Awards

Related Information

The Lester Prize 2023

The Lester Prize is one of the country’s most recognised and prestigious fine art prizes – an award that places artists and community proudly front-and-centre.

The prize pool available to professional, emerging and young artists has increased to over $115,000, including the main prize of $50,000.

This year's chosen finalists will exhibit their work at The Art Gallery of Western Australia, have their portraits included in a regional tour and be invited to participate in a community engagement program including workshops, online engagement, artist talks and more.

This year's prize pool consists of:
• The Richard Lester Prize for Portraiture (selected by a panel of judges) | $50,000 cash
• Tony Fini Foundation Artist Prize (selected by artists’ peers) | $20,000 cash
• Minderoo Foundation Spirit Prize (selected by Minderoo Foundation) | $10,000 cash
• Baldock Family People’s Choice Prize (selected by the general public) | $15,000 cash
• Ashurst Emerging Artist Prize (selected by a panel of judges) | $5,000 cash
• Highly Commended (selected by a panel of judges) | up to $5,000 value
• Barton Family Foundation Installers’ Prize (selected by AGWA's installation team) | $10,000 cash

The Main Awards exhibition will run from 22 September – 26 November 2023.

For more information please visit lesterprize.com

 

Tom Malone Prize 2022

The Art Gallery of Western Australia's Tom Malone Prize was a highly respected national event for contemporary Australian glass artists.

The Tom Malone Prize was initiated in 2003 by Governor of the Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation, Elizabeth Malone. The Prize continued in 2018-2022 through the support of Foundation Benefactor, Sheryl Grimwood.

An acquisitive prize, each year’s winning entrant was awarded $15,000 while their work became a part of the WA State Art Collection where it joined works by previous winners: Clare Belfrage, Gabriella Bisetto, Charles Butcher, Cobi Cockburn, Brian Corr, Mel Douglas, Mark Eliott, Deirdre Feeney, Kevin Gordon, Marc Leib, Jessica Loughlin, Tom Moore, Nick Mount, Benjamin Sewell and Ayano Yoshizumi.

The Tom Malone Prize was a highly respected national event within the Australian glass arts community and it has played an integral role in the Gallery's acquisition of works by Australia's most inspiring, innovative and accomplished artists in this medium.

2022 marked the 20th year of the Prize. 

Learn more about the 2022 finalists here.

On Saturday 27 August, the Gallery is open 10am-3pm only as we prepare for the AGWA Foundation Gala supporting women in the arts. Some exhibition access will be disrupted with two Tracks We Share ground floor galleries closed. AGWA Rooftop bar will be closed, reopening at 2pm Sunday. Details