniel Johns) (vocalist and guitarist in Silverchair)
- 2002
- Carment, Tom – Richard Neville (writer, broadcaster, journalist)
- Cullen, Adam – Mark Brandon Read – Author( (Chopper Read)
- Dyer, Geoffrey – The last survivor (Alec Campbell, survivor of Battle of Gallipoli)
- Erlich, Esther – Deborah Conway (musician)
- Hunt, James – Bora Anthony Mundine (boxer, rugby league player)
- Lester, Kerrie – Interrupting Mr Smart! (Jeffrey Smart (painter))
- Pinnock, Mary Florance – Martin Sharp (cartoonist)
- 2003
- Amor, Rick – Lewis Miller (painter)
- Bergstrom, Danelle – Conversations with Margaret Olley
- Cullen, Adam – Jimmy Little
- Dyer, Geoffrey – Richard Flanagan
- Emdur, Martine – Claudia Karvan, Interior (actor from The Secret Life of Us)
- Fragar, Julie – J. Lucy in quinachridone magenta (Judith Lucy comedian)
- Harding, Nicholas – Portrait of Margaret Whitlam A.O. (wife of Gough Whitlam)
- Naseby, David – Adam Cullen (painter)
- Sages, Jenny – True Stories – Helen Garner (author)
- Stathopoulos, Nickolaos – Here's Mr. Squiggle
- Wyatt, Susan – Doris Pilkington (Nugi Garimarra) (author of the book which the film Rabbit-Proof Fence is based on
- 2004
- Benjamin, Jason – John Olsen
- Dyer, Geoffrey – Graeme Murphy (dance choreographer)
- Kendall, Peter Clifton – Peter Brock
- McKay, Creecy Carolyn – Bruce Spence
- 2005
- Churcher, Peter – Portrait of Jeffrey Smart
- Hannaford, Robert – Bob Brown
- Jackson, Paul – Gretel Killeen Image
- Kenyon, Raymond – The architect at home (Glenn Murcutt)
- Lynn, Mathew – Wendy drawing (Wendy Sharpe)
- Quilty, Ben – Beryl Whiteley (mother of Brett Whiteley)
- Ralph, David – Imagination – Adam and Harvie (Adam Elliot, creator of Harvie Krumpet)
- Shen, Jiawei – John So (mayor of Melbourne)
- Thomas, Avril – The Minister from down under (Hon. Alexander Downer M.P.)
- Zavros, Michael – Alex Dimitriades
- 2006
- McLean Edwards – Cate Blanchett and family
- Robert Hannaford – Tim Flannery
- Nicholas Harding – Robert Drewe (in the swell) 2006
- Paul Jackson – Garry McDonald "All the world's a stage…"
- Kerrie Lester – Phillip Noyce – in the picture
- Josonia Palaitis – Justice Michael Kirby
- Peter Smeeth – Clover Moore with Sheba and Bruno
- 2009
- Ngaire Devenport – Ken Done
- Hong Fu – Dame Elisabeth Murdoch
- Nicholas Harding – Margaret Whitlam
- Cherry Hood – David Helfgott
- David Paulson and Michael Nelson Jagamarra – Michael Nelson Jagamarra
- Mark Thompson – Greta Scacchi
2010s
- 2010
- Robert Hannaford – Malcolm Fraser
- Christine O’Hagan – Kate Ceberano
- Peter Smeeth – Peter FitzSimons, author
- Ian Smith – Keith Looby alfresco
- 2011
- Del Kathryn Barton – Mother (a portrait of Cate)
- Matt Doust – White Cocoon (portrait of actress Gemma Ward)
- Geoffrey Dyer – The collector, David Walsh
- Vincent Fantauzzo – Matt Moran
- Nicholas Harding – Hugo at home (portrait of actor Hugo Weaving)
- Jeremy Kibel – Portrait of Robert Jacks AO
- Michael Lindeman – Portrait of Wilfred (portrait of actor Jason Gann)
- Craig Ruddy – Cathy Freeman
- Barbara Tyson – The country’s woman: Her Excellency, Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Governor-General of Australia
- Apple Xiu Yin – Hearing • Meditation (portrait of opera soprano Cheryl Barker)