$60,000 Melbourne Prize award to be decided in November
Four Victorian sculptors have been named finalists for the Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture 2026, which carries a $60,000 prize including GST.
James Geurts, Eliza Hutchison, Vipoo Srivilasa and Isadora Vaughan made the shortlist for the eighth triennial award.
Open to Victorian artists at all career stages, the prize covers expanded forms of sculpture and supports the winning artist’s professional development.
Major patron The Vera Moore Foundation supports the 2026 award through the Melbourne Prize Trust.
Judging the prize are artist Maree Clarke, independent curator, writer and consultant Max Delany, and Sophie Oxenbridge, senior curator of contemporary art at the National Gallery of Victoria.
According to the judging panel, this year’s finalists engage with the public realm across physical, social and digital environments.
The judges highlighted themes including time, material transformation, cultural identity, environmental forces and technologically mediated worlds.
“Selecting only four finalists was challenging given the calibre of entries, and we thank all artists for their insight and imagination,” the judges said.
Simon Warrender OAM, executive director and founder of the Melbourne Prize Trust, said the strength of the field made the judging process difficult.
He also said patrons and partners made the 2026 prize program possible.
Fed Square exhibition opens 13 November
From 13 November to 26 November, founding event partner Fed Square will host a public information exhibit on the four finalists.
Alongside the display, the program will include online interviews with finalists, judges and partners.
Public voting for the Civic Choice Award 2026 opened on 16 September.
Visitors will be able to vote for the $2,000 Civic Choice Award at the Fed Square exhibit.
Fed Square will also provide $1,000 to each non-winning finalist.
Meanwhile, Falls Creek Sculptors Residencies 2026 will offer two separate 14-day residencies.
Falls Creek Alpine Resort supports the residencies, while the Melbourne Prize Trust will provide $1,000 including GST to each of the two recipients.
The Melbourne Prize Trust has not announced when it will name the main prize winner or the residency recipients.
