Murrawarri hip hop artist, DOBBY, and Wiradjuri writer, Luca Sawyer, were among the winners at the Hage Award for First Nations Writers.
Organised by Sweatshop Literacy Movement and funded by Professor Ghassan Hage, the award provides each with $5000 and a year-long mentorship with Tony Birch and Melissa Lucashenko.
A Highly Commended category, funded by Diversity Arts Australia, was introduced due to the strong number of applicants. Nicole Smede and Waverley Stanley Jnr. received $1000 each and a residency to develop their work with Sweatshop.
The award was created after Professor Hage donated the royalties from his non-fiction work 'The Racial Politics of Australian Multiculturalism', aimed at supporting emerging Indigenous authors.
He explained the award aligns with his vision to engage in reparative practices for the benefit of Indigenous people.
DOBBY will develop a debut manuscript of poetry and song lyrics, emphasising that he aims to incorporate skills learned during the mentorship into various art forms.
"The next project I'm creating is a story that won't be just told in the hip hop space; it has the potential for theatre, as well as on screen and in print," he said.
He expressed excitement about exploring how hip hop can inform these multiple art forms.
DOBBY notes how Professor Hage's writing has shaped his identity and creative journey.
"I applaud his analysis of the 'Australian' identity being driven by an undercurrent of white paranoia," he said.
DOBBY plans to bring a personal project to Mr Birch, exploring themes of stress, trauma, and acceptance.
"I can't wait to see how this mentorship informs my manuscript and the music that stems from this project," he added.
Ms Sawyer, at 24, will work on her first novel draft under Ms Lucashenko's mentorship.
Judges led by Phoebe Grainer praised the strong list of candidates, with five emerging writers invited to contribute to a Sweatshop anthology due in 2025.
The Hage Award is administered by a steering committee that includes notable figures such as Larissa Behrendt.
