Hope Vale artist Daisy Hamlot has been awarded the Premier's Award for Excellence, leading the honour roll at the 2026 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair Art Awards announced at Tanks Arts Centre.
Chosen from more than 800 artworks presented by 36 exhibitors and 90 artists — including 21 independent artists — across the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) Art Fair Showcase, this year's winners were selected by an esteemed judging panel for artistic excellence and outstanding responses to the 2026 theme, Reclamation & Regeneration.
Judges praised Hamlot's painting, Guuda, Cockatoos, Mangoes and Bullocks! (2026), describing it as "a work of understated subtlety that embraces the viewer in its powerful presence".
They said Hamlot carries forward the legacy of senior women painters while contributing to contemporary First Nations storytelling through a distinctive visual language that elevates Country and living culture.'
The CIAF Art Awards judging panel, comprising Freja Carmichael, curator at the University of Queensland Art Museum, Sophia Sambono, assistant curator, QAGOMA, and Aven Noah Jnr, curator and Gallery Officer at NorthSite Contemporary Arts, said this year's finalists and winners demonstrated powerful and nuanced creative practice in a variety of mediums to express culture, while challenging perceptions and shaping contemporary conversations.
Marking the 10th anniversary of the CIAF Art Awards, judges praised the exceptional calibre of entries, describing the final selections as a reflection of the diversity, originality and artistic excellence of First Nations practice across Queensland.
"Across every category, we were struck by artists who are confidently extending their practice while remaining deeply grounded in culture, Country and community. The strength of this year's finalists reflects both the richness of artistic traditions and the exciting directions contemporary First Nations practice continues to take," they said.
Minister for the arts, John-Paul Langbroek acknowledged the central role the CIAF Art Awards have played in celebrating Queensland Indigenous artists over the past decade, providing a unique platform to showcase their artistic achievements.
"Congratulations to Daisy Hamlot on winning the Premier's Award for Excellence, which recognises the most outstanding work in CIAF's Art Fair Showcase," he said.
"I would like to congratulate all nominees and winners of this year's Art Awards - your extraordinary works are well-deserving of this recognition."
CIAF artistic director Teho Ropeyarn said the 2026 winners reflected the strength, innovation and cultural authority of contemporary First Nations creative practice across Queensland.
"This year's winners demonstrate how First Nations artists continue to respond to culture in ways that are both deeply grounded and boldly contemporary," he said.
"Reclamation & Regeneration builds on the conversation we began with last year's theme, Pay Attention", he said.
"This year we've seen artists respond by pushing their practice further, experimenting with new materials and approaches while remaining deeply connected to culture, Country and identity.
"CIAF exists not only to celebrate excellence, but to nurture the next generation of First Nations artists. Each year we see artists grow in confidence, ambition and technical skill, and these awards recognise both artistic achievement and the important role artists play in shaping Queensland's cultural future."
The winners represent artists and art centres from across Queensland, recognised for excellence in painting, sculpture, installation, professional development and emerging practice.
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