Ettalong Beach artist Paul Knight has been awarded the prestigious $40,000 Audray Banfield Award at the National Photography Prize, cementing his place in the upper echelons of contemporary Australian photography. Hosted by the Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA), the biennial event is the country's longest-running acquisitive photographic award.

Knight’s winning series, titled Chamber Music, is a deeply personal and vulnerable documentation of the domestic life he shares with his partner, Peter. The collection of images captures the subtle, quiet moments that define and shape long-term relationships over time.

Celebrating Connection and Mythology

Knight was selected from a highly competitive pool of 12 finalists, whittled down from more than 330 entries nationwide. Joining him in the winner's circle was Morgan Hogg, who secured the $5,000 Emerging Artist Award (the John and Margaret Baker Fellowship) for their compelling work, Silver Tongues.

Hogg’s piece utilizes traditional Cook Island dance to delve into Pacific storytelling and mythologies, specifically centering on the Momokē—the underworld water spirits said to guide souls transitioning into the next life.

The final selections were made by Natasha Bullock, the Senior Curator of Photography at the National Gallery of Victoria. Bullock praised the high caliber of this year's entries, noting how they reflect the expansive boundaries of the medium.

"The work really captures the freedom with which artists are working today," Bullock said. "Photography can be intimate, it can be highly conceptual or technically experimental and it can embrace all of the above. What’s exciting is the way these finalists are bringing all of these possibilities together, and finding new ways to make us look and see."

A Diverse Showcase of Modern Photography

MAMA Chief Executive Blair French highlighted the geographic and thematic diversity of this year's exhibition, with finalists hailing from Far North Queensland, Tasmania, regional New South Wales, Sydney, and Melbourne. The artists' experience levels range from emerging voices to seasoned industry veterans with over 40 years of practice.

"The work is diverse and covers many themes and concepts, including family history, intimate stories, memories, environment, cultural identity, and connections to place," French said.

Unlike many traditional art contests, the National Photography Prize is unique because it evaluates a cohesive body of work produced over the preceding two years, rather than a single standalone image. This approach allows visitors to engage deeper with each artist's vision.

Honoring a Legacy

This year's major award carries special significance, having been renamed in honor of the late Audray Banfield, the inaugural director of the gallery (previously known as the Albury Regional Art Gallery) who passed away in 2024. Banfield was a pioneering advocate for contemporary photography, initiating the prize in 1983 and building a permanent collection that now boasts over 600 significant works.

In recognition of Banfield's legacy and the growing financial pressures on working artists, the MAMA Art Foundation also increased the prize money from $30,000 to $40,000 this year.

"It has sat at $30,000 for a while, and the way the world is, to put a little bit more money into artists' pockets is an important part of what we are trying to do," French added.

The National Photography Prize exhibition, featuring the work of all 12 finalists, is on display at the Murray Art Museum Albury until November 22.