PGAV and AMaGA Victoria are delighted to announce the shortlist for the 2026 Victorian Museums and Galleries Awards, following a total of 74 nominations from across the state. The Awards recognise outstanding achievements in the museum, gallery and collecting sector.  

The projects shortlisted for the 2026 Project of the Year Awards are:  

Volunteer-run Project of the Year (Museums & Galleries) 
Birchip Museum - The Year of 1969 and Birchip Connections
Castlemaine Art Museum - Framed
Museum of Future Water / Mooroopna Education and Activity Centre - The Museum of Future Water
Sephardi Association of VIC Inc - Sephardi Heritage Museum of Australia
Wonthaggi and District Historical Society - 15 Minutes of History

Small Project of the Year (Museums) 
Melbourne Holocaust Museum - Zachor: Ask a Survivor
National Trust of Australia (Victoria) / Heritage Victoria - Traces of Girlhood
Portland Maritime Museum (Glenelg Shire Council) - Nyamat Mirring Gallery
State Library Victoria - Mouthful of Dust
Yarra Ranges Regional Museum - Badass Women of the Yarra Ranges: She Shapes History x Yarra Ranges Regional Museum

Small Project of the Year (Galleries) 
Counihan Gallery (Merri-bek City Council) - Marvellous Mythical Mates: A Menagerie of Dream Pets
Kingston Arts (City of Kingston) - Generations: connections to Country
Public Record Office Victoria / Victorian Archives Centre - Rewind Forward Exhibition
State Library Victoria - Searching for Sanctuary: A journey of survival by Barat Ali Batoor
The Torch - Future Dreaming
Wangaratta Art Gallery - Overland Matthew Harris

Medium Project of the Year (Museums) 
City of Greater Dandenong - HOME25
Hellenic Museum - Rituals: Gifts for the Gods
National Communication Museum - FRIEND - Holy objects, intimate machines and artificial companions
Shrine of Remembrance - Taste of Combat: The Evolution of Military Food

Medium Project of the Year (Galleries) 
Art Gallery of Ballarat - Medieval to Metal: The Art and Evolution of the Guitar
Heide Museum of Modern Art - Molto Bello: Icons of Modern Italian Design
Museum of Australian Photography - The basement: photography from Prahran College (1968-81)
State Library Victoria - Melbourne Out Loud: Life through the Lens of Rennie Ellis

Large Project of the Year (Museums & Galleries) 
ACMI - Game Worlds
Art Gallery of Swan Hill - Redevelopment of Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery
Bendigo Art Gallery - Frida Kahlo: In her own image
Islamic Museum of Australia - Faith Gallery
State Library Victoria - Make Believe: Encounters with Misinformation
The University of Melbourne - 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art

First Nations Project of the Year (Museums & Galleries)
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art - Tennant Creek Brio: Juparnta Ngattu Minjinypa Iconocrisis
Berninneit - Yawa (Long Journey)
Blak Dot Gallery - EXCHANGE
Cardinia Shire Council / Marra Marra Gallery - Marra Marra: Our Countries Song
Koorie Heritage Trust - Connie Hart: One Stitch at a Time
Monash University Museum of Art - Awakening Histories
Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery - Unfolding: First Nations Works on Paper
The Torch / Heide Museum of Modern Art - Blak In-Justice: Incarceration and Resilience
Victorian Indigenous Research Centre, State Library Victoria - Treaty
Warrnambool Art Gallery - Kait James: Red Flags

Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony, to be held at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), hosted by proud Butchulla, Mununjhali and Woppaburra woman, artist, comedian & playwright, Janty Blair. This event, the sector’s night of nights, offers a unique opportunity for our community to come together in celebration of the people and organisations whose passion, resilience and creativity underpin the renown of the Victorian gallery and museum sector.