More than 40 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across Australia have been named as finalists in the 2026 Koori Mail Indigenous Art Award in Lismore.
The biennial award, run by Lismore Regional Gallery, will offer $23,000 in prize money this year.
The Major Award has doubled from $10,000 in 2024 to $20,000, while a new $3,000 Youth Award has been introduced for artists aged 18 to 25.
The finalists represent a range of contemporary Indigenous art forms, including painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, moving image and fibre art.
Lismore Regional Gallery Director Susi Muddiman OAM said the award showed nationally significant exhibitions could be staged outside capital cities.
“This award demonstrates that nationally significant contemporary art does not have to be centred in a capital city. From Lismore, we are providing a national platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and bringing extraordinary work from across Australia to audiences in regional NSW,” Muddiman said.
“Combined with the Youth Award this year, the shortlist highlights incredible fresh talent alongside established artists whose work commands attention on the national stage. It promises to be an inspiring and powerful exhibition that we are honoured to present.”
The Major Award finalists are Michelle Anderson, Kieron Anderson, Sonya Breckenridge, Luke Close, Ralph Close, Chris Curtis, Louise Daniels, Joe Dhamanydji, Jodie Dowd, Troy Firebrace, Margaret Rarru Garrawurra, Donna Gayford McLaren, Maddison Gibbs, Jodie Harris, Melinda Ingram, Clare Jaque Vasquez, Kieren Karritpul, Virginia Keft, Jaymi Lawrence, Tara Lloyd, Zali Morgan, Amber Morris, Kent Morris, Jodie Munday, Gail Naden, Ian Nicholas, Tracey Piccoli, Ross Potter, Brandi Salmon, Damien Shen, Kyle Slabb, Valerie Smith, Jasmin Stanford, Douglas Tamwoy, Anthony Walker and Jeremy Worrall.
Cameron Cooper, Keesia Close, Levi Roberts, Monique Vuong and Mayarr Yanner have been named as finalists for the Youth Award.
This year’s entries will be judged by Yorta Yorta curator, writer and academic Dr Kimberley Moulton, Senior Curator Exhibitions at Melbourne’s RISING festival and former Adjunct Curator of Indigenous Art at London’s Tate Modern.
“It’s an honour to judge this year’s Koori Mail Art Award. With a diverse combination of local and national works, city based and regional, it’s an incredibly strong year with artists sharing their stories, connections to country and culture,” Moulton said.
Koori Mail Cultural Lead Trevor Kapeen said the award helped give First Nations artists greater national exposure.
“Every year this award brings a magnificent gathering of First Nations artistic talent into focus,” Kapeen said.
“For the Koori Mail, supporting these artists is about creating tangible opportunities for national visibility and cultural exchange. We congratulate all the 2026 finalists and look forward to celebrating their achievements when the exhibition opens.”
The finalists’ works will be exhibited at Lismore Regional Gallery from 7 November until 14 February 2027.
The exhibition will officially open on Saturday, 7 November, when the award winners will be announced.
Entry to the exhibition at Lismore Regional Gallery, 11 Rural Street, Lismore, is free.
The award is supported by Koori Mail Newspaper, Hurford Hardwood and the Friends of the Gallery.
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