Awards
Sculpture in the Gardens offers three awards to its exhibiting artists:
The Supreme Award
This prestigious award is presented to the artist selected by the curatorial panel as creating a work that is truly outstanding.
The Friends of the Auckland Botanic Gardens Acquisition
A unique feature to this exhibition is the acquisition by the Friends of the Auckland Botanic Gardens of one sculpture for the Garden’s permanent sculpture collection.
The Burrill People’s Choice Award
The People’s Choice Award is the highly coveted ‘stamp of approval’ from exhibition visitors.
The winners from the 2024–25 Exhibition
The Supreme Award
The winning sculpture for the 2024–25 exhibition is Andrea Gardner & Brit Bunkley for their work Cenotaph for a Snail.
The Friends of the Auckland Botanic Gardens Acquisition
The 2024–25 recipient of this award is Josh & Amelia Olley for their work Hand Down.
The Burrill People’s Choice Award
The people voted and it was Josh & Amelia Olley for their work Hand Down who won this award for the 2024–25 exhibition.
Past winners
The McConnell Family
Supreme Award
2007 – Barry Lett Big, Rock Dog
2009 – Christine Hellyar, After the Flood
2011 – Lucy Bucknall, Big Man
2013 – Louise Purvis, Alterations
2015 – Jamie Pickernell, Keep
2017 – Louise Purvis, Gravid
2019 – Marté Szirmay, Contained and Protected
2021 – The Indigenous Clay Artists Collective, Taiki e! United in Purpose!
2025 – Andrea Gardner & Brit Bunkley, Cenotaph for a Snail
The Friends of the Auckland Botanic Gardens Acquisition
2007 – Peter Lange, Camp site
2009 – Colleen Ryan Priest, Caught in the Act of Losing You
2011 – Jim Wheeler, Object of Devotion
2013 – Bing Dawe, Tuna
2015 – Marté Szirmay, Seek; and James Wright, Ratiti Mya
2017 – John Edgar, Font
2019 – Chris Moore, Entwined
2021 – Richard Mathieson, Reservoirs
2025 – Josh & Amelia Olley, Hand Down
View other acquisitions by the Friends of the Auckland Botanic Gardens:
People’s Choice
2007 – Virginia King, Pupu Harakeke
2009 – Bing Dawe, Wishing for St. Francis
2011 – Jamie Pickernell, Bird Lady
2013 – Jamie Pickernell, Oh Crabby I do believe we're rather lost!
2015 – John Ferguson, Khulu?
2017 – Lucy Bucknall, Howling Together
2019 – Jane Downes, BeeHaven
2021 – Glen Colechin, Serenity
2025 – Josh & Amelia Olley, Hand Down