Vote Your Fave Aussie Into The National Portrait Gallery & You Could Win A $1,000 Qantas Voucher

PEDESTRIAN.TV has teamed up with the National Portrait Gallery, so you get a say in which Aussie deserves to be turned into art.

We all have a fave Aussie who we think deserves to be remembered forever. (Personally, mine’s The Wiggles.) What if I told you that a well-known gallery could make that dream a reality?

For the first time, the National Portrait Gallery is asking the Australian public to vote on which “exemplary Australian” will be chosen for its commissioned artwork of the year. The competition is marking 25 years since their first commission, in 1999, of Nick Cave, and so 25 different Aussies have been put forward — including Succession star Sarah Snook, tennis champ Dylan Alcott, and journalist / Australia’s boyfriend, Tony Armstrong. (Will he ever ditch that title? Honestly, probably not.)

Installation view featuring Marcia Langton, 2009 by Brook Andrew and Trent Walter, Nothing’s as precious as a hole in the ground, 2001 by eX de Medici and Richard Walley, 2015 by Dr Julie Dowling. Credit: National Portrait Gallery.

“Let’s be honest, we’re missing a few important faces,” the gallery’s website reads. They’re not wrong! More than 3,000 prominent figures make up the gallery’s collection, but that does not include The Wiggles. For shame. (No, but seriously, you can vote for both The OG Wiggles and breakout former Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins.)

You can vote right now on who should be the subject of the gallery’s next commission. Choose wisely, as there are no takebacks once you’ve submitted — voting ends on Sunday December 15, 2024. Feel like someone is missing? When you click to vote on a person, you can also fill in who you think should be included next. Plus, your vote will enter you in a competition to win one of two $1,000 (!!) Qantas vouchers. Where do I sign??

Once the votes have been counted, we (the public) will get a look behind the scenes. The National Portrait Gallery will post every step of the journey on social media — from picking an artist to bringing the subject to life in art form. Finally, the artwork is set to be revealed at the end of 2025.

Here’s a list of who YOU will be voting on this year.

1. Costa Georgiadis
Gardening Guru, TV Presenter, Beard Cultivator

Will the winner be Costa Georgiadis? Credit: Don Arnold.

Vote for Costa here.

2. Chanel Contos
Consent Activist, Leader, Grassroots Campaigner

Will the winner be Chanel Contos? Credit: Hanna Lassen.

Vote for Chanel here.

3. Usman Khawaja
Clinical Cricketer, Outspoken Activist, People’s Champ

Will the winner be Usman Khawaja? Credit: Morgan Hancock.

Vote for Usman here.

4. Emma Watkins
Joyous Dancer, Filmmaker, Auslan Champion

Will the winner be Emma Watkins? Credit: Lisa Maree Williams.

Vote for Emma here.

5. Rosé
K-Pop Icon, Dancer, High-Fashion Influencer

Will the winner be Rosé? Credit: Han Myung-Gu.

Vote for Rosé here.

6. Hunter Page-Lochard
AACTA Winner, Play School Host, Screenwriter

Will the winner be Hunter Page-Lochard? Credit: Jono Searle.

Vote for Hunter here.

7. Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Diaspora Writer, Broadcaster, Social Advocate

Will the winner be Yassmin Abdel-Magied? Credit: Karwai Tang.

Vote for Yassmin here.

8. Carly Findlay
Appearance Activist, Wordsmith, Fashionista

Will the winner be Carly Findlay? Credit: Sam Tabone.

Vote for Carly here.

9. Melanie Perkins
Tech Entrepreneur, Advocate, Killer Kitesurfer

Will the winner be Melanie Perkins? Credit: Bloomberg.

Vote for Melanie here.

10. The Wiggles
Musicians, Fruit Salad Connoisseurs, Educators

Will the winners be The Wiggles? Credit: James Gourley.

Vote for The Wiggles here.

11. Sarah Snook
Emmy Winner, Power Broker, Stage Star

Will the winner be Sarah Snook? Credit: Tristan Fewings.

Vote for Sarah here.

12. Anna Plunkett & Luke Sales
Creative Geniuses, Collaborators, Style Mavericks

Will the winner be Luke Sales and Anna Plunkett? Credit: Hanna Lassen.

Vote for Luke and Anna here.

13. Baker Boy
Yolnu Rapper, Anime Lover, Role Model

Will the winner be Baker Boy? Credit: Dylan Burns.

Vote for Baker Boy here.

14. Kirli Saunders
Award-Winning Writer, Singer-Songwriter, Fierce Advocate

Will the winner be Kirli Saunders? Credit: Kirli Saunders.

Vote for Kirli here.

15. Georgie Stone
Changemaker, Actor, Trans Rights Advocate

Will the winner be Georgie Stone? Credit: Home & Away.

Vote for Georgie here.

16. Poh Ling Yeow
Culinary Queen, TV Presenter, Avid Artist

Will the winner be Poh Ling Yeow? Credit: Don Arnold.

Vote for Poh here.

17. Waleed Aly
Project Staple, Guitarist, Academic

Will the winner be Waleed Aly? Credit: Wendell Teodoro.

Vote for Waleed here.

18. Courtney Act
Drag Icon, Fluidity Advocate, Multi-Hyphenate Artist

Will the winner be Courtney Act? Credit: Caroline McCredie.

Vote for Courtney here.

19. Tony Armstrong
Logie Winner, All-Rounder, Master of the Mo

Will the winner be Tony Armstrong? Credit: James Gourley.

Vote for Tony here.

20. Ronni Kahn
Social Entrepreneur, Advocate, Food Waste Warrior

Will the winner be Ronni Kahn? Credit: Brook Mitchell.

Vote for Ronni here.

21. Miranda Tapsell
Stage & Screen Superstar, Writer, Top End Girl

Will the winner be Miranda Tapsell? Credit: Brendon Thorne.

Vote for Miranda here.

22. Stephanie Gilmore
World Champion, Ocean Health Hero, Surf Legend

Will the winner be Stephanie Gilmore? Credit: Cait Miers.

Vote for Stephanie here.

23. Joe Brumm
Bluey’s Bestie, Animator, Fabulous Filmmaker

Will the winner be Joe Brumm? Credit: Adele Last.

Vote for Joe here.

24. Hannah Gadsby
Complex Comedian, Writer, LGBTQIA+ Advocate

Will the winner be Hannah Gadsby? Credit: Emma McIntyre.

Vote for Hannah here.

25. Dylan Alcott
Athlete Extraordinaire, Activist, Motivational Speaker

Will the winner be Dylan Alcott? Credit: Don Arnold.

Vote for Dylan here.

Please find the T&C’s here.

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