Sylvia Liber Wins Head On Portrait Award With Image of First Nations Elder

Sylvia Liber has won the 2026 Head On Portrait Award with a photograph of First Nations elder Aunty Lorraine. The prize was announced as the Head On Photo Festival opened at Bondi Pavilion in Sydney on November 6. The winning work, “The strength she stands in,” portrays a Yuin/Gunai Kurnai elder who is also a senior Coomaditchie artist. The description accompanying the portrait highlights her role in guiding her community and the resilience she has shown through personal loss. Festival founder Moshe Rosenzveig said the awards offer photographers “an opportunity to have their work seen by new audiences.” The Australian runner-up was Joy Mei En Lai, whose portrait shows Giramondo Publishing founders Ivor Indyk and Evelyn Juers in their living room. Gideon Mendel was the international runner-up. His image depicts costume designer Jennifer May Nickel in her wedding dress amid the burned remains of her home in Altadena, near Los Angeles. The organizer’s launch listing marked the festival’s 17th year and advertised a total photography awards prize pool exceeding A$80,000. It scheduled the awards during formalities starting at 7:45 p.m. local time, alongside a launch program of exhibitions and screenings for photographers, artists, curators and visitors.