IMAGinE Awards – FAQs

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 support of Create NSW and sponsorship from RPG NSW, Accessible Arts and ACHAA, we have waived all nomination fees.

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. In 2025, we added an additional subcategory to Engagement for volunteer organisations. If you are unsure which subcategory applies to you please contact us to discuss.

The categories are now:

Exhibition Projects

Museums/Heritage

(A) Volunteer museum/heritage organisations (less than 1 paid staff FTE*)
(B) Small museum/heritage organisations (1-4 paid staff FTE*)
(C) Medium museum/heritage organisations (5 or more paid staff FTE*)

Galleries/Visual Arts

(D) Small galleries/visual arts organisations (3 or less paid staff FTE*)
(E) Medium galleries/visual arts organisations (4-6 paid staff FTE*)
(F) Large galleries/visual arts organisations (7 or more paid staff FTE*)

Major Museums/Heritage & Galleries/Visual Arts

(G) Major metropolitan institutions museum/heritage and galleries/visual arts**

*FTE refers to ‘Full Time Equivalent’ or 38 hours per week. Part time staff should be
calculated pro rata (e.g.: a staff member who works 19 hours per week is 0.5 FTE)

** This category includes state and federal organisations as well as major institutions

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

Engagement Programs

(H) Small organisations (4 or less paid staff FTE*)
(I) Medium organisations (5 – 10 FTE paid staff)
(J) Large and major metropolitan organisations (11 or more FTE paid staff)

*FTE refers to ‘Full Time Equivalent’ or 38 hours per week. Part time staff should be
calculated pro rata (e.g.: a staff member who works 19 hours per week is 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

(K) Accessible Arts Award for Access and Inclusion in exhibitions
(L) Accessible Arts Award for Access and Inclusion in engagement

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 2025 – 30 June 2026) then it is eligible. This may look different for different projects, for example:

  1. 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 2026.
  2. b) If an engagement project began before 1 July 2025 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.

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

The 2026 IMAGinE Awards are made possible through the generous support of our sponsors.

Imagine awards - enquiry

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. The nominated organisation must still have a physical space in NSW that is open to the public on a regular basis. Organisations whose activities take place solely online or who are based outside of NSW are not eligible. If you have questions about eligibility or which category to nominate in, get in contact via the for on this page

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 an eligible 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?

The awards presentation night will take place on Thursday, 26th November 2026.
Venue to be announced. Save the date.

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.