About
The annual Melbourne Prize and
Melbourne Prize Trust
Launched in 2004, the annual Melbourne Prize recognises and rewards excellence and talent, inspires creative development and enriches public life by providing career development opportunities to Victorian sculptors, writers and musicians.
Run by the Melbourne Prize Trust, the annual Melbourne Prize is one of the most valuable arts prizes in Australia. Now in its 20th year, the Prize is funded by support from the private and public sectors.
To date, approximately $2.5 million has been made available to Victorian artists via the annual Melbourne Prize, plus exhibitions, residencies and travel. The Trust is listed on the Register of Cultural Organisations and has Deductible Gift Recipient status.
The annual Melbourne Prize is one of the most valuable creative development initiatives of its kind in Australia and runs in a three-year cycle.
The current cycle is:
- Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture 2023
- Melbourne Prize for Literature 2024
- Melbourne Prize for Music 2025
The annual Melbourne Prize is unique, celebrating artistic excellence under the banner of Melbourne – Australia’s cultural capital.
The annual Melbourne Prize announcement are made through this website, along with an event held at Federation Square each November. A digital catalogue is produced for the November awards and the public has the ability to vote for a finalist to win the Civic Choice Award.
The annual Melbourne Prize increases the public’s exposure and access to the creativity of our community and enhances Melbourne’s reputation as a cultural capital and center of opportunity for artists.
The origins of the Trust date back to the idea by Simon Warrender OAM for a CBD children’s garden precinct, subsequently located at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and the commissioning of The Magic Pudding sculpture in 2000 with copyright permission from Helen Glad, Norman Lindsay’s granddaughter. Proceeds from the sale of limited-edition miniatures of this landmark sculpture contributed to the Trust – they are now sold out.
Please visit melbourneprizetrust.org
The 2023 design and identity is by Founding Partner PLAYGROUND.
History
The Melbourne Prize Trust was established as an Income Tax Exempt Charity and Deductible Gift Recipient in 2005 and commenced the annual Melbourne Prize in 2005.
The founder of the Trust, Simon Warrender OAM, announced the annual Melbourne Prize, following the unveiling of his project being the commissioning of The Magic Pudding sculpture, as a centerpiece of a new children’s garden precinct in Melbourne’s CBD, located at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.
The annual Melbourne Prize is established to provide opportunities for artists and recognise and reward excellence and talent, inspire creative development and enrich public life.
The first three-year cycle of the annual Melbourne Prize commenced with the Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture 2005. The Trust funds the annual Melbourne Prize through cross-sector partnerships from the government and private sectors, and private patrons. The annual Melbourne Prize is open to Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents and residents of the State of Victoria. The home of the annual Melbourne Prize is Federation Square, where an exhibition of finalists, according to each cycle, is held each November. All recipients are announced on this website.
The annual Melbourne Prize was founded by Simon Warrender OAM with the foundation assistance of Committee for Melbourne.
The Magic Pudding miniatures
The limited-edition miniatures of The Magic Pudding sculpture by Loui Laumen, which is the centerpiece of the Royal Botanic Gardens Children’s Garden, have sold out. Thank you to sculptor Louis Laumen and Fundere Foundry for the hand-made limited-edition miniature series of 75.
Proceeds from the sale of the miniatures contribute to the Melbourne Prize Trust and annual Melbourne Prize. Thank you to all those who have purchased a miniature.
The Melbourne Prize Trust would like to thank Helen Glad, Norman Lindsay’s granddaughter, for allowing copywrite of The Magic Pudding characters for the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and limited-edition miniature projects.
The Magic Pudding is a 1918 Australian children’s book and literary classic written and illustrated by Norman Lindsay.
(Photo credit: Melbourne Prize Trust – limited edition bronze miniature, hand-made by Fundere Foundry Melbourne, of The Magic Pudding sculpture by Loui Laumen)
Make a tax-deductible donation to support the annual Melbourne Prize.
The annual Melbourne Prize, run by the Melbourne Prize Trust, is in its 20th year and provides opportunities for Victorian writers, sculptors, and musicians.
Operating with the support of private and public sector community investment, the annual Melbourne Prize helps develop our creative sector and positions Melbourne and Victoria as a place of opportunity for artists.
Click here to support the annual Melbourne Prize.
Donations of $2 or more are fully tax-deductible.
Governance
Melbourne Prize Trust
ABN 46 190 726 471
Melbourne Prize Limited
as Trustee for Melbourne Prize Trust
ACN 107 593 868
BOARD
Clive Scott AM – Chairman. Recently retired as General Manager – Sofitel Melbourne On Collins after 18 years of service and more than 45 years in the hotel industry for Accor Hotels and Hilton Hotels. Clive has a Diploma in Hotel Management and a Degree in Economics. Clive has also spent time as the General Manager Human Resources for the Accor Hotels (Australia/New Zealand/Japan). Now engaged as an Arts Ambassador for Sofitel Hotels in Australia he also consults for Pt Leo Estate on the Mornington Peninsula and is a partner in ReThink Sustainability.
Clive is actively involved in Melbourne’s business and arts community and received his AM for his significant service to the hotel industry and to the arts. Clive has been honoured with the Gold Tourism Medal from the French Minister of Tourism for his contribution to tourism development between France and Australia. He was awarded the 2013 Silver Bernache in the category of Respect/Social Responsibility by AccorHotels, and in 2015 was made an honourary member of Les Clefs d’Or Australia. In 2018 he was made a member of the Bordeaux Wine Society and awarded a Brolga Award by the Australian Dancing Society for services to Dance Sport in Australia.
Simon Warrender OAM – Executive Director, Secretary and Founder. Simon has as a Bachelor of Business and Grad. Dip. in Applied Science and is the founder and Executive Director of the annual Melbourne Prize, which is one of Australia’s most valuable arts awards. He has worked in the stockbroking sector as a research analyst, the international aviation industry and more recently on a range of community projects including the development, with fellow ski patrollers, of an on-snow ski patrol base station at Falls Creek Alpine Resort.
He conceived the idea for a children’s garden precinct at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne (RBG) and arranged the commissioning of The Magic Pudding sculpture as its centerpiece – the sale of miniatures of the RBG sculpture support the annual Melbourne Prize. He convened, in conjunction with the Falls Creek Resort Management Board, the commissioning of a piece of major public art at Falls Creek – Flower of the Alpine Sun by Gio Veronesi. Simon is a qualified landscape designer and his interests include skiing, yoga and physical fitness.
Gerard Dalbosco. Gerard recently retired as a partner at EY, where he held a number of senior leadership roles. Gerard has considerable governance experience, including current roles at Medibank Private Ltd (Director and Chair of Audit Committee and member of Risk Management Committee), Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (Chair) and Gillespie Family Council and Gillespie Family Foundation (Chair). Previous governance roles have included Committee for Melbourne (Director, Deputy Chair and Chair of Finance, Audit and Risk), Mercy Health (Director and Chair of Finance and Audit Committee), Berry Street (Director and Member of Finance Committee), Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak (Chair and Chair of Finance Committee), Newman College (Member of Finance Committee) and the NGV Business Council (Chair).
Educated in Melbourne, Gerard has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Applied Finance from the University of Melbourne. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia.
Professor Andrea Hull AO. Andrea is Chair of the Melbourne Recital Center and has had a distinguished career in the arts, cultural policy, and arts education in Chief Executive and Board advisory roles in Federal and State Government, and in education. Andrea has served on a wide variety of Federal and State Boards covering cultural, health promotion, cultural and public diplomacy, urban renewal and design, tourism, and innovation agendas. Andrea received an AO for service to the arts, to arts education, and to policy development, particularly through improving community access and involvement in cultural pursuits.
Anthony Poynton. Anthony is a partner with MinterEllison and has been associated with the annual Melbourne Prize since its inception, including as a member of the Management Committee.
Pamela M Warrender OAM. Pamela has had extensive experience in the arts and cultural sector over many decades and played a foundation role in the Australian modern arts movement. Pamela is the founder of the Committee for Melbourne and a published author and received an OAM for service to the community of Melbourne, and to the Arts.
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Anthony Poynton
Simon Warrender OAM
LIFE MEMBER
Janine Kirk AO, (Hon) LLD, MAICD – Chairman 2004 to 2024.
AUDITOR Grant Thornton
ACCOUNTANT Jamison Alliott
SOCIAL MEDIA Sarah Kempson & Susan Owens
AMBASSADOR
John Simpson AM. John is a long-standing company director with established interests in education, broadcast media, governance, the arts and social investment. He has been a non-executive director of more than 10 organisations including, Shell Australia Limited, ESSSuper (Chairman), the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and SecondBite (Food Rescue). John has been a vigorous advocate for the Melbourne Prize since it commenced.