Soprano, composer and educator Prof Deborah Cheetham Fraillon has been recognised with one of the highest honours in First Nations arts, receiving the prestigious Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2025 First Nations Arts and Culture Awards, held on the evening of 27 May at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Cheetham Fraillon was honoured alongside celebrated poet and activist Lionel Fogarty for Artistic Excellence, while fellow Red Ochre Awards went to musician Dr Shellie Morris and cultural arts champion Lily Shearer for Cultural Advocacy and Leadership.

Deborah Cheetham Fraillon, The Conservatorium of Music. Photo © Stefanie Zingsheim/ University of Sydney

Presented annually by Creative Australia on the anniversary of the 1967 referendum and the opening of National Reconciliation Week, the awards celebrate the achievements of First Nations artists across the country.

This year’s ceremony also marked an expansion of the awards, with three new categories introduced to reflect the breadth and innovation of First Nations creative leadership.

Other recipients included Gutingarra Yunupingu (Youth Award for Achievement in the Arts), Tony Albert (Established Artist of the Year), and Iltja Ntjarra...