Winners of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes

Queensland-based artist Julie Fragar has won the 2025 Archibald Prize – Australia’s most coveted portrait award – for her dynamic and layered painting Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene), a tribute to fellow artist Justene Williams. She receives $100,000 for her portrait.

“Thinking back to myself as a 17-year-old showing up at the Sydney College of the Arts – a kid from country New South Wales – it’s incredible to think I have won the Archibald Prize,” said Fragar.

Out of 2,394 entries across the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, 139 works have been selected as finalists – and this year, women outnumber men for the first time in the prizes’ history, comprising 70% of all finalists.

The $50,000 Wynne Prize, which recognises outstanding landscape painting or figure sculpture, was awarded to Jude Rae for Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal, an atmospheric view of Botany Bay from her window.

“There is something compelling about the constantly flashing gantry lights and the floodlights blasting away in those hours just before dawn – all rendered puny under the heavenly expanse of that vast southern sky,” she said.

Gene A’Hern took out the $40,000 Sulman Prize, judged this year by artist Elizabeth Pulie, for Sky painting, a richly textured work exploring movement, memory and connection to Country in the Blue Mountains.

“It conveys a sensation of nature’s gestures, composed to resonate from within… a place of origin, deep memory and belonging,” A’Hern said.

The Packing Room Prize, awarded by the Gallery’s installation staff, was given to Abdul Abdullah for his portrait of artist (and fellow Archibald finalist) Jason Phu.

The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2025 exhibition runs from 10 May to 17 August at the Art Gallery of NSW. Visit the AGNSW website for more information and to book tickets.