Celebrating NSW’s Creative Achievements

NSW Creative Achievement Awards Winners 2016The winners of the 2016 NSW Creative Achievement Awards have been announced at a gala awards ceremony at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) in Sydney’s Circular Quay on Monday evening.

Dr Lisa Cooper, innovative florist, artist and author was announced as the winner of the NSW Emerging Creative Talent award, while Elizabeth Ann Macgregor and Carriageworks were both announced as 2016 NSW Creative Laureates.

NSW Minister for Industry, Resources and Energy Anthony Roberts said the independent judging panel selected each of the winners based on the recipient’s contributions to NSW’s rich cultural and social life, and to the state’s creative economy.

The judges chose Dr Lisa Cooper, who has a permanent residency at Carriageworks, was awarded the $15,000 Emerging Creative Talent Award in recognition of her extraordinary and innovative work in floral artistry.

Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, who was appointed as Director of the MCA in 1999, because of her significant leadership and capability, and her achievements in increasing the profile of NSW as a global creative centre.

Carriageworks, in the emerging Redfern-Waterloo precinct in Sydney, was made a Creative Laureate because it exemplified significant leadership and capability in the arts, and had skilfully balanced commercial, entrepreneurial and artistic imperatives.

“Liz Ann Macgregor, Carriageworks and Dr Cooper are all great examples of the strength and diversity of the creative talents that we are fortunate to have in our state,” said Mr Roberts.

The NSW Creative Achievement Awards are a NSW Government initiative held annually to recognise outstanding achievements that raise the global profile of NSW creative industries. The awards were first held in 2014, with digital animation and visual effects company, Animal Logic taking out the NSW Creative Laureate title and film maker, Jason van Genderen awarded NSW Emerging Creative Talent.

Creative industries are big business for NSW, employing about 184,000 people – roughly 5.1% of the state’s workforce – and generating services exports worth about $2.2 billion in 2014-15, up 26% on the previous year.

For more information, visit: www.industry.nsw.gov.au for details.

Image: Dr Lisa Cooper, MCA director Elizabeth Ann McGregor, NSW Minister for Industry, Resources and Energy Anthony Roberts and Carriageworks’ director Lisa Havilah – photo by Neil Duncan