Australia Council Reveals 2015 Award Winners

Bringing the individual art form awards together for the first time, the 2015 Australia Council Awards ceremony paid tribute to the remarkable contributions made by 10 Australians to the arts and cultural landscape. Presented in Sydney on Thursday 19 March, these prestigious national awards combine long-standing lifetime and significant achievement awards in music, literature, community partnerships and visual arts, with new awards in theatre, dance, and emerging and experimental arts.

Australia Council Chief Executive Officer Tony Grybowski said the awards were the highest accolade the Council could bestow, and that the 2015 recipients had a depth and richness to the contributions made in their respective art forms, which embodied the kind of artistic and cultural ambition the Council is committed to supporting.

"The awards are an acknowledgement of the significant achievements and contribution an artist has made to the vibrancy of Australian arts. The 10 recipients are widely respected by their peers nationally and internationally, and these awards give us the opportunity to reflect on their considerable body of work and the impact they have had on the arts in Australia and overseas," Mr Grybowski said.

Australia Council Chair Rupert Myer AM congratulated the recipients on this recognition.

"Previous recipients include some of Australia's most esteemed artists and I am delighted that the 2015 awards continue that tradition, celebrating individuals who capture our imagination, push boundaries and inspire new ideas." Mr Myer said.

The 2015 Australia Council Award recipients are:

? Thomas Keneally (NSW) - Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature

? Archie Roach (Vic) - Australia Council Don Banks Music Award

? Judy Watson (Qld) - Australia Council Visual Arts Award (Artist)

? Will Stubbs (NT) - Australia Council Visual Arts Award (Advocate)

? Stelarc (WA) - Australia Council Award for Outstanding Achievement in Emerging & Experimental Arts

? Garry Stewart (SA) - Australia Council Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance

? Bruce Gladwin (Vic) - Australia Council Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre

? Tony Doyle (SA) - Ros Bower Award (Community Arts and Cultural Development)

? Alyson Evans (NSW) - Kirk Robson Award (Community Arts and Cultural Development)

? Alysha Herrmann (SA) - Kirk Robson Award (Community Arts and Cultural Development)

An exhibition celebrating the winners will be at the Australia Council office in Surry Hills from 11 March until 8 May. For more information on the award winners: www.australiacouncil.gov.au

ABOUT THE AWARDS

The Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature, formerly the Writers' Emeritus Award, acknowledges the achievements of eminent literary writers over the age of 60 who have made an outstanding and lifelong contribution to Australian literature. Past winners include Bruce Dawe (2000), the late Christopher Koch (2007), Herb Wharton (2012) and Frank Moorhouse AM (2013).

The Australia Council Don Banks Music Award honours a distinguished artist aged over 50 who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to music in Australia. Its name honours Don Banks, an Australian composer, performer and the first Chair of the Music Board. Past winners include Mike Nock (2014) Kev Carmody (2013), Jon Rose (2012) Belinda Webster (2011) and Warren Fahey (2010).

The Australia Council Visual Arts Awards acknowledges the exceptional achievements of an Australian artist and an arts professional who have made an outstanding contribution to the development of Australian art. Past winners include Fiona Foley and Julie Ewington in 2014, Tracey Moffatt and Juliana Enberg in 2012, and Fiona Hall and Ron Radford in 2011.

The Ros Bower Award is given to artists with a proven record of high achievement in community arts and cultural development, driven by the principles of equality, respect, and diversity. Its name honours Ros Bower, a journalist, television producer, community arts pioneer and founding Director of Council's first Community Arts Board.
The Kirk Robson Award recognises outstanding leadership from young people working in community arts and cultural development, particularly in reconciliation and social justice. It was established to honour Kirk Robson who tragically died in a car crash in 2005. He received the Council's Young and Emerging Artists Initiative and was the Artistic Director of The Torch Project. Past winners of the Ros Bower and Kirk Robson awards include Lockie McDonald, Steve Payne, Alissar Chidiac, Shakthi Shakthidharan, Jade Lillie and Alexandra Kelly.

The Australia Council Awards for Emerging & Experimental Arts, Dance and Theatre are new awards which recognise the outstanding achievements and considerable contribution of artists in those artforms. The recipients' potential to continue to contribute significantly to the Australian arts sector was also considered.

Photo Credit: Branco Gaica