Sydney artist Craig Ruddy has won this year's Archibald Prize People's Choice award for his portrait of writer and director Warwick Thornton.
It is the 22nd time the Art Gallery of NSW award has been given since it was introduced in 1988. Mr Ruddy, who received $2500 in prize money, said it felt great to have connected with the viewing public.
"The greatest thing for an artist is to evoke feeling and emotion in the viewer," he said on Thursday.
Thornton won a Camera D'Or prize for best feature film at the 2009 Cannes film festival for Samson and Delilah. More than 23,000 people voted for this year's People's Choice prize.
The Archibald finalists and winners will remain on view at the Art Gallery of NSW until Sunday May 30.
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