The Asia Pacific Arts Awards recognise and celebrate Australian artists, collectives and organisations engaging across Asia Pacific.

The awards are open to individuals, collectives and organisations from all Australian states and territories who have been engaged in building stronger, deeper and broader cultural links between Australia and its regional partners through people-to- people connections, opportunities for cultural exchange, expertise and knowledge sharing, and projects of high artistic merit.

The Awards recognise achievement across six categories: Impact, Innovation, Inspire (individual/group/collective), Inspire (organisations), Connect, Legacy.

Activities will be assessed on how they demonstrate innovation in artistic expression and presentation, cultural exchange and the legacy of the activity, including people-to-people connections and market development opportunities, artistic merit and audience impact.

Nominations are accepted via an open process.

• For the 2026 awards, submissions are welcomed via an open nomination process.
• Nominations are accepted by another individual who is not a member of the nominee's family or a close friend/collaborator. Applicants are not able to self-nominate and must include one supporter who is not the nominator in their submission. If in doubt, please contact us. Nominees can either be an individual, group or collective or organisation.
• Individual nominees must be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident, and a practising artist or arts professional.
• Nominees who are groups, collectives or organisations must be based in Australia or have at least Australian citizen or permanent resident leading the artistic work.
• Nominees cannot be a previous recipient of a Creative Australia Award within the past 2 years. Additionally, previous Asia Pacific Arts Awards shortlistees cannot be nominated for the same project in subsequent years. Please refer to this list of awards alumni on the Creative Australia website.
• Supported art forms include,
  • community arts and cultural development
  • dance
  • emerging and experimental arts
  • First Nations arts and culture
  • literature
  • multi-artform
  • visual arts
  • theatre
  • music.
• Activities and engagements must focus on arts and culture, creative practitioners and arts workers. Technology start-ups, science research projects and projects related to feature film, television, or documentary are not eligible.
• Individuals and/or organisations can be nominated in more than one category but for different projects and activities.
• Nominations must demonstrate their engagement with the eligible regions in the Asia Pacific regions. Eligible regions are consistent with the International Engagement Strategies focus on countries in the Asia Pacific.

• Email: asiapacificartsaward@creative.gov.au