CAPO 2025 Art Auction Event and Grant Winners

2025 Grant Winners.

CAPO announced the winners of 24 awards last Saturday night at Belconnen Arts Centre. The most prestigious award, the Fellowship was presented by CAPO Patron, Genevieve Jacobs AM, to Lucy Irvine, a Canberra-based artist, educator, and researcher whose work brings together sculpture, textiles, design, and architecture. Lucy plans to use the Fellowship to innovate new weaving systems and sculptural forms during a residency in Budapest and to bring this new work to a Canberran audience.

Full list of winners:
Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award: Lisa Sammut
Megalo Print Studio Residency Award: Steven Mark Holland
Robert Foster Memorial Award: Phoebe Porter
Tall Foundation Award: Fenja T. Ringl
Shaw and Partners Award: Tom Buckland
Waldren Constructions General Award: Al Munro
Michele Black Memorial Award: Creations Manuka: Jessika Spencer

Craft + Design Canberra Outstanding Practice Award: Julie Ryder
Capital Chemist Award: Mio Kuhnen
MPS People Security Risk Management Performance Awards: Sarah Stewart and Nick Delatovic
All Insure Emerging Artist Awards: Adelaide Worcester, Olivia Kidston and Sophia Childs
Doubleshot Deakin Award: Sophia Cai
Canberra Weekly Award: Lynne Flemons
Home by Holly Award: Cassandra Dove
Radford & Co Sculpture Award: Emeirely Nucifora-Ryan
PhotoAccess Award: Ria Tierney.
Cook Creative Writing Prize: Samuel Townsend
Boris Property Emerging Artist Award: Fi Peel
Craft + Design Canberra Emerging Artist Award: Lisa Jose
Canberra Museum and Gallery Photography Award: Sari Sutton

Find out about each of the winning artists unique projects on our website here.

Exhibition + Public Programs.
Art Auction Event.

Our Art Auction on Saturday 18 October was a wonderful celebration of creativity and community.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us to the talented artists who generously donated their works, and to our sponsors whose support made the night possible.

A special shoutout to our amazing performers and hosts, Genevieve Jacobs, Venus Mantrap, Kokoloco Dance, The Two Step Trio, and Natasha Ruschka for filling the evening with energy, colour, and joy.

View the full album of images here.

View and Shop the exhibition.

The Art Auction exhibition will stay on display at the Generator Gallery at Belconnen Arts Centre until 30 Nov 2025.

Iconic Australian stage and screen legend Toni Lamond dies aged 93

By Kinta Walsh-Cotton, Showbusiness Reporter, Australia

The Australian entertainment industry is mourning the loss of Toni Lamond, after she died on Saturday at the age of 93.

The stage and screen legend was a pioneering entertainer Down Under, with 80 years of experience under her belt.

Born in 1932, Toni began her career at the age of 10, when she started singing on the radio and touring with her parents in variety shows.

Her son, Tony Sheldon, shared several photos to Instagram that documented their life together, including an image of her bottle feeding him when he was a baby. 

Entertainment reporter Peter Ford took to X – formerly known as Twitter – to share his heartbreak over the loss.

'Very sad to hear of showbiz legend Toni Lamond’s death at 93. What a life and career!' he wrote.

Australian showbusiness is mourning the loss of Toni Lamond on Saturday
after she died at the age of 93. Photo: Getty Images

'A list of TV, stage and movie credits as long as your arm – both here and overseas. Fun fact – she was the first woman in the world to host a Tonight Show. 

'She won a Logie & performed on the opening night telecast of GTV 9. Her son Tony Sheldon continues the family showbiz dynasty.' 

Toni had a plethora of talents across musical comedy, dramatic plays, recordings, film, television and cabaret.

Her first starring role was in 1952 alongside Tommy Trinder during The Tommy Trinder Show.

She took to the stage for productions of Oliver, Annie Get Your Gun, The Pajama Game, Gypsy, 42nd Street, and The Pirates of Penzance, among many others.

As for TV, her credits include iconic hits like The Graham Kennedy Show, Bandstand, Murder She Wrote, The Bob Newhart Show, Starsky & Hutch and Denise.

The Mike Walsh Show, The Bert Newton Show, Parkinson in Australia, In Melbourne Today, Good Morning Australia, Division 4, Number 96, and Spicks and Specks are also credited to her.

Toni also starred in The Love Boat, Highway to Heaven, Eight Is Enough, Punky Brewster, The Pirates of Penzance and the films Spotswood and Razzle Dazzle.

Her son, Tony Sheldon, shared several photos to Instagram of his famous mother

She was previously married to performer Frank Sheldon in 1954, but tragedy struck when he died by suicide in 1966 while she was performing Oliver.

Producers famously made her perform the night after his funeral. 

Toni later jetted off to the US in the 1970s to live in Los Angeles, working between America and her home country of Australia for many years.

Her accolades are numerous, with Logie Awards, Mo Awards, and Variety Club Awards all with her name on them.

She also earned the Helpmann Awards Lifetime Achievement, Equity Lifetime Achievement Award, and Centenary Medal for Service to the Arts Community. 

The Victorian Honour Roll of Women and an Order of Australia for Service to the Entertainment Industry are also credited to Toni.

First published at The Daily Mail, November 29, updated November 30, 2025