Congratulations to the eight finalists and to all the artists’ who entered the inaugural Artbank Prize. The finalists’ were selected via a competitive open-call submissions process that attracted over 740 entries. One finalist from each state and territory in Australia were selected by the esteemed judging panel of Tony Albert, Ellie Buttrose, and Elizabeth Fortescue.
The inaugural prize was established to recognise and support outstanding contemporary art practices, and to promote access for all Australian artists to present their work for consideration for the Artbank collection. It aims to champion new voices and help grow the breadth of contemporary Australian art represented across the country.
An exhibition featuring the eight finalists was held at Artbank’s Sydney premises from 3 September 2026 until 30 October 2026, alongside a series of public programs that celebrated the finalists and their works. At the conclusion of the exhibition Cathy’s work entitled – River Bottlebrush 2026