Abdul Abdullah's portrait of artist Jason Phu won the $3,000 Packing Room Award, winning the Archibald of the Year.
Phu is also a finalist for this year, with his portrait of actor Hugo Weaving being portrayed as a horse that Abdullah won, titled "No Mountain High High". Abdullah told Guardian Australia on Thursday that the two artists were "best friends" and that phu was his best groomsman at his wedding.
“I portrayed him when I saw him – as a constant adventurer, he had twelve conversations on twelve different platforms at any time, bringing his unique perspective to a troubled friend or another friend,” he accepted the award in his statement.
"They are easy games. They know how to pose. They understand the process. You can catch them any time of the day," he told the Guardian of Australia.
Now in its 34th year, the Packaging Room Awards are judged by a team of three of 40 NSW art galleries that are responsible for receiving and handling this year's Archibald entries.
Abdullah described the packaging room category as the "Achibould Community Award". He added: “It’s also kind of like a selection of artists, and I’m very happy about that.”
This year, the overall champion of Australia's most prestigious art award, the Archibald Award, will be announced on May 9.
Celebrity Nanny is one of the few of the 57 Archibald nominees this year. Instead, artists have dominated this year. More than a dozen finalists were self-portraits, while 22 were portraits of another artist. More than one-third of the 2025 nominees are first-time finalists.
Actor Nicole Kidman and her sister Antonia, actor Miranda Otto and boys swallowing universe breakthrough star Felix Cameron were there, radio show host Jackie O, singer Katie Noonan, musician William Barton, activist Grace Tame
Although this is a few days before the federal election (or perhaps because), politicians can hardly see this year. In the blood, sweat and tears of Luke Cornish and Christophe Domergue's paintings, the only nod of civic duty appears to be local government Sydney MP Yvonne Weldon.
On Thursday, Abdullah criticized Creative Australia for its decision to abandon artist Khaled Sabsabi as a representative of Australia at the 2026 Venice Biennale. "I think it's a difficult decision by the Creative Australian Creative Council and CEO, and I think it will not reflect Australia's creative choices, especially after Archie Moore won the Golden Lion," he told Guardian Australia. "It's a disappointment that we're coming to such a low from such a high climax."
He added that he hopes art secretary Tony Burke will intervene after the federal election. When asked why there are so few politicians in this year's babysitter, Abdullah replied: "It's a shame for painting politicians."
Artist Natasha Walsh is the subject of Jonathan Dalton's final work and has also been cut through the portrait of artist Atong Ateng Atem. Printmaker Cressida Campbell was painted by Natasha Bieniek, Fiona Lowry finished painter Ken and Lucila Zentner artist Wendy Sharpe.
Archibald’s former champion Vincent Namatjira has portrayed himself in his distinctive way this year, and mining tycoons don’t seem to appreciate it. A very bad Chris O'Doherty, known as Reg Mombassa, drew himself in the hospital with a nasal tube. Mathew Calandra reimagines herself in the nightmare of Freddy Krueger on Elm Street, Yvette Coppersmith draws his own work with a few cats and vipoo srivalasa, and more cats.
Finalists were revealed in all three prizes Thursday - $100,000 portraits, $50,000 landscapes and sculptures of Wynne, and $40,000 genre and mural-painted Surman.
The three exhibitions will be displayed publicly on AGNSW from May 10 to August 17.
Archibald's finalists will then head to Geelong, Gosford, Muswell Brook, Marchbrook, Shoalhaven and Coffs Harbour, and head to go later this year and in 2026.