Australian singer songwriter Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO is amongst eight recipients of the inaugural 2023 Creative Australia Awards.
The awards recognise the contribution of outstanding artists to their art forms and to the cultural life of the nation. The recipients are awarded for excellence in the fields of music, literature, community arts and cultural development, emerging and experimental art, visual arts, theatre, and dance.
Cheetham Fraillon is the recipient of the Don Banks Music Award. The award acknowledges that over the course of her career the performer has strongly advocated for both advantaged and disadvantaged communities including her proud support for the LGBTQI+ community, and Stolen Generations as a person with lived experience. She has provided artistic excellence and artistic leadership bringing diverse communities together through the impact of music.
“Music is my way of understanding the world I live in and giving meaning to it. It’s a privilege, a responsibility to do that to the best of my ability every single day. I was completely blown away when I was told that I was receiving the Don Banks Music Award,” Cheetham Fraillon said.
Each of the award recipients has been celebrated in a short video from ABC Arts.
Creative Australia CEO Adrian Collette said it was an honour to highlight the work of Australia’s greatest artists.
“It is an honour to recognise these wonderful artists. They have all made an invaluable contribution to Australian art across genres and are thoroughly deserving. They are not only making transformative art but are also supporting the wellbeing of their communities and are role-models for the next generation of great Australian creatives. I thank them for their work and wish them continuing success.”
Broome’s Dalisa Pigram received the award in the dance category, while multi-disciplinary artist Latai Taumoepeau was recognised for their experimental work. Khaled Sabsabi was the winner in the visual arts category, while director, performer, producer Annette Downs was honoured for her work in theatre.
Hannah Morphy-Walsh was awarded the Creative Australia Kirk Robson Award for Community Arts and Cultural Development, while Jacinta Mooney was given the Ros Bower Award for Community Arts and Cultural Development.
OIP Staff, image Deborah Cheetham Fraillon at World Pride in Sydney 2023 by Anna Kuchera.Â
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