ENTRIES OPEN 9AM JULY 28

2025 Secondary School Art Awards

Calling the next Robin White, Ralph Hotere, Don Binney, or Lisa Reihana!

Now in its 13th year, the annual Secondary School Art Awards recognises and celebrates emerging artistic talent in New Zealand. The awards are a fantastic way to explore your artistic potential, challenge yourself, and take your passion for art to the next level.

Year 11, 12 or 13 students can submit one artwork via The Arts House Trust website. Finalists will be selected by The Arts House Trust team and will be exhibited at the Pah Homestead.

2023 First Place: Audrey Goggin, 'Stitching Together Memories'

Prizes

First Place: $1,000
Second Place: $500
Third Place: $350
People’s Choice: $500

Key Dates

Entries Open: July 28, 9AM
Entries Close: August 17, 11:59PM
Finalists Notified: August 19
Finalists Opening Afternoon Tea
& Announcement of Winners:
September 11, 3:30 - 5PM
Finalists Exhibition:
September 11 - October 19

Who Can Enter

Year 11, 12 & 13 arts students from secondary schools in New Zealand.

How It Works

Entrants submit a digital entry of the one piece of work they would like to submit. Each student may submit one artwork in any of the following mediums: Painting, drawing, photography, digital art, ceramics, sculpture, or soft materials.
Finalists are chosen and asked to post or hand deliver the physical work to The Arts House Trust Gallery in Hillsborough, Auckland.
Winners are announced on September 11th at the opening of the Finalists’ Exhibition. Judging will be conducted by staff from The Arts House Trust along with a guest judge.
The finalists’ work is exhibited at the gallery between September 11 - October 19.
Following the exhibition, finalists can either collect their work from the gallery after the closing or have it returned in prepaid courier envelope supplied with entry of physical work.

2023 Second Place: Chang Liu, 'Lotus Incarnate'

How to Enter

Entries Open: July 28, 9AM
Entries Close: August 17, 11:59PM
To enter, you will need:
- Your full name, email, and your art teacher’s email or parent / guardian’s email.
- The title and dimensions of your artwork.
- Up to two photographs of your artwork (max 5MB each).
- A brief description of up to 100 words.
Be sure to name your files like so: “FirstName_LastName_FullNameOfSchool_WorkName”.
Finalists will be contacted to arrange posting their work to the gallery to be shown in the finalists’ exhibition.

Entries Open July 28

Receive updates on the Secondary School Art Awards

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Spread the Word

The Secondary School Art Awards are an amazing opportunity for high school art students. Please share this event with Art Teachers and their Year 11, 12 & 13 students by sharing the link for this page, or downloading a poster to print and display in the Art Department.

Download Print Poster
Download and print the poster to pin up in a school Art Department.

Download the Digital Poster
Download to share on social media or in a newsletter.

Previous Winners

2024 Second Place: Albert Siasau, ‘Ofa ki Tutua nga kava’, Liston College, Year 13
2024 People's Choice Award: Omedetou' by Misaki Nakamura
2024 Third Place: Lucy Berman, ‘Chambers of Life’, St Cuthberts, Year 12
2024 First Place: Mung Lian Zaw, ‘Zo Lai Leng’”, Liston College, Year 13
2023 First Place: Audrey Goggin, 'Stitching Together Memories'
2023 Second Place: Chang Liu, 'Lotus Incarnate'
2023 Third Place Equal: Braiden Leituala 'The Evolution Of Si va Afi : 'A Warrior's Dance'
2023 Third Place Equal: Daisy Wilson, 'Fake Fish'
2023 People's Choice: Echo Huang, 'Where Do I Belong?'