Joel Rea was the Highly Commended Runner Up in the 2011 Metro Gallery Art Award in Victoria, and a finalist in both the 2011 Prometheus and Clayton Utz Art Award in Queensland. Joel was also a finalist in the 2010 Redland Gallery Biennial Contemporary Painting Award in Queensland. In 2012 Joel held his 5th solo exhibition in Brisbane, the major painting from the exhibition was curated into 'Art on Art' at the Gold Coast City Art Gallery. Joel was the winner of the 2011 Gold Coast Rotary Young Achiever in Vocational Excellence and holds a Bachelor of Fine Art Degree from the Queensland College of Art, graduating in 2003.