IMAGinE Awards – FAQs

IMAGinE awards 2024

What is the cost to nominate?

There is no cost to nominate in any category. We know there are more financial demands than ever currently facing organisations and so thanks to the generous sponsorship of Create NSW, International Conservation Services, AMAGA NSW, RPG NSW, Accessible Arts and ACHAA we have waived all nomination fees in 2024.

Have the museum and gallery subcategories changed?

In 2023 we reviewed the gallery sizes and changed the definition of small, medium and large to better reflect the capacity of organisations and to ensure all subcategories are competitive. If you are unsure which subcategory applies to you please contact us to discuss.

The categories are now:

Exhibition Projects

Museums/Heritage

(A) Exhibition Projects award for volunteer organisations (defined as less than 1 paid staff fte*)

(B) Exhibition Projects award for small organisations (1-4 paid staff fte*)

(C) Exhibition Projects award for medium organisations (defined as 5 or more paid staff* not including state, federal and large cultural institutions)

Galleries/Visual Arts

(D) Exhibition Projects award for small and volunteer galleries (5 or less paid staff fte*)

(E) Exhibition Projects award for medium galleries (6 or more paid staff fte* not including state, federal and large cultural institutions)

Major Museums/Heritage & Galleries/Visual Arts

(F) Exhibition Projects award for major metropolitan institutions **

*fte refers to ‘full time equivalent’ or 40 hours per week, part time staff should be calculated pro rata. Eg. A staff member who works 20 hours per week would be 0.5 fte.

** This category includes state and federal organisations as well as major museums and major galleries.

Note: Aboriginal cultural organisations are encouraged to apply for the category most relevant to their staffing levels and project focus.

Engagement Programs

(G) Engagement Programs award for small and volunteer organisations (defined as 4 or less paid staff fte*)

(H) Engagement Programs award for medium organisations (defined as 5 -10 paid staff fte*)

(I) Engagement Programs award for large organisations (defined as 11 or more paid staff fte*)

*fte refers to ‘full time equivalent’ or 40 hours per week, part time staff should be calculated pro rata. Eg. A staff member who works 20 hours per week would be 0.5 fte.

Note: Aboriginal cultural organisations are encouraged to apply for the category most relevant to their staffing levels and project focus.

Accessible Arts Award for Access and Inclusion

All nominations in Exhibition and Engagement categories that improve accessibility and benefit people with disability are also eligible to nominate for

(J) Accessible Arts Award for Access and Inclusion

The ACHAA Award for Excellence by an Aboriginal Curator

The Aboriginal Culture, Heritage & Arts Association will present a special award to an NSW Aboriginal Curator in recognition of their work on an outstanding exhibition in the museum, gallery, and Aboriginal cultural sector during the award period.

The Volunteer Achievement Award

The Volunteer Achievement Award acknowledges the outstanding contribution of an individual to the NSW museum, gallery, and Aboriginal cultural sector within the past year.

We have had staffing changes since the nominated project, does that affect our category?

Staff is actual staff at time of project. This does not include unfilled positions or new positions that did not exist at the time of the project.

Can I nominate a project or exhibition that spanned more than one year or does not fit within the project dates on the nomination form?

Yes, we understand that your project may not fit neatly inside these dates. The most important thing to remember is that you cannot nominate the same project more than once in different years. If your project mostly or substantially took place within the specified dates (1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024) then it is eligible. This may look different for different projects, for example:

a) If the consultation and development of an exhibition was very important and took place within the dates but the exhibition opened in June and is ongoing then yes it can be nominated. This would mean that the same exhibition cannot be nominated in 2025.

b) If an engagement project began before 1 July 2023 but finished after this date then you could nominate in this year as long as the project was not nominated in the previous IMAGinE Awards.

If you are still unsure about your eligibility, get in contact with us to confirm.

Can I nominate a project or exhibition that took place online?

Yes, we acknowledge that many exhibitions and projects are being delivered in different ways whether that be online, in person, or a hybrid of both and we’d love for you to nominate these projects, especially if its something new or particularly successful for your organisation. If you have questions about eligibility or which category to nominate in, get in contact.

I got funding through M&G NSW for my project. Can I nominate it?

Yes. We accept nominations for projects that have received devolved funding through M&G NSW grants programs. M&G NSW representatives on the judging panel may declare a conflict of interest and refrain from scoring where appropriate.

M&G NSW toured or is considering touring our project. Can I nominate?

Yes. We accept nominations for projects that have toured or may tour through M&G NSW programs as long as they originate with your organisation. M&G NSW representatives on the judging panel may declare a conflict of interest and refrain from scoring where appropriate. 

Can I nominate more than one project?

Yes, an organisation can be nominated for a maximum of two projects in each category Just make sure to begin a new nomination form online for each entry.

I am part of council – is it council staff or gallery/museum/Aboriginal cultural space staff?

You should only count staff that work for the organisation that is being nominated i.e. the gallery, museum or Aboriginal cultural space. If you receive support from council staff such as marketing or financial departments, this will depend on how many hours they dedicate to your organisation but in most cases would not be included. If you share staff with another organisation (e.g. engagement staff with the library) just count the pro rata time they dedicate to your organisation. If you are still unsure, please get in contact to check.

I’m an independent artist/curator/ historian. Can I nominate a project?

Yes, but there must be a gallery, museum, cultural centre, or other established not for profit cultural organisation attached to the project and you must have their permission to nominate. In the case of the winning projects, the nominated organisation will receive the award and any associated prize. However, independent partners and collaborators will be acknowledged. If you are an individual planning to nominate for either award, we strongly encourage you to get in touch and discuss the project with us first to ensure it is eligible.

The support material says max 3 pages, can I supply more?

No. Due to the large amount of nominations the judges cannot look at more than 3 pages – consider a photo collage or excerpt from catalogue rather than full documents.

Or can I supply a video or website?

If a video or website is very important to your application, please include a URL in your main response with information on what you are including. Please be aware that it may not be viewed and ensure you also describe the project in your responses to the questions

Will there be an awards ceremony this year?

Yes, theaward ceremony will take place on Thursday 21 November at the Paddington Town Hall in Sydney. Tickets are available via Humanitix.

I have been approached to judge, can I still nominate?

Yes, you will be supplied with a conflict of interest form which will need to be filled in for any projects by your organisation or that you have directly worked on or would benefit from winning. M&G NSW has a clear and transparent process for ensuring that conflicts of interest are declared and do not interfere with the judging process.

How does the NSW Health Infrastructure Arts and Health Award work?

This award has a separate application process and submission date. For a comprehensive list of FAQs regarding this award go to this page. If you have remaining questions, please get in contact.

The IMAGinE Awards are an initiative of Museums & Galleries of NSW, developed with support from the Australian Museums and Galleries Association NSW and Regional and Public Galleries of NSW. 

The 2024 IMAGinE Awards is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors, including International Conservation Services as the Major Sponsor of the Awards. This year we welcome the City of Sydney as a Venue Partner for the IMAGinE Award’s night.