We are very happy to announce the finalists in the inaugural Defiance Award.
We had an incredible number of entries (many more than we dared hope for!) and the decision was not an easy one to make.
A BIG thank you to everyone who submitted work and congratulations again to the finalists - we're looking forward to sharing their work with you all in our first Award Finalists Exhibition to kick off 2026.
Please register interest below to be the first to preview this exhibition and join us in congratulating these wonderful 28 artists.
REGISTER FOR DEFIANCE AWARD EXHIBITION PREVIEW
The Award was founded to discover, support and profile exceptional Australian painters, providing a prominent platform to connect artists to a wider audience. The prize offers both financial support and professional development opportunities to foster long-term careers in the arts, whether you're an emerging or established painter who is unrepresented in NSW.
The selected finalists will be shown in a group exhibition at Defiance in February 2026 with the overall finalist receiving cash, a two week residency at the Nock Art Foundation in NZ and a solo exhibition with Defiance.