Key Points
- The 2026 Stockport Open Exhibition People’s Choice Award winners have now been announced following the voting process where thousands of people had the chance to see the exhibit and vote on it.
- There have been more than 250 entries from both adults and children who have entered this year’s exhibition.
- In the exhibition, which featured painting, ceramics, textiles, video and music at the Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery, there are paintings from more than 1,700 visitors since opening in June.
- Adult Category First Prize: Steps Through Time by Dave Jobling.
- Adult Category Second Prize: Dave by Wendy Bayford.
- Adult Category Third Prize: Silence by Shirin Honarmand.
- Children’s Category First Prize: Night-Watchers by Raizel Jain.
- Children’s Category Second Prize: Luffy by Xander Sims.
- Children’s Category Third Prize: David Attenborough by Ella Goldwater.
- Michael Hartley-Rose Award, offered by Stockport Art Guild, went to Oscar Davies for The City I.
- Highly Commended went to Catherine Brown for Sinsir.
Stockport (Manchester Mirror) August 20, 2026 – The winners of the 2026 uk/local/stockport/">Stockport Open Exhibition People’s Choice Awards have been revealed, with Dave Jobling and Raizel Jain taking the top honours in the adult and children’s categories after thousands of visitors voted for their favourite artworks at the Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery. The announcement brings the curtain down on an exhibition that showcased the depth of talent within Stockport’s creative community, drawing more than 1,700 visitors since it opened in June.
This year’s exhibition featured more than 250 entries submitted by adults and children, spanning a wide range of disciplines including paintings, ceramics, textiles, video and music. The show, which opened in June, gave residents the chance to view the work on display before deciding the winners through the People’s Choice Awards, with votes cast by members of the public across the summer.
Who Won the Adult Category at the 2026 Stockport Open Exhibition?
The top prize in the adult category went to Dave Jobling for Steps Through Time, which claimed first place. Wendy Bayford took second place with Dave, while Shirin Honarmand secured third place with Silence. The three works were among the most popular with visitors who voted during the course of the exhibition.
Who Won the Children’s Category at the 2026 Stockport Open Exhibition?
In the children’s category, Raizel Jain claimed first place with Night-Watchers. Xander Sims finished in second place with Luffy, and Ella Goldwater took third place with David Attenborough. The category recognised the creativity of younger artists taking part in the open exhibition.
Who Received the Michael Hartley-Rose Award?
The Michael Hartley-Rose Award, presented by Stockport Art Guild, was awarded to Oscar Davies for The City I. The award recognises outstanding work by a young artist, with the accolade forming a key part of the exhibition’s prize structure. A Highly Commended award was also presented to Catherine Brown for Sinsir.
Background
The Stockport Open Exhibition is an annual showcase held at the Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery on Wellington Road, which celebrates the town’s vibrant creative community by bringing together work from emerging and established artists alike. The 2026 edition, which ran from Sunday 21 June to Thursday 27 August, invited submissions from visual artists, sculptors, photographers, textile artists, digital designers, poets, jewellery makers and crafters from across Stockport and beyond, with entries displayed across the Upper Gallery, East and West Galleries and Artlink spaces.
The People’s Choice Awards sit at the heart of the exhibition, allowing visitors to vote for their favourite pieces in both adult and children’s categories. Prizes were presented at a dedicated People’s Choice Award event at the gallery, with the awards handed out by the Mayor of Stockport. The Michael Hartley-Rose Young Person’s Award, presented by Stockport Art Guild, recognises young artists aged between 17 and 25, continuing a tradition that has helped nurture emerging talent in the town. The 2026 exhibition follows a centenary edition in 2025, which drew more than 2,000 visits and featured over 200 pieces of artwork, cementing the gallery’s role as a centrepiece of Stockport’s cultural calendar.
Prediction
The announcement of the 2026 People’s Choice Award winners is expected to provide a significant boost to the winning artists, offering them wider recognition and a platform to build on as they develop their careers. For Dave Jobling, Wendy Bayford, Shirin Honarmand and the young winners Raizel Jain, Xander Sims and Ella Goldwater, the accolade brings public validation of their work and the kind of local profile that can open doors to future exhibitions, commissions and sales. For Stockport’s creative community as a whole, the strong visitor numbers and the breadth of entries signal a healthy and growing interest in the arts, which organisers may look to build on in future editions. The success of the exhibition is also likely to benefit the Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery, reinforcing its standing as a key venue in the region and encouraging more residents and visitors to engage with the town’s cultural offering in the months ahead.
