Celebrating the performing arts in Australia since 1984, A History of the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards is a lavish book showcasing the who’s who in the arts across Australia.
For the first time, this book tells some of the wonderful stories of the many amazing Award winners and chronicles the shifting cultural landscape in Australia over the last 30 years.
The Awards have recognised and celebrated many of Australia’s greatest artists, arts organisations and facilitators and are one of the richest and most coveted Awards in the performing arts in Australia.
The inaugural individual winner in 1984 was noted poet and playwright and Indigenous rights campaigner, Jack Davis; and from there it has been awarded to array of artists across the spectrum – choreographer Meryl Tankard; actor Geoffrey Rush; director Neil Armfield; multi-talented performer Eddie Perfect; Circus Oz, Back to Back theatre, Legs on the Wall, Strange Fruit, Big hART, CIRCA and many others.
‘We immensely proud of what we have achieved in directly supporting the arts over the last 30 year and this book helps us look back and reflect upon our performing arts history’, says Carrillo Gantner AO, Chair of the Sidney Myer Fund.
‘I encourage you’, he continues, ‘to use this book as a starting point for your exploration of Australian performing arts. I hope it inspires you to go out and buy a ticket to one of their shows—we can all experience the laughter and tears that spring from the artists’ high-octane creativity. We live in a country with a very rich and diverse performing arts scene; it is ours to enjoy, celebrate and support’.
‘In terms of relevance to me, [this] is probably the most significant Award I have received during my career, both in terms of the opportunities it gave me at a particularly critical time, the recognition it gave me, and the pride I felt in receiving such an Award. It really boosted my confidence’, Lucy Guerin, 2000 Individual Award.
‘I learned … a long time ago when starting out, that if I wanted to be a creative person, a performer, an artist, I would have to do a lot of the work myself. That’s why the Sidney Myer Fund Award has really been the most important to me … It was a great acknowledgement of the work I had achieved so far’, Paul Capsis, 2010 Individual Award.
The Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards has one of the longest uninterrupted histories of Australian performing arts prizes, and the excellence for which they stand only grows higher as the list of winners grows longer.
The Trustees of the Sidney Myer Foundation believe that real achievement should be recognised and rewarded. To date they have awarded well over $3 million.
The Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards were established in 1984 by the Trustees of the Sidney Myer Fund, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Sidney Myer, a passionate advocate and great friend to the arts.
A full list of all Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award winners since 1984 follows.
A History of the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards has been published by the Sidney Myer Fund.
