The artist at the centre of a video showing the non-Indigenous manager of a prominent First Nations arts studio painting on her canvas is a finalist for Australia's richest and significant art awards.

Yaritji Young is one of 63 finalists for the 2023 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Australia's richest art awards, which is now in its 40th year.

The Tjala Arts studio in Adelaide, where Ms Young paints, and other First Nations-owned members of the APY Arts Centre Collective, are the subject of allegations from artists and ex-staff members about non-Indigenous managers and studio assistants interfering with their artwork.

Recent video footage appeared to show one manager painting on a canvas of Ms Young, one of Australia's most prominent artists and the co-recipient of the 2016 Wynne Prize, whose paintings hang in galleries across the country.

The artwork in the footage is an interpretation of her Tjukurpa – her ancient and sacred stories of customs and law.

Wednesday's announcement of finalists followed the National Gallery of Australia last week confirming an independent panel would probe the authenticity of 28 First Nations paintings ahead of its highly-publicised exhibition of artists from the APY Lands in June.

The APY Lands feature remote and sparsly-populated communities across north-west corner of South Australia, with the APYACC being one of Australia's leading First Nations arts organisations.

The studio has denied the allegations.

The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT), which organises the NATSSIA awards, said all 63 finalists met the guidelines and their art gave the public a glimpse of their lives and worlds.

"Each artwork importantly reflects what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art is today," it said in a statement.

"It's an enormous privilege to be given a glimpse of hundreds of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists right across the country who are depicting their lives and worlds through their art-making.

"Our job was incredibly difficult and we took days to carefully consider and deliberate over this year's finalists."

There are 31 finalists from the Northern Territory, 13 from South Australia, 8 from Queensland, 6 from Western Australia, 2 from the Australian Capital Territory, and 1 each from New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria.

After the prize pool was doubled in March to $190,000, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards recently overtook the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize as the richest art awards in the country.