2025
"The Silence Forced Upon Us Is Louder Than the Crown's Declarations of Partnership and Fairness"
Zena Elliott
2023
"Scenes from a Victorian Restaurant"
Tawhai Rickard
Reclaimed wood, enamel/acrylic paint
As judged by Melanie Oliver - highly respected arts curator.
2022
"Red Handed"
Emma Hercus
Acrylic paint and charcoal on MDF board with collage
As judged by Reuben Paterson - internationally renowned New Zealand artist.
2021
"Palmolive"
Caryline Boreham
Single channel video
As judged by Karl Chitham - Director, The Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt, Wellington.
2019
"Nana’s Birthday (A Big Breath)"
Ayesha Green (Kaii Tahu, Ngaati Kahungunui)
Acrylic on plywood
As judged by Fiona Pardington - Internationally-renowned New Zealand artist, MNZM, Doc FA.
2018
"You and Me. The Weight of History"
Sarah Ziessen
Acrylic paint skins
As judged by Reuben Friend - Director at Pātaka Art + Museum.
Sponsored by Tompkins Wake and Chow:Hill.
2017
"The Meaning of Ethics"
Kim Pieters
Mixed media on board
As judged by Elizabeth Caldwell - Director at City Gallery Wellington.
Sponsored by Tompkins Wake and Chow:Hill.
2016
"Good Kisser"
Sorawit Songsataya
3D printed vases
As judged by Misal Adnan Yildiz - Director, Artspace Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Tompkins Wake and Chow:Hill.
2015
"Pioneer City Flag Mixed media installation"
Bronwyn Holloway-Smith
3D printed vases
As judged by Aaron Kreisler - Head of School at Ilam School of Fine Arts, University of Canterbury.
Sponsored by Tompkins Wake and Chow:Hill.
2014
"Tell Someone if Something Happens"
Deanna Dowling
Mixed media
As judged by Simon Rees - Director, Govett Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Tompkins Wake and Chow:Hill.
2013
"Morrison Drive, Hobsonville 23 November 2012"
Dieneke Jansen
Pigment inkjet
As judged by Jon Bywater - Senior Lecturer at the Elam School of Fine Arts, The University of Auckland, curator, writer on art, music, and theory.
Sponsored by Waikato Society of Arts.
2012
"Parallel of Life and Art"
Michael Parr and Blaine Western
In-situ installation with ready-made bus stop
As judged by Caterina Riva - Director, Artspace Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Barry Hopkins.
2011
"Blue Poles"
Andre Hemer
Acrylic el Fresco
As judged by John Hurrell - Independent curator, artist, critic and Director of EyeContact Site, Auckland, New Zealand
Sponsored by Bold Horizon.
2010
"Lozenge of Dawn"
Locust Jones
Paper, acrylic
As judged by Rachel Kent - Senior Curator of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Sydney, Australia.
Sponsored by Bold Horizon.
2009
"Collateral"
Dane Mitchell
In-situ installation by WM Staff by Proxy - discarded freight wrappers and labels
As judged by Charlotte Huddleston - Senior Curator of Art, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Trust Waikato.
2008
"Untitled"
Patrick Lundberg
In-situ installation by WM Staff by Proxy - discarded freight wrappers and labels
As judged by Natasha Conland - Curator of Art, Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Trust Waikato.
2007
"Resonance"
Boris Dornbusch
Air-drying clay, acrylic, audio speakers, recording
As judged by Leonhard Emmerling - Director St. Paul Street Gallery AUT, Auckland, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Trust Waikato.
2006
"A Library to Scale, Part II, Marshland Hill, F.B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth"
Ann Shelton
Video animation
As judged by Mercedes Vicente - Senior Curator, Govett Brewster Gallery, New Plymouth, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Trust Waikato.
2005
"Nightfall"
Sriwhana Spong
Video animation
As judged by Heather Galbraith - Senior Curator, City Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Trust Waikato.
2004
"Honeycomb Reticulum"
Joanna Chow
Scultpural installation
As judged by Sophie McIntyre - Director, Adam Art Gallery, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Trust Waikato.
2004
"Lest We Forget"
Donna Sarten
Photographic installation
As judged by Sophie McIntyre - Director, Adam Art Gallery, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Trust Waikato.
2004
"Blind Date"
Geoffrey Heath
Scultpural installation
As judged by Sophie McIntyre - Director, Adam Art Gallery, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Trust Waikato.
2003
"To the Moon and Back"
Rohan Weallans
Acrylic on canvas
As judged by Tobias Berger - Director, Artspace, Auckland, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Trust Waikato.
2002
"Hyperreal Toolbox for the Reinvention of a Transglobal Empire in a Parallel Universe"
Dave Stewart
Acrylic on canvas
As judged by Zara Stanhope - Director, Adam Art Gallery 1999 - 2002, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Trust Waikato.
Administered by Waikato Society of Arts.
2001
"Perfect Pitch (detail)"
Daniel Malone
Photographic assemblage
As judged by Mary Barr and Jim Barr - Art writers, critics, and collectors, Wellington, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Trust Waikato.
Administered by Waikato Society of Arts.
2000
"The Oval"
Gavin Hipkins
Photograph
As judged by Gregory Burke - Director, Govett Brewster Gallery, New Plymouth, New Zealand.
Sponsored by Trust Waikato.
Administered by Waikato Society of Arts.