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Known as the richest art awards of its kind, the 2025 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award shines an important spotlight on the talent and cultural strength of First Nations artists across the country.
The winner of this year’s prestigious titular award is Gaypalani Wanambi from Yirrkala, Arnhem Land for her monumental etched metal work, Burwu, blossom — taking home $100,000.
The giant three-square-metre metal work depicts the epic song poetry story of Wuyal (the Ancestral honey hunter of her Marrakulu clan) delicately engraved onto the silvery back of 15 discarded road signs. Wuyal was the first man to look for a homeland for the Marrakulu people.
The judges dubbed it an ‘exceptional work that visually and materially explores different relationships to and understandings of Country.’
Yolŋu artist Gaypalani Wanambi is following in the footsteps of her late father, acclaimed artist Mr W. Wanambi, who she assisted growing up. He was also a three-time winner of various NATSIAA awards.
The awards also celebrated six other winning works from the shortlist of 71 finalists, with each winner taking home $15,000.
Jahkarli Felicitas Romanis — a Melbourne-based artist and Monash University lecturer of Pitta Pitta descent — utilised Google Earth mapping tools to create distorted images of Pitta Pitta Country for her diptych, which won the Telstra Multimedia Award.
Meanwhile, a beautiful weaving featuring bush dyed fibres by 27-year-old Sonia Gurrpulan Guyula took home the Telstra Emerging Artist Award.
All the winning pieces and the finalist’s works are now showing in a exhibition at Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT), on until January 26 2026.
Telstra Art Award
Burwu, blossom by Gaypalani Waṉambi
Telstra General Painting Award
Walawuru Tjurkpa (Eagle story) by Iluwanti Ken
Telstra Bark Painting Award
Bawáliba & Ngalyod by Lucy Yarawanga
Telstra Work On Paper Award
Present & Beyond by Naomi Hobson
Telstra Wandjuk Marika Memorial 3D Award
Ngalkodjek Yawkyawk by Owen Yalandja
Telstra Multimedia Award
Pitta Pitta (Extracted) and Pitta Pitta (Google’s Gaze) by Jahkarli Felicitas Romanis
Telstra Emerging Artist Award
Mat by Sonia Gurrpulan Guyula
