THE annual unveiling of Australia’s most prestigious art prize has kicked off with a portrait of an Indigenous rapper nabbing the staff-favourite award.

Matt Adnate’s dramatic portrait of Baker Boy – Yolngu rapper Danzal Baker – took out the the $3000 Packing Room Prize as finalists in the Archibald awards were publicly revealed last Thursday.

Accepting the honour at the Art Gallery of NSW, the former graffiti artist said he could never have dreamed of clinching such a coveted award after spending the first 10 years of his career “just painting…