The Churchie National Emerging Art Prize (‘the churchie’) has developed as one of Australia’s ‘to watch’ prizes, promising a glimpse into the future of the nation’s contemporary art scene. Established in 1987, ‘the churchie’ is now 30 years old–the average age of its finalists. ‘the churchie’ is dedicated to supporting a new generation of artists with an annual non-acquisitive cash prize, an initiative of Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie).

Throughout the exhibition process, artists work closely with QUT Art Museum’s exhibition curator to bring a selection of their works to the public. The prize aims to offer tangible support, nurturing and encouragement to a new cohort of emerging artists. This is particularly important, as like so many prizes, ‘the churchie’ has become embedded as a rite of passage for artists, as they move through their career to more substantial roles and opportunities, creating and innovating in this country and abroad.