Brisbane couple gives $100,000 prize to artwork demonstrating ‘Australian pride’

November 13, 2026 — 8:06am

Fremantle artist Roger Swainston has won the inaugural Banksia Art Prize and with it $100,000 in prize money.

His landscape painting Daintree Creek was judged the winner of the prize, which is funded by Brisbane couple Jake Phillpot and Zuzanna Kamusinski and conceived as an alternative to existing national art prizes.

The work won among a field of 1500 entries that were whittled down to 25 by a group of “ordinary Australians” via an online poll.

The final winner was then selected by a panel of six people from the field of art, business and media who were not told the identity of the artists.

The painting and the other finalists will be on display at the Brisbane Powerhouse until November 29.

Co-founder Phillpot, who is the CEO of Brisbane-based HR software firm Tanda, said the Banksia Prize was a response to awards “that favour works and artists that fit a particular social or political narrative”.

“Australian public discourse is very introspective and self-critical, including what’s in the paper, including what’s on the ABC, and including what’s in these art prizes,” Philpott said.

“And there’s a place for that, and there’s a time for that, and that’s important, but it can’t be only that.

“There also needs to be a place to celebrate what we have, to set the vision for the future of the country, and to enjoy what it means to be Australian, because I don’t think there’s any other country in the world that anyone would reasonably prefer to live in.”

According to the entry rules, works submitted to the Banksia Prize are assessed on composition, craftsmanship, technical skill “and a compelling sense of Australian pride: expressed with sincerity, authenticity and emotional impact”.

Artists who submitted entries ranged from household names and Archibald Prize finalists to emerging artists and amateurs.

The Banksia Prize is now the richest art prize for a single work in Queensland, ahead of the $75,000 Lord Mayor’s Prize in the Brisbane Portrait Prize, and equal second-richest nationally.

Four other art prizes in Australia are also valued at $100,000 for a single artwork.

They are the Archibald Prize (portraits, NSW), Ramsay Prize (artists under 40, SA), Hadley’s Art Prize (landscapes, Tasmania) and the Telstra NATSIIA Prize (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, NT).

The most lucrative prize is another new award, Victoria’s $125,000 Sorrento Art Prize, which is also funded by a private donor.

Phillpot said the Banksia Prize was different to other awards because artworks were judged anonymously and solely on their merit.

Art critic and historian Sasha Grishin, an Emeritus Professor of the Australian National University, said the notion of a perfectly blind judging system was “a bit of a furphy”.

“I’m for full disclosure, because anyone who is actually a professional in the art world recognises quite quickly who’s who. This whole idea of judging blind, like you’re not swayed by the name, you’re not swayed by the person’s tradition ... it just doesn’t happen.”

Grishin said the sincerity of someone’s national pride was also difficult to gauge from an artwork without knowing the context.

“I would trust the panel of judges to be able to pick a good picture, but questions of sincerity and promoting Australian national values, I think that may be a bridge too far.”

Swainston’s painting was selected by a judging panel consisting of artist Michael Zavros, interior designer Anna Spiro, art dealer Bruce Heiser, former Queensland senator Brett Mason, ABC Radio presenter Kat Feeney, and business leader and Broncos chairman Karl Morris.

A zoologist known for his large-scale portraits of marine and terrestrial ecosystems and intricate studies of wildlife, Swainston spent a week at the Daintree site creating a precise 1.2m x 1.8m drawing before producing his acrylic on canvas painting in the studio.

Phillpot said while he and Kusuminski enjoyed the Archibald Prize every year, there was “room for another prize”.

“We want to see more art that celebrates Australia, and it turns out that maybe more than half of artists actually really like painting art like that.

“We’re hoping by doing this we will dramatically increase the appeal of art and art prizes to everyday Australians who otherwise might not be interested.”

The organisers are also funding a $10,000 People’s Choice Award that visitors to the exhibition can vote on.

The Banksia Prize is on display in the Fairfax Studio, Brisbane Powerhouse, November 13-29.

Nick Dent is a Culture Reporter at Brisbane Times, covering arts, entertainment and things to do in the city.Connect via email.

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