At Capital Plein Air, our awards are designed not only to recognise excellence, but also to encourage participation, growth, and the sharing of skills across the plein air community. We aim to create opportunities for artists at all levels to challenge themselves, learn from one another, and celebrate the experience of painting outdoors.

As the festival grows, we continue to refine the awards to better support participating artists. In 2026, the major category prizes have been expanded and split by medium (Oil, Watercolour and Other Media), creating more opportunities for artists to be recognised for excellence within their chosen materials.

The Quick Draw awards have also been adjusted, moving from medium-based prizes to category-based awards, making the competition more accessible and relevant to artists at different stages of their painting journey.

This expansion, together with increased sponsor support, has lifted the total festival prize pool from $7,000 in 2025 to $11,000 in 2026.

Best in Show — $3,000 (Winner cannot receive additional category awards)

People’s Choice Award — $850 Capertee Valley Artists Residency

Best Autumn Colour — $850 Artable Gift Voucher Judged by the CaPA Committee

The Quick Draw Competition is held on the final Sunday of the Festival.

All festival participants are automatically eligible to compete. Members of the public may also register for this event without attending the full festival. It’s a fun and energetic way to end the week and a great introduction to plein air painting.