Awards, Prizes and Opportunities – listed by closing date.

17 Jul 2025 – Screen Australia – Online Production Special Initiatives: Digital Originals This program aims to support screen creatives currently under-represented in the sector, including people who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse, First Nations Australians, people with disability, female and gender diverse, LGBTIQ+ and those who are located in regional and remote areas. It is a joint initiative of Screen Australia, SBS and NITV, aimed at developing exciting and innovative online scripted series for SBS and NITV platforms.

18 Jul 2025 – Hawkesbury Art Prize This is a biennial prize held every odd year. First prize of $15,000 plus a two week at residency at Glenhuntly Estate in the Hawkesbury is awarded to the winning entry.

20 July 2025 – Carclew’s 2026 Fellowships Carclew Fellowships offer financial support to young emerging cultural and creative artists and arts workers

21 Jul 2025 – Wesley Michel Wright Prize is awarded for an original work of verse or poetry. Up to $5,230 is available and only one award will be offered from this amount. Award payments will be made as a single lump-sum.

25 Jul 2025  – Cité Internationale des Arts Paris Residency Program The Art Gallery of New South Wales offers a three-month tenancy in the Moya Dyring Studio or Dr Denise Hickey Memorial Studio to Australian visual artists and researchers in the visual arts.

27 Jul 2025  – The Curlew Regional Writer’s Grant Supported by Brittany Riley, this grant is designed to open doors for writers living outside Sydney, offering the chance to attend a Writing NSW one-day workshop of your choice.

29 Jul 2025  – EOIs for Enlighten Festival 2026 Artist EOIs for illuminated installations, activations, performances and experiences to be presented on site at the festival.

30 Jul 2025 – MAC yapang Art Prize is a national, acquisitive art prize. This new Art Prize has a total prize pool of $40,000 and is open to artists from all disciplines across Australia, with artworks in any medium.  

31 July 2025 – Australian Folk Music Awards Nominations for the 2025 AFMAs (Australian Folk Music Awards) are now open

31 July 2025 – Australian of the Year Awards nominations are now open.

1 Aug 2025 – Hill End Analogue Photography Festival Artists are invited to respond to the theme FUGITIVE and submit proposals for inclusion in the 2025 festival program. 

5 Aug 2025 – The Emerging Artists Toolkit How can the sector better support emerging artists with disability? And what does it take to build a sustainable career in the arts?

5 Aug 2025 – BR Whiting Studio residency A residency opportunity for Australian writers in Rome of varying duration of one, three or six months.

5 Aug 2025 – Keesing Studio residency at the Cité internationale des arts A residency opportunity for Australian writers in Paris of varying duration of three or six months.

5 Aug 2025 – International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP), New York Residency An opportunity to develop your visual arts practice and professional networks over four months in New York with a $35,000 support.

5 Aug 2025 – Playing Australia Audience Development Multi-Year Investment Program The Multi-Year Investment program for 2026-2028 will focus on audience development in regional and remote communities aligned with national touring activity.

7 Aug 2025 – Hornsby Art Prize Categories include Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Photography and Sculpture. Overall prize pool value of $23,000, with the major prize $10,000.

7 Aug 2025 – Scene Shift Residency Callout This residency program gives a regional artist studio space in the Sydney CBD and gives a Sydney artist studio space in rural NSW.

10 Aug 2025 – Paddington Art Prize A $30,000 National Acquisitive Prize, now in its 22nd year for a painting inspired by the Australian Landscape.

11 Aug 2025 – EOI Vivid Sydney This program aims to support artists, designers, producers, creatives, and educational institutions to be a part of the festival in 2026. Applications for Light Installations and Projection Art.

14 Aug 2025 – Woollahra Digital Literary Award This Award is a national literary award supporting innovation in Australian literature and publishing, encouraging writers producing work in a digital medium.

15 Aug 2025 – Portia Geach Memorial Award The S.H. Ervin Gallery is calling for entries for Australia’s most famed portraiture prize for women, the Portia Geach Memorial Award. Applicants must be a female Australian resident who is either Australian born, British born or a naturalised Australian.

18 Aug 2025 – Fellowship for Non-Fiction Writing
Supports an Australian author to create a significant new work of literary non-fiction.

1 Sep 2025 – NAISDA Dance College is Australia’s leading arts training organisation providing nationally accredited qualifications specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. Applications for 2026 are now open. We have a proud tradition of producing the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performers since 1976.

1 Sep 2025 – SF3 aka the SmartFone Flick Fest is one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious smartphone film festivals. We are an international festival open to filmmakers of all ages and abilities – from absolute beginners through to Oscar winners – from every corner of the world. All you need is a great idea and a phone or tablet.

23 Sep 2025 – A.M.E. Bale Travelling Scholarship and Art Prize is awarded to Australian artists who have demonstrated talent and achievement in traditional styles. This includes realist, figurative and representational styles.

23 Sep 2025 – A.M.E. Bale Travelling Scholarship and Art Prize is awarded to Australian artists who have demonstrated talent and achievement in traditional styles. This includes realist, figurative and representational styles.

26 Sep 2025 – EOI Vivid Sydney This program aims to support artists, designers, producers, creatives, and educational institutions to be a part of the festival in 2026. Applications for Music, Ideas and Food.

open – Incentives for live music and performance venues – This program aims to encourage more live music, performance and other arts and cultural events and employment opportunities for musicians and performers.

open – Rusten House Galleries  now has limited availability in our 2025 exhibition calendar. However we have one gallery space available in July and Octobe