18 September – 9 October, 2026
Opening celebration: Friday 18 September, 5-7pm
The UMSU Art Prize is a biennial award presented by the University of Melbourne Student Union, celebrating the creative practices of currently enrolled University of Melbourne students. Presented at the George Paton Gallery, the Prize provides a platform for innovative, critical and experimental artistic practices across visual art and design.
The shortlisted artists for 2026 are:
Jade Sarita Arnott, Orlando Benzon Tuke, Jeremy Blincoe, Milly Borrack, Asha Bowditch, Bryce Bridger, Lina Buck, Stanley Chen, Daniel Collins, Elijah Cristiano, Ben Davis, Sue Davis, Michael Doyle, Mietta Edwards, Brodie Ellis, Laura Fenderson, Sarah Gilsenan, Georgia Harding Hall, Larissa Hogg, Sophia Jacoby, Natasha Jol, Alexandra Jones, Rebekah Krialis, Freja Kvist Innes-Ker, Charlie Lee, Alisha Lin, Zeyang Liu, Freya Lloyd, Leo Loscher, Irtiza Malik, Sean Martin, Aliandra Nasrun, Zhann Nesbitt, Felix Oliver, Takako Osawa, Tallulah Papaellinas, Nadege Philippe-Janon, Arjang Razzazian, Yongping Ren, E. Salmon, Poppy Skipper, Bonnie Thorn, Lola Vincent, Timothy Walker, Yandell Walton, Lotus West, Ruby Wilkinson, Amelia Wilson, Micaela Xerri, and Peibeiyi Zhang.
The UMSU Art Prize offers two awards:
- $5,000 UMSU Art Prize
- $1,000 People’s Choice Award
Shortlisted artists will have their artworks displayed in the George Paton Gallery for the UMSU Art Prize 2026 exhibition, presented from 17 September to 9 October 2026.
The 2026 Judging Panel is comprised of Hannah Presley (Senior Curator, Museums and Collections at University of Melbourne); Brigid Moriarty (Curator, Gertrude); and Sabrina Alday (Arts and Diplomacy Programs Lead, Asialink)
The UMSU Art Prize will be announced at the opening event on Friday 18 September, and the People’s Choice Award will be announced on the final day of the exhibition, Friday 9 October.