Theo Paphitis Celebrates UK Artistic Talent at the 5th Annual LGC Art Prize

Retail entrepreneur and TV Dragon Theo Paphitis hosted the fifth annual Theo Paphitis x LGC Art Prize, celebrating the exceptional talent and continued growth of the UK’s creative community.

Held for the first time at the newly opened Guinness Open Gate Brewery London Vaults, the event provided a striking contemporary backdrop to showcase this year's shortlisted artworks. Following an extensive deliberation process by a distinguished judging panel - comprising Tom Croft, Sarah Monk, Frances Featherstone, and Laxmi Hussain - the evening culminated in an awards ceremony for the standout artists of the year.

“It is always a privilege to bring the UK’s creative community together to celebrate true talent,” said Theo Paphitis, Owner of London Graphic Centre. “The standard of work this year was exceptionally high, and our judges faced a rigorous task. A massive well done to our deserving winners who truly stood out, and congratulations to everyone whose hard work made this evening such a resounding success.”

The highly coveted 2026 awards were presented to the following artists:

The Judges' Winner: Bill Chalmers, ‘Work Room’

One’s to Watch: Trinity Letts, ‘Evanescence’ and Emmanuel Obigba, ‘Memory Lane’

People’s Choice Award: Samuel Reeves, ‘Every Piece of You’

The Guinness Open Gate Brewery London Prize: Jina Lee, ‘Private Gardens’

The evening also highlighted the vital role of corporate investment in the arts. Special recognition was given to this year’s sponsors - Winsor & Newton, Pébéo, Derwent, Caran d'Ache, Faber-Castell, Daler-Rowney, Golden, Sennelier, Liquitex, Clairefontaine, and Ecoline - for their generous and continued support of emerging creative talent.