Judy Bailey is one of eight artists honoured by the Australia Council in their annual awards ceremony. The awards acknowledge the contributions of outstanding artists to their artforms and Australia’s cultural life.

Judy Bailey. Photo supplied

Bailey received the Don Banks Music Award, which is named in honour of the Australia Council’s first Chair of the Music Board, and one of Australia’s eminent jazz musicians and composers. The award is accompanied by a $25,000 cash prize and acknowledges the achievements of a distinguished artist, who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to music in Australia. Previous winners of this prestigious accolade include William Barton (2021), Deborah Conway (2020), Liza Lim (2018), Brett Dean (2016) and the late Archie Roach (2015).

Like Don Banks, Bailey rose to prominence as a jazz musician and composer. Born in New Zealand, she began piano lessons at a young age before moving to Australia, where she became a fixture on the 1960s Sydney jazz scene. She performed regularly at Potts Point’s famous El Rocco Jazz Bar with Australian jazz royalty Don Burrows, Graeme Lyall and John Sangster. She regularly performed on live TV with...