Nerikson 2026 painting contest goes fully online for global entrants

Nerikson’s 2026 painting contest ran entirely online from May 1 through June 30.

The format put first-time competition painters and seasoned display artists on the same footing, with entries built around creativity, technique, and model choice rather than who could get to a show floor.

The contest was structured around four categories and $5,000 worth of prizes, with awards spread across first and second place finishes and special prizes like Most Creative and Most Ambitious. The competition page listed the prize value at $6,173 and showed 192 submissions when it was crawled.

Entry rules were tight. Painters had to post a work-in-progress on social media using the code word “NK 2026” when they started, then submit final pictures through MyMiniFactory and a submission form. Nerikson limited the competition to Nerikson models only, allowed only one entry per contestant, and required the scale to match the category entered. A 140mm model could be downscaled to 75mm, which gave painters some flexibility in how they approached the display size.

Those categories covered both 75mm and 140mm+ models in Standard and Master divisions, so the contest gave room for smaller character pieces as well as larger display projects with more space for advanced blends, texture work, and scenic presentation. Nerikson also offered a free model option.

The submission deadline landed at 23:59 CET on June 30, while MyMiniFactory listed the competition’s end time as 21:00 UTC the same day. Nerikson called the 2026 event a follow-up to its previous contest and said the earlier run brought in many painted entries, calling it an “amazing experience” filled with models painted with passion and creativity.