CAPO’s most prestigious award, the 2025 CAPO Fellowship was presented by CAPO Patron, Genevieve Jacobs, to Lucy Irvine, a Canberra-based artist, educator, and researcher whose work brings together sculpture, textiles, design, and architecture. Lucy plans to use the Fellowship to innovate new weaving systems and sculptural forms during a residency in Budapest and to bring this new work to a Canberran audience.

The Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award has been presented to Lisa Sammut to develop new skills in metalwork towards the creation of a new series of suspended sculptural works for future exhibition. The Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award is generously supported by The Tall Foundation.

The Megalo Print Studio Residency award went to Steven Mark Holland. Steven aims to use the residency to print an edition of Eastern Brown snake drawings onto tissue paper.

The Robert Foster Memorial Award was presented to Phoebe Porter to create a contemporary jewellery series exploring raw and refined materials, contrasting unaltered specimens with precision components, questioning value, sustainability, and craftsmanship through innovative, non-invasive construction methods.

The Tall Foundation Award was awarded to Fenja T. Ringl who will use the award towards a solo exhibition of new printmaking works exploring Australian ecosystems, supported by studio access, mentorship, and research into creative techniques to foster ecological reflection.

The Shaw and Partners Award went to Tom Buckland. The award will allow Tom to create cast-bronze urban birds such as pigeons, magpies and ibis -  species that are emblematic of both adaptability and survival.

The winner of the Waldren Constructions General Award went to Al Munro. Al will use her award towards a June 2026 residency at Casa R.A.R.O. Barcelona exploring Gaudí’s mosaics and architecture to create new abstract paintings, culminating in a Civic Art Bureau solo exhibition with catalogue.

The Michele Black Memorial Award - Creations Manuka was won by Jessika Spencer who will use her award to explore textures, colour and narrative through weaving and sewing: creating original textile pieces that reflect culture, innovation and craftsmanship.

The Craft + Design Canberra Outstanding Practice Award was given to Julie Ryder to undertake an arts residency and create a new body of work for a solo exhibition at Tuggeranong Arts Centre in 2026.

The winner of the Capital Chemist Award was Mio Kuhnen who will use the award to purchase materials to create a new body of contemporary jewellery for the upcoming exhibition.

There were two MPS People Security Risk Management Performance Awards this year. The first was given to Sarah Stewart and the second to Nick Delatovic. Sarah will use the award to help fund her new one-woman show. Nick will use the award towards an EP of four original songs produced by Sia Ahmad, under the working title of Sleep Debt.

There were three All Insure Emerging Artist Awards, won by Adelaide Worcester, Olivia Kidston and Sophia Childs. Adelaide plans to investigate techniques in wire weaving and textile manipulation and create sculptures that express the effects of trauma on the human form. Olivia will use the award to create large-scale machine-embroidered dolls exploring identity, neurodivergence, and the monstrous feminine, transforming embroidery from decorative craft into bold, contemporary sculptural practice. Sophia will create a new body of work which investigates the intersections between painting, textiles and sculpture, related to my existing practice - allowing for further exhibition and career opportunities.

The Doubleshot Deakin Award went to Sophia Cai who put the funding towards ‘Disobedient Daughters', an ongoing creative and writing project by Sophia that highlights the artistic practices of female and non-binary artists to critically examine stereotypical images of Asian women in a global context.

The Canberra Weekly Award went to Lynne Flemons towards her project ‘The Riparian Zone’, which encompasses land-use practices and the regenerative powers of nature. A comparison between wilderness and farmland to visually reimagine a river environment.

The Home.by Holly Award went to Cassandra Dove to fund a 5-day tutored art camp in Tathra (NSW) providing professional development and inspiration for a new body of work.

The Radford & Co Sculpture Award went to Emeirely Nucifora-Ryan to purchase necessary and exceptionally rare second-hand neon equipment, in support of my practice and Canberra’s wider arts scene.

The new PhotoAccessAward went to Ria Tierney. Her project, Maiden Name is a photographic project that explores the female gaze—what it feels like to be looked at, and by whom.

The Cook Creative Writing Prize was awarded to Samuel Townsend to support in funding the time required to edit existing Cult Classics introductions with the intention of publishing a volume of collected essays.

The Boris Property Emerging Artist Award went to Fi Peel who will use her award towards ‘A Glimmer of Hope’, a music-theatre work embedding universal access, shaped by interviews with theatre and performance artists already developing ground-breaking accessible audience experiences.

The Craft + Design Canberra Emerging Artist Award went to Lisa Jose who will use the award towards ‘Thirty-Six Views of Canberra’, a series of woodblock prints inspired by Hokusai that pays homage to the cultural and natural beauty of our city.

The Canberra Museum and Gallery Photography Award went to Sari Sutton who will use the award to create and publish a limited edition photobook, 'Dark Energy,' from experimental silver gelatin prints inspired by Canberra's Mt Stromlo and the celestial.

CAPO’s most prestigious award, the Fellowship, was presented by CAPO Patron, Genevieve Jacobs AM, to Christopher Carroll Actor, Writer and Director. Christopher will be the 2024 CAPO Fellow and during this time Christopher will be working on ‘Crims’ an electrifying, bare-knuckle physical theatre work, based on real-life stories from Sydney's criminal underworld in the early 1900s.

The Mandy Martin Art & Environment Award was awarded to Erica Secombe who will use the award to create new work exploring Laser-Cuts and AI imagery Depicting the Melting and Majesty of Icebergs through Halftone Patterns, Woodblock Prints, and the Fragility of Memory.

The Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award has been presented to Surya Bajracharya to support a residency at Megalo to develop a new body of work exploring contemporary interpretations of still life and memento mori through the medium of lithography. The Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award is generously supported by The Tall Foundation.

The Megalo Residency award went to Sophie Dumaresq. Sophie will use the residency to create an animatronic 6-meter-long shark that the artist will perform alongside during the artwork’s debut at CCAS lakeside for BLAZE 2025.

The Robert Foster Memorial Award was presented to Rosalind Lemoh to create new contemporary sculpture works in metal and glass inspired by a historic house and gallery in Sydney. The Robert Foster Memorial Award is generously supported by Penny and Wal Jurkiewicz and Independent Steel Company.

The Tall Foundation Award was awarded to Elsa Uber who will use the award to create several audiovisual recordings of herself singing with an associate pianist, which will assist auditing for numerous professional development opportunities.

The Shaw and Partners Award went to Alice van Meurs, the award will allow Alice to create a new clothing collection with artist Sarrita King building on momentum from their 2024 collection presented at Country to Couture in Darwin.

The Michele Black Memorial Award- Creations Manuka was won by Apeiron Baroque inc. John Ma which will help fund opportunities for Student Guest Artists to perform and train with Aperion Baroque in their 2025 Early Music chamber music series.

The Craft + Design Canberra Outstanding Practice Award was awarded to Sarit Cohen which will allow her to keep exploring and developing new forms by building plaster cast moulds for larger work.

The winner of the Waldren Constructions General Award went to Belinda Jessup and will be used for expenses towards a solo exhibition of machine embroidered textiles focusing on birds and trees of the ACT.

The winner of the Capital Chemist Award was Sammy Hawker who will use the award to finalise production of new work for upcoming solo shows - 'Conversations with Bees' at Goulburn Regional Gallery and 'Ghosts [& Monsters]' at Orange Regional Gallery.

The Workplace Research Associates Award went to Kevin Bradley which will go towards the purchase of a CNC router to undertake routine tasks in stringed musical instrument construction and so improve the quality of the instruments through experimentation.

There were three All Insure Emerging Artist Awards presented. The first to Micah Heathwood a dexterous emerging Australian musician who will use the award to write, record and perform Canberra’s debut jazz-electronic-fusion EP “Half Life” at Gang Gang Cafe in 2025. The second went to Emily Kerr to developing advanced technical and artistic skills working in porcelain, through the Artist in Residency Program at Kouraku Kiln (Arita, Japan). The third All Insure Emerging Artist Award went to Sophie Constable will allow her to continue researching people arrested as ‘Japanese’ during WW2 who died en route to civilian internment in Australia, to create a community memorial artwork.

There were two Entice Travel & Performance Awards this year. The first was presented to Apeiron Baroque inc. John Ma which will support opportunities for Student Guest Artists to perform and train with Aperion Baroque in our 2025 Early Music chamber music series. And the second Entice Travel Award was presented to Samuel Townsend which will allow them to work in collaboration with local designer Imogen Keen, in the creation of a series of stage costumes for upcoming Cult Classics events.

The Urban Pantry Manuka Emerging Artist Award went to Jemina Parker who will develop a contemporary fiction Young Adult manuscript, ‘Stitch by Stitch’, set in a bushfire-affected community, with themes of friendship, resilience, and recovery through creativity.

The Canberra Weekly Award was presented to John Brookes which will go towards ‘Unconditional’. ‘Unconditional’ explores the elusive qualities of love through various images and media; featuring wide-ranging artistic expressions of love... each DIVERSE yet UNITED by this emotion.

The Home by Holly Award went to Nigel Dobson to assist with supporting a 3-month residency in Paris in 2025.

The Radford & Co Sculpture Award went to Madisyn Zabel to support ‘Axis’, a solo exhibition at Woollahra Gallery from April to May 2025, featuring new glass works exploring light, colour, and form through gluing and lamination.

The Cook Creative Writing Prize was awarded to Maura Pierlot to support ‘The Archaeology of Loss’ (chapbook) is a creative response to grieving and loss through poetry, prose, and visual art, honouring the spaces left behind.

The Craft + Design Canberra Emerging Artist Award went to Emily Kerr who will use the award towards developing advanced technical and artistic skills working in porcelain, through the Artist in Residency Program at Kouraku Kiln (Arita, Japan).

The Boris Property Emerging Artist Award went to Lesley Andersen who will use her award towards a project encompassing a screen-printed edition of abstract works on paper highlighting the notable architecture and culturally significant design of Canberra.

The 2024 CAPO-CIT Award went to Fernanda Pedroso for mentorship and to create a photographic body of work for an upcoming exhibition. 

CAPO’s most prestigious award was presented by CAPO Patron, Bree Pickering, Director, National Portrait Gallery to digital artist Paul Summerfield who will be the 2023 CAPO Fellow. Paul plans to use the fellowship to work on a graphic novel with Australian literary legend, Isobelle Carmody.

The Mandy Martin Art & Environment Award went to Annika Romeyn who will use the award for her group exhibition Canberra Contemporary Art Space. The project stems from the opportunity to create a series of new work in response to the provocation ‘collaborating with nature’.

The Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award has been presented to Elliot Bastianon to produce and exhibit a body of new work for the March 2024 exhibition, “Materiality: but not as we know it” at Canberra Museum and Gallery. The Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award is generously supported by The Tall Foundation.

The Robert Foster Memorial Award was presented to Rebecca Selleck to complete an ambitious new body of work, “self-portrait in the Anthropocene” (working title), that combines curved stainless-steel furniture with intricate bronze work, blown glass, living plants, and vibrant textiles. The Robert Foster Memorial Award is funded by TSA.

The Tall Foundation Award was awarded to Alicia Cox who will use the award to purchase and install a small to medium size kiln for her Canberra studio which will give her consistent and reliable access to a kiln giving her the freedom to create new works.

The inaugural CIT CAPO Award went to Jeanette Muirhead, Visual Artist  to create a body of work for an upcoming exhibition in 2025.  CAPO is pleased with this creative new partnership with CIT to assist visual arts students with their career development.

The inaugural Megalo Residency award went to Molly Kamenz. Molly will receive three months studio access and $3000 stipend at Megalo Print Studio to create etchings and lithographs inspired by historical aerial photographs of the Great Barrier Reef from the 1970s.

The Shaw and Partners Award went to Brenda Runnegar. The award will allow Brenda to take on an extended period of research and experimentation and to take her art practice to a new exciting level and at the same time help draw attention to the plight of our insects.

The Craft + Design Canberra Outstanding Practice Award was given to Annette Blair to work on a project drawing upon her skills she has acquired over the past 23 years of working with glass and invest time into a new direction in her work.

The Home by Holly Award went to Jeffrey Sarmiento to create new works for an exhibition at Canberra Glassworks which explores 19th century glassblowing techniques and new methods of digital fabrication using 2D and 3D printing of glass.

The winner of he Waldren Constructions General Award went to Kate Stevens. Kate’s project is to develop a new series of oil paintings focusing on war crimes in Afghanistan.

The Michele Black Memorial Award - Creations Manuka went to Josephine Townsend whose project will culminate in two solo exhibitions scheduled for 2023 and 2024. Both exhibitions are both exploring the key elements of trees – the textures of bark, the forms of tree trunks, the shapes and patterns of leaves and branches.

The winner of the Capital Chemist Award was Fran Romano who will use the award to develop works for an exhibition at Belconnen Arts Centre in 2024. This exhibition is an experimental project, exploring the idea of self-doubt.

The Canberra Weekly Award was presented to Nadege Desgenetez to embrace new ways of working to complement her glass blowing practice and reduce the environmental impact of her work. The resulting works will be included in 2 international solo exhibitions.

There were two winners of the Entice Travel & Performance Award this year. The first was given to Leah Blankendaal and the second to Sophie Edwards. Leah will use the award to fund a residency program at Arts Letter and Numbers in New York City in 2024. Sophie will use the award to share and publicise her most recent self-produced music with an international audience.

The Workplace Research Associates Award went to Marzena Wasikoswska to research a project which addresses family portraiture.

The Cook Creative Writing Prize was awarded to Linda Chen to support and research a digital-live hybrid project.

The Urban Pantry Manuka Emerging Artist Award went to Paul Martin who will animate a section of a music video using a rotoscoping technique of oil painting on glass.

There were three winners of the All Insure Emerging Artist Awards, Cassandra Dove, Bethany Saab and Nicola Knackstredt. Cassandra plans to create 6 paintings of abstracted representations of lived experience within the environment. Bethany will use the funding to support a project that is focused on her own professional development. Nicola will use funding for a polishing lathe and buffs.

The Boris Property Emerging Artist Award went to Alison Barnes who will use her award to build on her work, ‘Holding my breath’ which was exhibited at Thor's Hammer in 2022.

The Craft + Design Canberra Emerging Artist Award went to Nicola Knackstredt who will use the award to increase the sustainability of her practice through recycling scrap metal in her studio, and by using more efficient polishing methods.

The Canberra Museum and Gallery Award went to Yasmin Idriss who will use the award to create a limited edition of about 50 photobooks and purchase a small framing joiner.

The Radford & Co Sculpture Award went to Francis Kenna to create and develop new works for an exhibition at Belconnen Arts Centre in 2024. The works will be an inquiry into the atmospheric phenomena of light, and perceptual effects of colour, light, architectural space, and matter.

CAPO Fellowship: Mariana del Castillo

Mandy Martin Art & Environment Award: Anna Madeleine Raupach

Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award: Nicola Dickson

Robert Foster Memorial Award: Sean Booth

Tall Foundation Award: Bryan Foong

Shaw and Partners Award: Yusuke Takemura

Craft ACT Outstanding Practice Award: Ximena Briceno

Belco Arts Inclusion Award: John Brookes

Creations of Manuka Award: S.A Adair

Capital Chemist Award: Madisyn Zabel

Canberra Weekly Award: Hannah Gason

Entice Travel & Performance Award (1): Luminescence Chamber Singers

Entice Travel & Performance Award (2): Juliet Moody

Workplace Research Associates Award: Lee Leibrandt

Cook Creative Writing Prize: Lucy Alexander

Home by Holly Emerging Artist Award: Melinda Heal

Urban Pantry Manuka Emerging Artist Award: Michael Lawrence-Taylor

All Insure Emerging Artist Award (1): Molly Kamenz

All Insure Emerging Artist Award (2): Lea Durie

All Insure Emerging Artist Award (3): Solomon Karmel-Shann

Boris Property Emerging Artist Award: Alison Ford

Craft ACT Emerging Artist Award: Jonathon Zalakos

CAPO Fellowship: Michael Sollis

Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award: Sian Watson

Tall Foundation Award: Michele England

Robert Foster Memorial Award: Bengt Cannon

Craft ACT Outstanding Practice Award: Jennifer Robertson

Shaw and Partners Award: James Tylor

Belco Arts Inclusion Award: Olympia Sarris

Canberra Weekly Award: Tom Buckland

MPS Travel & Tours Award (1): The Australian Voice Collective, Artistic Directors Rachel Campbell and Paul Bissett

MPS Travel & Tours Award (2): Kirsty Zane

Capital Chemist Award: Larah Nott

Workplace Research Associates Award: Akie Haga

Creations of Manuka Award: Rose-Mary Faulkner

Cook Creative Writing Prize: Julia Faragher

Urban Pantry Manuka Emerging Artist Award: Lucy Palmer

All Insure Emerging Artist Award (1): Belle Palmer

All Insure Emerging Artist Award (2): Lucy Chetcuti

All Insure Emerging Artist Award (3): Linda Chen

Canberra Museum and Gallery Emerging Artist Award: Prue Hazelgrove

Craft ACT Emerging Artist Award: Sue Peachey

Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award: Scott Chaseling

Tall Foundation Award: Mahala Hill

Raine and Horne Commercial Award: Sarit Cohen

Robert Foster Memorial Award: Marissa Ziesing

Craft ACT Outstanding Practice Award: Sharon Peoples

Canberra Weekly Award: Hannah Gason

MPS Travel & Tours Award (1): Alex Lundy

MPS Travel & Tours Award (2): Lexi Sekuless

Capital Chemist Award: Marilou Chagnaud

Creations of Manuka Award: Madisyn Zabel

Cook Creative Writing Prize: Greg Gould

Urban Pantry Manuka Emerging Artist Award: Katrina Leske

PSC Capital Insurance Brokers Emerging Artist Award: Bryan Foong

McGrath Woden Emerging Artist Award: Jess Higgins

Balmain Financial Emerging Artist Award: Dan Power

Craft ACT Emerging Artist Award: Daniel Leone

CAPO Fellowship: Julie Bradley

Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award: Lisa Cahill

Craft ACT Outstanding Practice Award: Lisa Cahill

Tall Foundation Award: Saskia Scott

Raine and Horne Commercial Award: Michael Dooley

Robert Foster Memorial Award: Kristina Neuman

Craft ACT Emerging Artist Award: Kristina Neuman

Canberra Weekly Award: Neil Doody

Shaw & Partners Award: Rebecca Selleck

Belco Arts Centre Inclusion Award: Vera Delova

MPS Travel & Tours Award: Jake Silvestro

Capital Chemist Award: Millán Pintos-Lopez

Workplace Research Associates Award: Samuel Townsend

Canberra Glassworks Award: Louis Grant

Urban Pantry Manuka Award: Dan Venables

Macquarie Telecom Award: Amy McGregor

PSC Capital Insurance Brokers Emerging Artist Award: Abbey Jamieson

McGrath Woden Emerging Artist Award: Rowan McGinness