The churchie 2026 Finalists Exhibition brings together 17 emerging artists selected from more than 550 submissions from across Australia. Established in 1987, the churchie is one of Australia’s longest-running prizes dedicated to supporting and promoting emerging contemporary artists.
Presented at Metro Arts, the exhibition offers a snapshot of contemporary artistic practice from across the country, showcasing works that demonstrate innovation, originality, technical excellence and diverse perspectives. Finalists will compete for a prize pool valued at $55,000, including the $40,000 Major Prize.
The 2026 finalists are Badra AJI, Zena Zada Cumpston, Alannah Dair, Kuweni Dias Mendis, Keroshin Govender, Ena Grozdanic, Olive Guardiani, MeiMei Hodgkinson, Georgia Lucy, Alice McCool, Juanita McLauchlan, Yanti Peng, Aris Prabawa, Jonny Scholes, Rosemary Tamas-Cao, Anna Weston and Huiyi Xiao.
The exhibition will be judged by Jason Smith, Director of the Art Gallery of South Australia.
