2026 National NAIDOC Poster Winner and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient
The National NAIDOC Committee is proud to announce acclaimed artist and musician Zaachariaha Fielding as the winner of the 2026 National NAIDOC Week Poster Competition, and to honour the late Rhoda Roberts AO with the 2026 National NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award.
These two recipients reflect the spirit of this year’s NAIDOC theme, 50 Years of Deadly — celebrating five decades of Blak excellence, cultural strength, creativity and leadership, while honouring those whose legacies continue to shape the future.
For more than 50 years, NAIDOC Week has provided a national platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, stories and achievement. From activism and protest to art, music, language revitalisation and community leadership, NAIDOC has become one of the country’s most powerful celebrations of First Nations culture and identity.
2026 National NAIDOC Poster Winner: Zaachariaha Fielding — Paralpi
Selected from submissions across the country, Paralpi by Zaachariaha Fielding has been chosen as the official poster for National NAIDOC Week 2026.
Zaachariaha Fielding is a proud Yankunytjatjara man from the APY Lands in South Australia and is widely recognised as one of the country’s leading contemporary First Nations artists and musicians. Known internationally through the acclaimed music duo Electric Fields, his work brings together language, sound, visual storytelling and culture in deeply powerful and contemporary ways.
Paralpi reflects movement, energy and continuity, carrying the stories of Ancestors forward while celebrating the creativity and cultural power of the next generation. Rich in colour and symbolism, the artwork speaks to the enduring strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples over the past 50 years of NAIDOC and beyond.
Through this work, Zaachariaha honours the resilience of community, the importance of language and identity, and the ongoing cultural renaissance being led by First Nations peoples across the country and across the APY Lands.
Zaachariaha Fielding said:
“Paralpi is about movement — movement through generations, through memory, through song and story. It speaks to the strength our people carry and the beauty of culture continuing to evolve while staying deeply connected to who we are.”
National NAIDOC Co-Chair Steven Satour said the work captures the essence of this year’s milestone celebration.
“Fifty years of NAIDOC Week represents fifty years of visibility, resistance, pride and deadly achievement. Zaachariaha’s work feels both deeply cultural and unmistakably contemporary — which is exactly what NAIDOC represents today. It honours where we’ve come from while boldly stepping into the future.”
National NAIDOC Co-Chair Aunty Professor Lynette Riley added:
“The National NAIDOC poster has become one of the most recognised annual cultural works in Australia. Paralpi carries story, spirit and celebration in a way that invites all Australians to reflect on the richness and diversity of First Nations cultures.”
The National NAIDOC Committee also acknowledges Kmart and Target as the Official National NAIDOC Poster Distribution Partner for 2026, helping ensure the poster reaches communities across the country during NAIDOC Week.
Kmart Group Chief People & Corporate Affairs Officer Tristram Gray said:
“The Kmart Group is committed to fostering culturally safe environments for our team members and customers. We are proud of our long-standing partnership with the National NAIDOC Committee in support of NAIDOC Week and its annual celebrations. This partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting First Nations Peoples through employment and leadership opportunities, strengthening connections with communities and recognising and celebrating the rich cultures and stories at the heart of NAIDOC Week.”
The 2026 National NAIDOC Week poster will be available in Kmart and Target stores nationally from 18 June 2026. You can download the poster on the 2026 National NAIDOC Week Poster page.
2026 National NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award: The late Rhoda Roberts AO
The National NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award recognises individuals whose leadership, advocacy and contribution have had a profound and lasting impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the nation.
While the National NAIDOC Committee does not ordinarily present the Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously, Rhoda Roberts AO was selected by the Committee prior to her passing. The Committee felt it was deeply important to continue with this recognition and honour the extraordinary legacy she leaves behind.
In 2026, the National NAIDOC Committee proudly posthumously honours the late Rhoda Roberts AO — a visionary cultural leader whose influence transformed Australia’s artistic and cultural landscape.
A proud Widjabul Wia-bal woman from Bundjalung Country, Rhoda Roberts AO dedicated her life to elevating First Nations voices through storytelling, performance, creative direction and cultural leadership. Across decades, she created space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories to be seen, heard and celebrated on some of the country’s biggest stages.
Her work reshaped Australian arts and culture, inspired generations of First Nations creatives, and challenged institutions to make room for truth, representation and Blak excellence.
Lynette Riley said:
“Rhoda Roberts AO was a force — fearless, brilliant and deeply committed to community and culture. Rhoda had been selected for this honour, and we felt strongly that it was important to continue recognising her extraordinary contribution. Her legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.”
Steven Satour added:
“Rhoda embodied what ‘50 Years of Deadly’ represents. She showed our people that our stories belong everywhere! On stages, screens, in institutions and in the national conversation. This recognition honours a lifetime of cultural leadership and the extraordinary legacy she leaves behind.”
The National NAIDOC Committee extends its deepest respect to Rhoda Roberts AO’s family, loved ones and community as we honour her enduring contribution to First Nations arts, culture and leadership.