Finalists for National Paint Championships revealed!
Automechanika Birmingham has revealed its shortlist of finalists for the National Paint Championships 2025. Following a competitive round of entries, eight standout professionals have been selected to showcase their creativity and craftsmanship at this year’s show in June.
Taking place from 3rd – 5th June 2025 at the NEC Birmingham, Automechanika Birmingham is set to open its doors in one month and will play host to the National Paint Championships live.
After receiving plenty of interest from professionals in the sector, the team have shortlisted eight talented professionals who will receive a bonnet to transform their concepts into full-scale artworks, which will be unveiled live at Automechanika Birmingham on Wednesday 3rd June 2025.
The shortlisted finalists for 2025 are:
Richard Glover- Suffolk New College
Madeleine Roche- Dick Lovett Bodyshop
Julian Woodstock- Colchester institute
Becca Denton- Bex Airbrushing
Gavin Murphy- Creative soul custom and classics
James Hamilton- Unit D Custom Paints
Dean Baldock- Smart-Tech Vehicle Body Repair
Jake Reed- Colchester Institute
The competition will be judged by a panel of industry leaders, including Simon Wait (Editor, Bodyshop Magazine), Michael Massey (Brand Development Manager, Morelli Group), Craig Bourke (The Specky Painter) and Tom Evans (Paint Sprayer Professional).
With the winners being announced live at the event, they will receive their prizes of £1,000 for 1st place, £500 for 2nd, and £250 for 3rd.
The Championships, which are completely free to enter, gave those shortlisted the task of submitting a planning document aligned with this year’s theme of ‘Nature’, showcasing technical skill, originality and artistic flair entrants had to design the most impressive car bonnet in their classic paint technique, that can be executed to the highest standard in less than 50 hours, in a bid to be crowned National Paint Champion 2025.
Joanne Knowles, Event Director at Messe Frankfurt UK, organisers of Automechanika Birmingham, commented: "We were blown away by the quality and imagination of this year’s entries. Narrowing it down was no easy task. We’re wishing those shortlisted the best of luck and we’re excited to see the finalists’ visions brought to life on the show floor."
And there’s more, as the general public is invited to vote for their favourite motif, as participants go head-to-head to battle it out for the People's Choice Award. The prize giving ceremony will take place on the 3rd June at 2.30pm in the entrance of Hall 18 – a prime location to honour the best in the business.
The National Paint Champion winner will then be invited to attend Automechanika Frankfurt, taking place in 2026, to compete for international acclaim and become world champion.