Congratulations to the winners of the Ceramics Association of New Zealand’s 61st National Exhibition!

Thanks everyone who came to our 61st National Exhibition Awards and opening 23 October 2025!
Congratulations to all 279 entrants, 61 finalists, and 5 award winners.

View images of all 61 works at this link, courtesy of Artsdiary.

1 – Premier Prize — $3,000	Coddle, Phil Brooks
2 – Merit Prize — $1,000	Twist and Shout, Eva Ding (During)
3 – Residency Award — 4-Week Residency at Driving Creek + $500 for materials	Pacific Voyage, Shane Gallagher
4 – Non-Functional Award — $300 + $250 for materials	Pastille set V, Annie Smits Sandano
5 – Functional Award — $300 + $250 for materials	Tabular, Elena Renker

Many thanks to our judges, Moyra Elliott, Peata Larkin and Grace Lai. The Arts House Trust will be hosting a judges talk Saturday 1 November at 3:30pm – hope to see you there!

There is one more award to be decided and that’s the People’s Choice Award! Please cast your vote for your favourite work when you visit the exhibition, on until January 18, 2026.

With gratitude to our exhibition convenor Siriporn Falcon-Grey and the The Arts House Trust for hosting this event.

Many thanks to our sponsors; Alt Group, Auckland Studio Potters, Bot Pots, Clevedon Buffalo Co., Creative NZ, Crown Self Storage, Driving Creek Railway, Falcon Grey Ceramics, Glass Station, Kiwi Underglaze, and Northern Lights Electrical. Your support in this event has been unwavering and helps to promote artists in this craft. Thank you.

From the Judges

“There were a good number of applicants for this, and we discussed what benefits (apart from a great time living and working in that gorgeous environment) the winner and their work might gain due to some of the expertise that is available there at Driving Creek. In the end we opted for a work we all enjoyed but for a variety of reasons; one that had clearly had much thinking through before the clay bag was even opened; one that the maker opined that the work was a vehicle for their own voice and voyage. And so,  hoping the voyage carries further and the voice amplifies, we award the Driving Creek residency to Pacific Voyage by Shane Gallagher.” – Presented by Moyra Elliott

“We are delighted to present the Functional Award to a work that celebrates the plasticity and materiality of clay, embracing the beauty of domestic objects and the rituals of everyday life. The artist demonstrates both a love and mastery of their chosen material and of the Shino glaze, while exploring new formal directions within their practice. The Functional Award goes to Elena Renker for her submission Tabular.” – Presented by Grace Lai

“It is our pleasure to present the Non-Functional Award to a work distinguished by its sophisticated use of colour theory and harmonious balance of form. These qualities exemplify the artist’s refined design sensibility and confident handling of their medium. The Non-Functional Award goes to Annie Smits Sandano for Pastille Set V.” – Presented by Grace Lai

“Tena koutou katoa,

Ko Peata Larkin toku ingoa

Firstly, I would like to thank Siriporn for inviting me to be one of the judges this year. I would also like to thank my fellow judges Moyra and Grace. I think it is a great thing that we come from very different backgrounds, yet we were able to achieve our goal of selecting this year’s finalists and award winners….and quite harmoniously which was a bonus.

For the Merit Award, the judges selected a work that exudes enjoyment, not only aesthetically but in the making as well. It was evident that the maker had restraint and allowed the clay to behave naturally, they didn’t overwork it but rather twisted it in a simple manner allowing the form to retain that freshness despite the processes that the clay must go through. We admired that the creator handled it with appreciation, emphasizing the properties that only clay possesses, and this is evident in its form, textures and the vibrant colours that were applied. The Merit Award goes to Eva During for her work Twist and Shout.” – Presented by Peata Larkin

“This work’s attributes were not fully demonstrated in the submitted entries – it required much closer inspection. On actually viewing this work it carried a presence beyond what was apparent in the images. The making and construction were immaculately impressive and its conclusions, wherever we looked, even beneath the base, were considered and beguiling. It’s a work that demanded considerable skill, perfect timing and an abundance of patience while at the same time its statement was simple, engaging and with a most apt analogy. In the end the total (title, statement and work) was utterly coherent whilst being simultaneously impressively complex. The Premier Award goes to Phil Brooks for her work Coddle.” – Presented by Moyra Elliott

Watch the awards ceremony as it was livestreamed on the night below!

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