The winner of the 2026 MA Art Prize has been announced today as Australian painter Renée Estée, based between New York and Melbourne. Established and presented by MA Financial Group, the $25,000 acquisitive Prize is presented to an early-career artist showcasing work at Sydney Contemporary, which returns for its 10th edition at Carriageworks from 3 - 6 September 2026.  

Now in its fourth consecutive year, the MA Art Prize was established by MA Financial Group, the Principal Partner of Sydney Contemporary, to celebrate and champion emerging and early-career artists exhibiting at the Fair. This year’s Prize increased to $25,000 and received a record number of submissions.  

Renée Estée’s practice highlights myth-making and rituals surrounding mourning, celebration and commemoration. Her winning work Empty Nest (we all wait for someone), which will be on display at Sydney Contemporary with COMA (Sydney / Gadigal Country), is a three-metre-long diptych that considers the cycles of leaving, waiting and becoming that shape a life. Figures drift, hover and reach across the composition as nests, eggs and a solitary bird guide movement through a luminous yellow field that functions simultaneously as landscape, shelter and shared ground. At its heart is the simple proposition that everyone is waiting for someone. 

Estée’s work was selected by a judging panel comprising Andrew Martin, Managing Director and Head of Asset Management, MA Financial Group, Amelia Hill, Senior Advisor, MA Financial Group, Jarrod Rawlins, Director of Curatorial Affairs, MONA, Sue Cato AM, Principal, Cato Counsel, and Alison Kubler, Editor & Chief, VAULT Magazine and 2026 MA Art Prize Panel Chair.  

MA Financial Group Managing Director and Head of Asset Management, Andrew Martin said: “The calibre of entries for this year’s MA Art Prize was exceptional, with a record number of submissions showcasing the strength, diversity and ambition of Australia’s emerging and early-career artists.  

“Renee’s work stood out for its compelling interplay of figuration and abstraction, brought to life through an evocative use of colour and bold, gestural brushwork. Her practice draws together the influences of her Australian origins and her life in New York City, resulting in a distinctive and confident visual language. 

“We hope this award provides Renee with a meaningful platform to bring her work to a wider audience, build greater recognition for her practice and create new opportunities as her career continues to evolve. 

“We also congratulate the other four finalists whose work demonstrated remarkable creativity and artistic vision: Melbourne based photographer Alex Walker, Yolŋu artist Binygurr Wirrpanda, Sydney based multidisciplinary artist Jackson Farley, and Melbourne based artist Rebecca Diele.” 

Winning artist Renée Estée said: "I’m incredibly overwhelmed and deeply honoured to receive this year’s MA Art Prize. The support means so much to me, not only personally, but to my practice, and after returning to Australia following six years away, this recognition feels particularly meaningful. My paintings often think about the rituals we create around change; celebration, commemoration, mourning, waiting. So there’s something wonderfully circular about a painting concerned with absence and transition becoming a reason for celebration. The prize gives me something every artist needs and rarely gets enough of: time, space and the freedom to keep making paintings. I feel incredibly lucky to be given that gift, and I can’t wait to see what grows from it." 

Since launching in 2023, the MA Art Prize has built a track record of identifying artists on the cusp of major recognition. All three past winners have sold out their booths at the Fair in the years they won, and have gone on to build significant momentum in their practices since.