Bundjalung artist, writer and illustrator Dr Bronwyn Bancroft and Eastern Arrernte and Kalkadoon curator, writer and activist Hettie Kemarre Perkins are among those celebrated in the 2026 First Nations Arts and Culture Awards.
Presented by Creative Australia and announced on 27 May, marking the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum and the beginning of National Reconciliation Week, the awards recognise First Nations artists and cultural leaders, as well as arts workers and businesses.
Alongside the 2026 winners, Creative Australia also announced the establishment of a new and permanent prize in honour of the late Rhoda Roberts AO. As of next year, the Rhoda Roberts Trailblazer Award will go to an individual who has made a profound impact on First Nations arts culture through sovereign storytelling, advocacy and leadership.
2026 First Nations Arts Awards – quick links
Red Ochre Awards
The two Red Ochre Awards for Lifetime Achievement in Artistic Excellence went to Bancroft and Yawuru musician Stephen Pigram.
Bancroft is one of the founding members of the influential Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative and was one of the first champions and creators of Aboriginal children’s literature, going on to publish 50 books. She has exhibited her art nationally and internationally, and earlier this year staged her retrospective I am Gurgun, spanning some 50 years, at Boomalli in Sydney.
Alongside her creative work, she’s played many roles in wider cultural life, from her work as an activist for the rights of Aboriginal people in the fields of copyright and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property, through to serving on the boards of the National Indigenous Arts and Advocacy Association, Australian Society of Authors and Arts Law.
Pigram’s work spans music, theatre and film, including contributions to the landmark Bran Nue Dae and Corrugation Road. He’s known for a distinctive fingerpicking style and a five-decade long career. Carrying Kimberley stories across generations, he sees his songs as living archives, preserving ancestral memory, history and identity.
Perkins and artist Djambawa Marawili AM received the two Red Ochre Awards for Lifetime Achievement in Cultural Advocacy and Leadership. Perkins is widely known for her influential curatorial work and advocacy for First Nations artists and arts workers, from her art + soul exhibition, book and television series in 2010 through to curating Ceremony, the 4th National Indigenous Art Triennial, in 2022.
Marawili, alongside his high profile career as an artist, appearing in the landmark Yolŋu Power exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2025, also plays a pivotal role in his community as a leader of the Madarrpa Clan, drawing on art as a tool to lead.
In addition, artist Hayley Millar Baker received the Youth Award, while John Harvey received the Established Artist award.
Franchesca Cubillo, Creative Australia’s Executive Director First Nations Arts and Culture, said: ‘The First Nations Arts and Culture Awards recognise the remarkable artists, cultural leaders and organisations whose work continues to shape and strengthen First Nations arts and culture nationally and internationally.
‘This year’s recipients and shortlisted nominees represent excellence across generations and disciplines, from lifetime achievement and cultural leadership through to emerging voices and innovative First Nations-led businesses.’
Full list of winners of the 2026 First Nations Arts and Culture Awards
Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement in Artistic Excellence
Dr Bronwyn Bancroft
Stephen Pigram
Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cultural Advocacy and Leadership
Djambawa Marawili AM
Hetti Kemarre Perkins
Youth Award for Achievement in the Arts
Hayley Millar Baker
Established Artist of the Year Award
John Harvey
First Nations Arts and Culture Business Innovation Award
Balya Productions
