Entries open for “Te Waka Toi” Art Awards (New Zealand)

Award Information

• Three awards are open for public nomination:
  • Art Creativity Awards – Making a Difference Award  – recognizes leadership and outstanding contribution to the development of new directions in Māori art – three recipients – Award amount $10,000
  • Ngā Manu Pīrere – recognises an emerging Māori artist showing promise and potential in their chosen artform – three recipients – Award amount $10,000
  • Te Tohu Iho Pūmanawa – recognizes the contribution of a talented, deaf or disabled Māori artist – one recipient – Award amount $10,000.

Who is eligible?

• Three awards are open for public nomination:
  • Creative Arts Awards – Making a Difference Award
  • Birds of Prey
  • Software Download
• Nominees need to:
  • be tangata whenua Māori artist working across one or more artforms (either customary or contemporary)
  • be a New Zealand citizen or New Zealand permanent resident
  • have a track-record of excellence and achievement and show potential for contributing to the further development of ngā toi Māori in New Zealand
  • not be a previous recipient of the award in the same award category
• Creative Arts Awards – Making a Difference Award
  • This award recognises mid-career artists’ leadership and outstanding contribution to the development of new directions in ngā toi Māori (previously called Te Tohu Toi Kē a Te Waka Toi)
  • Amount: $10,000 each – three recipients.
  • To be nominated for this award, a person needs to:
    • have received high acclaim
    • be innovative and challenging, broadening perceptions of Māori art
    • have provided inspiration and new directions in Māori art
    • affirm the power of Māori arts.
• Birds of Prey
  • This award recognises an emerging artist showing promise and potential in their chosen artform. This award is to recognise achievement at this developmental stage, supporting the artist to develop their arts career in their chosen field.
  • Amount: $10,000 each – three recipients.
  • To be nominated for this award, a person needs to:
    • be an emerging artist who is at the early stages of their career
    • have received recognition for the public presentation of at least one work in the arts practice for which they are applying for funding
    • be recognised by peers or experts in the artist’s area of arts practice, which can include kaumātua or kuia, or other people of standing within the artist’s community
    • have specialised training or practical experience in their area of arts practice (training need not have been at an academic institution).
  • Notes:
    • A collective (up to three emerging artists) can be nominated or self-nominate for this award, with the $10,000 award monies shared between collective members.
    • Ngā toi Māori artists or arts practitioners can be nominated or self-nominate for this award to fund a project in one or a combination of the artforms below:
    • Ngā toi Māori artforms customary and contemporary practice – visual and craft/object, performing (e.g. dance, theatre, music, etc.), language and literature.
    • Māori arts practice related area – curation, arts writing (technical or conservational).
• Software Download
  • This award recognizes and celebrates the achievement and contribution of able-bodied, deaf or disabled Māori artists to the standing, and standard of Māori art in Aotearoa New Zealand and/or globally.
  • Amount: $10,000 – one recipient
  • To be nominated for this award, a person needs to:
    • be tangata whaikaha, tangata turi, a deaf or disabled Māori artist or a Māori artist who has a disability or impairment or lived experience of mental distress
    • be a Māori artist or arts practitioner (in any artform or who is working in arts management) whose work, influence and commitment has raised the standards and reputation of ngā toi Māori.

For more information, visit Creative New Zealand.