The water feature was announced as the winner on Wednesday morning, against many others.

The Australian Street Art Awards encourage Australians to explore the world-class street and public art that is safely accessible all year round and found in every corner of the country.

With rigorous judging by tourism and public art leaders from across the country, plus second-tier auditing and due diligence, a win has the credence of the art tourism sector.

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Awards director Liz Rivers said the winning pieces were contributing significantly to making NSW a more vibrant, creative and interesting state - "somewhere visitors want to explore more keenly".

"Arts tourists from within Australia are high-value visitors. They stay 42.8 per cent longer and spend 55.9 per cent more when travelling than domestic tourists overall, according to the Australia Council for the Arts' Domestic Art Tourism: Connecting the Country 2020 Report," Ms Rivers said.

"Public art has now come into its own with people journeying hundreds or sometimes thousands of kilometres to experience a silo art trail, see a mural town or photograph a sculpture in an extraordinary landscape.

"Free outdoor activities have also gained favour over the past year. That makes trips to see murals, sculptures, monuments and mega pieces like silo art the perfect holiday thrill."

An art attraction in Condobolin in the central west called Utes in the Paddock took out the Gold Award in the coveted Best Sculpture Park or Trail category. Twenty classic Holden utes painted by 20 outback artists are displayed near the town in what judges called "one of the quirkiest attractions in the country".

"The name that artist Stephen Coburn has given his masterpiece, Ute-opia, sums up what visitors will experience when they visit this unusual exhibition," the judges said.

Utes in the Paddock nudged out another NSW sculpture attraction, the Walcha Open Air Gallery, which took out the Silver Award, while the Bronze Award winner went to a Queensland entry called The Lake Dunn Sculpture Trail.

The Walcha Open Air Gallery started with one man - a grazier named Stephen King who crafted an unusual water fountain in 1996. That kickstarted a collection by renowned local, national and international artists than span 55 artworks complemented by carvings on more than 30 veranda posts that adorn shopfronts.

Other winners include the 2020 Best Landmark Sculpture Silver Winner - West Wyalong Chainsaw Art, and the 2020 Best Monument or Memorial Silver Winner - The Big Football.

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