Melbourne photographer Nathan Beard has won the final National Photographic Portrait Prize with Mae Khong, a portrait of his aunt recovering from a fall. The prize was announced at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra on 21 August. Beard receives $30,000 from the gallery and $20,000 of equipment from Canon Australia.

He was chosen from more than 1000 entries and 30 finalists. Beard, who is 39, called Mae Khong “the only surviving member of her generation in my immediate family.” She has since died. “I think of it like a final gift from her,” he said.

The judges statement read: “This photograph of Nathan Beard’s aunt Mae Khong has an immediate and compelling emotional pull. Through its tight composition and simple colour palette interspersed with soft blue tones, combined with the vulnerability of a private yet familiar pose, the artist creates a portrait of palpable intimacy. Even though we can’t see the subject’s face, we are drawn into a connection with her, perhaps sensing the weight of her life experiences or recognising our own loved ones in this quietly captured moment. There is both resilience and fatigue legible in Mae’s posture. With water droplets still on her skin, this is a candid scene but it also speaks to the depth of familial connection between artist and subject.”

Established in 2007, the prize ends in its current form this year. The gallery has said a new photography prize will follow in 2027. The exhibition runs at the National Portrait Gallery from 22 August to 11 October, before a national tour.