Archibald Prize winner revealed
Australia's most prestigious art prize, The Archibald has been announced for 2025.
Click through to see which painting won and for some of our favourites.
Julie Fragar - Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene)
Flagship Mother Multiverse by Juli Fragar has won the Archibald Prize.
The painting depicts Brisbane artist Justene Williams.
"There is nobody like Justene. She thinks big and makes bigger, deploying everything from car bodies to opera singers to make work as fearless and feeling as she is," Fragar said.
"Justene says she learned to use materials in this wild way while growing up around her father's car wrecking yard in Western Sydney, and in later years, while working in visual merchandising for industrial retail.
"Her studio back catalogue – some of which is in this painting – is a multiverse of characters and events that confront the relentless weirdness we go through en route to the other side."
Artist Frager has won $100,000 as the winner.
Frager has been a finalist four times.
Abdul Abdullah - No mountain high enough
No mountain high enough by Abdul Abdullah won the Packing Room Prize for 2025 last week.
The artist painted his friend and fellow artist Jason Phu.
Senior installation officer and member of the Art Gallery's Packing Room team Alexis Wildman said the art gallery's staff were "instantly drawn" to the painting.
"On a technical level, this portrait is very well painted," she said.
"It really captures the essence of the subject with the image of a lone ranger, an intrepid jokester or a quiet hero navigating the rocky terrain of today's social climate.
"This immediately sparked conversation among the Packing Room team."
Abdullah said he was "honoured" to win the prize.
"I see it as a sort of community prize, where the Packing Room team, which is made up of professional art handlers – many of whom are artists themselves – get to pick a painting they like," the artist said.
"I am so glad they picked this one. It's kind of like an artists' pick, and I'm extra happy for that."
The Packing Room Prize winner receives a $3000 cash prize.
Sally Ryan - Lette loose
This portrait by Sally Ryan depicts author of Puberty Blues Kathy Lette.
"Kathy's subsequent novels are often credited with pioneering the 'chick lit' genre," Ryan said.
"However, her work is more than just light-hearted entertainment – it's rooted in strong feminist themes that have evolved with each stage of her life
"From teenage angst to motherhood, and now the world of menopause."
Billy Bain - Rona and Pig at Palm Valley
This portrait of Rona Panangka Rubuntja was painted by Billy Bain.
Rubuntja is a Western Aranda artist from Central Australia.
She is deaf and communicates using Auslan.
"Rona and I first met at the 2022 Australian Ceramics Triennale in Mparntwe/Alice Springs where we presented on a panel about using humour in our art,' artist Billy Bain said.
"We had a good laugh together... her big personality shines through in her artworks and I've been a huge fan ever since."
Natasha Walsh - The Yellow Odalisque of Brunswick
This portrait of South Sudanese artist Atong Atem was painted by Natasha Walsh.
"Her photographs, which often play with her own representation, have always captivated me," Walsh said.
"When I asked her which work from art history she would like to reimagine together, she suggested Henri Matisse's Yellow Odalisque.
"In representing Atong, I wanted to celebrate her in a more naturalistic style than Matisse used, while still simplifying colour and line to maintain the connection to the original we were reimagining."
JESWRI - Nooky, The Voice
Yuin and Thunghutti rapper Nooky is the subject of this piece by JESWRI.
"Nooky and I have been fans of each other's work for years," JESWRI, a first-time Archibald finalist, said.
"This portrait captures him right after his 2024 ARIA performance, wearing a bulletproof vest adorned with imagery by Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa artist Melnunnie.
"That night, Nooky had an undeniable presence, which needed to be immortalised.
"Nooky amplifies the voices of First Nations people through his music, activism and mentorship.
"This portrait embodies him as the voice of our people – powerful, unfiltered and ever-present."
Peter Ke Heng Chen - I'm a little fish in New York (ripples of ambition)
This portrait by Peter Ke Heng Chen is a love letter to his son, comedian Aaron Chen.
"The idea for the piece was inspired by Aaron's words, 'I'm just a little fish in New York'," the artist said.
"From winning the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's national competition for high-school students, Class Clowns, to performing at the Sydney Opera House, Aaron embarked on his journey."
"To see what the Big Apple has to offer, he moved to New York in 2023, where he has made waves in the comedy scene."
Luke Cornish, Christophe Domergue - Blood, sweat and tears
This artwork by Luke Cornish and Christophe Domergue is spray-painted on pigmented resin and fibreglass peeling.
The subject is Yvonne Weldon, the first Indigenous councillor to be elected to the City of Sydney council.
"The collaborative work blends the photorealistic stencil work of Luke Cornish (aka ELK) with the innovative 'peeling' process of Christophe Domergue," the Art Gallery of New South Wales said.
"The image of Yvonne is based on a photograph of her, aged around eight," both artists said.
"She is outside Sydney Town Hall next to her uncle Paul Coe, a prominent land rights advocate, as he addresses a crowd that had just marched from Redfern.
"The story of Redfern is a significant, often-overlooked chapter in Australia's history, embodying social change and the unwavering pursuit of self-determination by First Nations peoples.
"Yvonne now has an office in Sydney Town Hall. As a community representative, she follows in the footsteps of her elders. Blood, sweat and tears is a reminder that our actions reverberate through time."
Callum Worsfold - Self-portrait in the studio
Artist Callum Worsfold thought a self-portrait with half his of his face covered to be "amusing".
"Although the gas mask was initially a mere prop, adding to the grunge aesthetic, the choice to submit a painting which obscures half my face in a portrait prize seemed a funny idea," Worsfold said.
"It also leans into the perceived controversy around the Archibald Prize, and means it can be interpreted as an anonymous picture that other artists in the field of representation can project themselves onto as they struggle for recognition in an art world which has moved on from this archaic way of painting."
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