Libris Awards

LA25

2025 LIBRIS AWARDS: THE AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS' BOOK PRIZE

Held every two years, the Libris Awards bring together works by leading and emerging artist book makers from across the country. The awards are a chance to celebrate the artform and build on the gallery’s significant artist book collection through the competition’s acquisitive prizes.

Due to the closure of Artspace Mackay for much-needed facility upgrades and extensions—from late 2023 to mid-2024—the 9th iteration of the Libris Awards will take place in 2025. This affords us a longer planning and promotion timeframe, an opportunity to re-think this long-lived program, and time to plan and introduce improvements and complementary programming.

We are making some format changes to ensure we continue to engage with, attract, and support the very best contemporary artist book makers in the country, including emerging talents in this field. Proposed changes include:

  • Transitioning the Tertiary Artists’ Book Prize category of the Libris Awards into an invitational award.
  • Increasing prize money across all categories.
  • Introducing paired education programs, including practical workshops, key notes, and artists’ talks.

Artspace Mackay’s commitment to artists' books remains as strong as ever. I look forward to sharing more information about these exciting, new opportunities as our plans progress.

Tracey Heathwood
Director, Artspace Mackay

2025 LIBRIS AWARDS: THE AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS'BOOK PRIZE

CATEGORY 1
– Daly Bay Coal Terminal National Artists’ Book Award (acquisitive) - $10,000
– Daly Bay Coal Terminal National Artists’ Book Award, Highly Commended (acquisitive) - $5,000

CATEGORY 2
Cathy Knezevic Regional Artists’ Book Award (non-acquisitive) - $3,000

CATEGORY 3
Tertiary Artists’ Book Prize (An invitational award) Click here for more information.

2025 KEY DATES:
Tuesday 18 February 2025 - entries open
Tuesday 25 March 2025 - entries close 3:00 pm AEST
Wednesday 30 April 2025 - shortlisted entrant notification / list published online (close of business)
Friday 13 June 2025 - deadline for delivery of shortlisted entrants’ artworks to ASM
Saturday 5 July – Sunday 14 September - exhibition dates
6pm, Saturday 5 July 2025 - awards event and announcement of winners
Tuesday 23 September – Thursday 25 September 2025 - shortlisted works to be collected / returned by post (except acquisitive award winners).

2025 LINKS & DOWNLOADS 
2025 Libris Awards Terms & Conditions of Entry


2022 LINKS & DOWNLOADS
2022 Illustrated catalogue of finalists
3D Virtual Tour of the 2022 Libris Awards exhibition
View past Libris Awards

2022 LIBRIS AWARD: THE AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS' BOOK PRIZE WINNERS 
WINNER Category 1.
Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal National Artists’ Book Award (acquisitive) $7,000
Jessica DORIZAC Passages 1-5 2021, handcut paper board, 8.5 x 8.5 x 1.4 cm. Images courtesy the artist.
HIGHLY COMMENDED Category 1.
Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal National Artists’ Book Award (acquisitive) $3,000
Sarah IND Heavenly states 2021, paper, 4 x 16 x 13 cm. Images courtesy the artist.
WINNER Category 2.
Mackay Regional Council Regional Artists’ Book Award (non-acquisitive) $2,500
Denise VANDERLUGT Living with green 2021, coiled images suspended in handmade paper, 10.5 x 12.5 x 8 cm (closed). Images courtesy the artist.
WINNER Category 3.
Artspace Mackay Tertiary Artists’ Book Award (non-acquisitive) $2,000
Ana Paula ESTRADA I am here 2021, digital print and photography, 28 x 43 cm. New York: Visual Studies Workshop. Images courtesy the artist.

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The staff of Artspace Mackay acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work, the Yuwi People. We extend this acknowledgement to all Aboriginal members of the Birri Gubba Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present, and to the young emerging leaders. We acknowledge the important protocols of the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Australian South Sea Islander communities across the Mackay region.