Finalists announced for 2025 Telstra NATSIAA

The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT), together with Principal Partner Telstra, has announced the finalists for the 2025 Telstra NATSIAA, Australia’s longest running and most prestigious Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art awards.

Now in its 42nd year, the Awards spotlight 71 exceptional works selected from 216 entries, with finalists spanning the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT.

MAGNT Director Adam Worrall said, “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art is a vital part of the social and cultural life of Australia. This year’s Telstra NATSIAA presents 71 exceptional works… providing a snapshot of the finest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art created in the past year.”

Finalist works explore diverse themes including connection to Country, contemporary life and cross-generational storytelling. Fourteen emerging artists are among those recognised, including Darryl Dempster, a Noongar artist from Boorloo/Perth, who appeared in Art Collector‘s most recent Undiscovered issue.

All finalists are eligible to win one of the following award categories: 

• Telstra Art Award – $100,000 
• Telstra General Painting Award – $15,000 
• Telstra Bark Painting Award – $15,000 
• Telstra Work on Paper Award – $15,000 
• Wandjuk Marika 3D Memorial Award (sponsored by Telstra) – $15,000
• Telstra Emerging Artist Award – $15,000 
• Telstra Multimedia Award – $15,000 

Telstra Group Executive Lyndall Stoyles said, “Telstra NATSIAA is the premier platform in Australia for emerging and established First Nations artists… it is a privilege to celebrate their incredible talent and share their stories across Australia.”

The finalists were selected by a panel of arts professionals, including Keith Munro, Karen Mills and Kate ten Buuren. They praised the richness, skill and innovation in this year’s entries.

“We were excited to see artists collaborating with one another, experimenting with new mediums and technologies, and sharing stories of contemporary life and issues. We were blown away by the skill of emerging artists, and artists working on bark and paper,” they said.

The exhibition opens on 21 June 2025 at MAGNT Darwin and runs until 26 January 2026, with winners announced at the awards ceremony on 8 August 2025. A virtual gallery will also be available for national audiences. Members of the public can vote for their favourite work via a QR code for non-monetary Telstra People’s Choice Award during the exhibition. 

Visit the MAGNT website for more information.