Creative Australia has today announced the recipients of the inaugural Creative Australia Awards. Taking the place of the Australia Council Awards, its eight awards celebrate the achievements of Australian artists across different creative disciplines.

These Awards now include the Don Banks Music Award, one of the most prestigious honours bestowed on musicians who have had a remarkable impact upon Australian music. It grants $25,000 in recognition of their contribution.

Deborah Cheetham Fraillon in a still from Creative Australia video.

The 2023 Don Banks Music Award recipient is Deborah Cheetham Fraillon.

“I was completely blown away when I was told that I was receiving the Don Banks Music Award,” said Cheetham Fraillon.

“Music is my way of understanding the world I live in and giving meaning to it. It’s a privilege, a responsibility to do that to the best of my ability every single day.”

With a trailblazing career spanning across more than 25 years, Cheetham Fraillon is a Yorta Yorta woman, soprano, composer, and the Artistic Director of Short Black Opera. In February, she was named...