ArtsNational Emerging Artist Prize

Type: Arts / Emerging Artists

State: National

Provider: ArtsNational

Opportunity Opens: 15 July 2026

Opportunity Closes: 31 August 2026

Grant Summary:
The inaugural ArtsNational Emerging Artist Prize provides a $20,000 prize to recognise and support excellence in the artistic practice of an emerging Australian visual artist.

The prize is open to practising professional visual artists and tertiary art students aged 18–35 who are permanent Australian residents. Artists associated with a recognised Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander arts centre are also eligible.

The prize supports an artist’s overall artistic practice rather than a single artwork and is not an acquisition prize. The successful artist can use the $20,000 to further their professional and creative development and will also gain exposure to ArtsNational’s national network of art supporters and collectors.

Eligible artistic practices include drawing, painting, printmaking, digital and video art, photography, sculpture and mixed media. As the prize focuses on emerging artists, applicants should generally not be formally represented by a commercial gallery.

Applicants need to provide three digital images of original works, a description of their artistic practice of up to 300 words, a statement of up to 200 words explaining how they would use the prize money, and a CV of no more than two pages.

Grant Link: Click here for more information.