Artist Juanella Donovan wins People’s Choice at major national Indigenous art awards

South Australia-based multimedia artist Juanella Donovan has won the People’s Choice category at the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, taking the public-voted honour for the second time and drawing fresh attention to the cultural knowledge embedded in her practice.

ABC News reported that Donovan, an Adnyamathanha, Luritja and Lower Southern Arrernte woman and mother of four, won the 2025 People’s Choice Award at the awards held at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin. Donovan told the ABC the recognition mattered beyond personal success, describing it as acknowledgement of cultural knowledge carried through her work.

Reflecting on her lifelong connection to making, Donovan said: Lessons from her mother shaped [her] lifelong commitment to art, which highlighted the intergenerational transmission of skill and cultural responsibility. Donovan’s work will also feature in the National Textile Triennial exhibition, opening at Tamworth Regional Gallery in September.

The awards (often referred to as NATSIAA) are among Australia’s most prominent platforms for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, presenting works from across the continent and drawing large audiences in person and online through virtual galleries. The People’s Choice category in particular is viewed as a measure of public connection, because it reflects what viewers respond to across the finalist exhibition.

Coverage in News Corp’s Northern Territory reporting also noted Donovan’s win in the public vote and described the work as a visually striking piece, reinforcing the scale of public engagement with the annual awards program.

Donovan’s recognition comes amid broader discussion about how First Nations artists are supported – not only through prizes, but through exhibition pathways, touring opportunities and the protection of cultural and intellectual property. For many artists, People’s Choice awards also demonstrate that audiences are seeking work that is both aesthetically strong and culturally grounded and that the public appetite for Indigenous-led storytelling remains significant.

For regional artists and artists balancing family responsibilities, public recognition can also translate into practical opportunities, including further commissions, exhibition invitations and sales – outcomes that can help sustain careers while enabling artists to continue cultural and community work alongside their studio practice.