Chouinard's work, By the river, is an oil on linen piece of a fellow artist and former student, Bianca Michael.

"It was very surprising [to win] because I had no idea," Chouinard said.

The artist has been making art all her life, but started painting seriously about 15 years ago and paints a mix of landscapes, portraiture, and still life.

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More than 230 eager artists entered the prize - open to emerging Tasmanian artists over the age of 18 - and it had double the entries compared to when it was last held in 2019.

Henry Jones Art Hotel curator Kate Jackson said the prize would likely have a remarkable impact on Chouinard's career.

"[Chouniard's] By the river is an intriguing work that eloquently intersects the disciplines of both landscape and portraiture painting, invoking a resonance within the viewer of serenity amidst wonder," she said.

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Though the winner had been accepted into several prizes as a finalist previously in Australia, this was the first time she had been awarded a major prize win.

"Like many sectors, art and artists have been hard hit by the pandemic, so it's wonderful to be able to offer not only a prize for one young artist to kickstart their career, but also a platform for all finalists to showcase and sell their work to the public," Ms Jackson said.

Artist Liam Ross Baker took out the Packing Room Prize and received a $750 framing voucher for the win.

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