“It’s soul-destroying,” Roach said on Tuesday while grieving for the Aboriginal impresario he met in the early days of the Deadlys, as the awards became known and which Jones nurtured to become the biggest event on the national indigenous calendar.

Mr Jones, 47, was found dead at his Goulburn farm on Saturday. His family requested on Tuesday that the media respect its privacy and not speculate on the “circumstances regarding his passing” but to recognise "his lifetime work”.

It is not speculation that, on Friday, Mr Jones realised much of his life’s work had come to halt. He told his staff that 20 jobs would go and his Vibe project ventures, which he had built over the past 21 years, would cease because of the withdrawal of federal funds.

While in mourning on Monday night, Jones’ organisation, Vibe Australia, announced it was in “transition” and that it had cancelled the 20^th Deadlys scheduled for September 30.

It also halted the national Deadly Vibe magazine; the InVibe magazine insert for prisoners; the Move It Mob Style television production; and Deadly Sounds radio, which launched Jones’ career of celebrating indigenous culture in 1993.

“He was a man who was dedicated to making a difference and to working with, and on behalf of, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” said Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion and assistant health minister Fiona Nash in a joint statement of condolence.

Senator Nash’s office also confirmed the funding cuts. Vibe Australia had received $2.9 million in 2013-14 from the Health Department for operations, and another $730,000 from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet for projects including the magazine, the SBS live broadcast of the Deadlys and for indigenous sport and recreation activities.

“Following an independent evaluation of Vibe Australia, a decision was taken to cease ongoing funding,” a spokesman said.

However, Vibe was verbally briefed on that KPMG review – and was told it was positive. Mr Jones travelled to Canberra late last month to spell out the implications of axing his funding, which led to bridging funding.

Senator Nash’s spokesman said: “$550,000 was provided until December 2014 to enable the organisation to transition. The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet also provided a further $450,000 this financial year for the magazine, live broadcast and sport and recreation activities.”

It was not enough to sustain the projects this year. Vibe Australia said its funds would be directed from July 1 to “government programs that deliver front-line services”. The government did not say why the Deadly Vibe projects might not have qualified as “front-line”.

“Of course they’re front-line,” the Labor spokesman on indigenous affairs, Shayne Neumann, said. “They’re cutting front-line programs. They’re claiming the $534.4 million of cuts are just efficiency dividend, red-tape reduction and bureaucracy removal. It’s completely untrue … This is wrong because we don’t honour indigenous achievement enough.”

Vibe Australia hopes it can revive the Deadlys, either with private or government money.

Roach was awarded the 2013 Deadly for album of the year, Troy Cassar-Daley and Jessica Mauboy took the male and female artist gongs, Adam Goodes was AFL player of the year and Johnathan Thurston won the NRL prize. The Deadlys honoured achievements in health, education, science and cultural advancement.

“It started just as music,” Roach said. But Jones had given all indigenous people “something to aim for” and showed non-indigenous Australians they could achieve “not only good things but excellent things”. Communities that once struggled with school attendance and health had advanced “because of the Deadlys”.

“And when Gavin was there at the Deadlys and seeing people achieving, he’d just light up,” Roach said.

The actor and cultural leader Rhoda Roberts worked closely with Jones as both the host of Deadly Sounds and as co-artistic director of the Deadly Awards for several years.

“What a blessing when, 21 years ago, Gavin and I sat in a coffee shop and talked about how great it would be to have a national radio program, our own AFIs, and a magazine, and look what he did with his wisdom, passion and love for all our mob," she said. "So many seedlings have been produced across the industry because of this one man and his passion. He really was a pioneer, and I thank you deadly brother.”

Mr Jones' family requested that, rather than sending flowers, people donate to the Jimmy Little Foundation, the Go Foundation or the Yothu Yindi Foundation.

Warren Mundine, chairman of the government's Indigenous Advisory Council, said: "We've lost a great man and a trailblazer in Gavin Jones. He gave voice to contemporary Aboriginal culture and will be sorely missed."

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