65 AUT finalists at 2026 Best Awards
25 Aug, 2026
This year’s Best Awards finalists include 64 projects from AUT's School of Art and Design students.
The students’ work is shortlisted across the Animation, Digital, Film, Graphic, Industrial Design, Social Good, Spatial and Toitanga categories.
Established in the 1970s, the Best Awards are the Design Institute of New Zealand’s annual showcase of excellence and are open to all.
This year’s winner will be announced in Auckland on Friday, 9 October.
The AUT finalists are:
Animation
- Keon Chan - What's The Order? Staff: Emily Ramsay, Jason Kennedy
- Sophia Aizon, Sjani Walker, Blake Tai, Corina Huang - The Perfect Shot. Staff: Emily Ramsay, Jason Kennedy
- Yoxuan Chin, Akane Shibata, Catherine Jiang, Charll Enriquez - More Than Magic. Emily Ramsay, Jason Kennedy
- Jasmine James, Hannah Chung - Dust Riders. Staff: Emily Ramsay, Jason Kennedy
- Joanna Lau, Joelle Burt, Thomas Howie - Muma's Pizza. Staff: AD Narayan
Digital
- Hakopa Ririnui, Tristin Shakesby - Tua's Calling. Staff: Masaya Todoroki, Brooke Collins, Michaela Doss
- Sofia Keats - You, Me and GPT. Staff: Tatiana Tavares, Cecelia Faumuina, Yamila Palatnik
- Tam Ngamneramitdee - BUA: Thai Interactive Family Stories. Staff: James Smith Harvey, Layla Tweedie Cullen, Johnny Mead
- Emma Lum - A Censored State. Staff: James Smith Harvey, Layla Tweedie Cullen, Johnny Mead
- Lucas Czar – Matter. Staff: James Smith Harvey, Layla Tweedie Cullen, Johnny Mead
- Baylee June Mooney - Vaka: Travel Better For The Future. Staff: James Smith Harvey, Layla Tweedie Cullen, Johnny Mead
Film
- Alex Magness – Overture. Staff: AD Narayan
Graphic
- Becky Ford, Yamila Palatnik, Emil McAvoy - Needlework & Notions. Staff: Olivia Gardner
- Hikaru Nichikawa - Accent is Beautiful: Celebrating Accent Diversity Through Typeface Design. Staff: Marcos Mortensen Steagall, Fiona Grieve, David van Vliet
- Harrison Watts - The Green Flags: Reframing Masculinity Through Collectability, Humour, and Design. Staff: Marcos Mortensen Steagall, Fiona Grieve, David van Vliet
- Joel Potter - por/trait: Reconsidering Identity Through Absence. Staff: Marcos Mortensen Steagall, Fiona Grieve, David van Vliet
- Daniel Wu - Type Against Stereotype: Reclaiming Propaganda Through Typography. Staff: Tatiana Tavares, Cecelia Faumuina, Yamila Palatnik
- Sarah Jay Lee - It's Raining Reimagining Makgeolli Culture Through Contemporary Hospitality Design. Staff: Becky Ford, Yamila Palanik, Emil McAvoy
- Danielle Heystek - ABC's of Afrikaans. Staff: Becky Ford, Yamila Palanik, Emil McAvoy
- Tina Hung - Time Tale: A Board Game for Relational Awareness. Staff: Tatiana Tavares, Cecelia Faumuina, Yamila Palatnik
- Teminma Rigg - Zhou Good: Made to Reconnect. Staff: Tatiana Tavares, Cecelia Faumuina, Yamila Palatnik
- Matthew Waugh - Pulse: Typography Beyond Reading. Staff: Becky Ford, Yamila Palanik, Emil McAvoy
- Alex Oldfield - Second Skin: A Cultural Fashion Publication. Staff: Marcos Mortensen Steagall, Fiona Grieve, David van Vliet
- Kayla Williams - { unseen } " unspoken ". Staff: Becky Ford, Yamila Palanik, Emil McAvoy
- Benjamin Walsham - Land & Letter. Staff: George Hajian, Rachel Carley
- Charlotte Harris - _Yours Sincerely _______. Staff: George Hajian, Mark Evans
- Alexa Lansang - Early Bird Oats. Staff: Becky Ford, Paul Shadbolt, Fiona Grieve
- Anna Hilton - Kaitiaki Huaota Botanic Trust. Staff: Caroline Powley, Becky Ford, Paul Shadbolt
- Alexa Lansang - Mystic Island. Staff: George Hajian, Mark Evans
- Sophia Su – Savour. Staff: Becky Ford
- Alex Taylor - Play/Pause. Staff: George Hajian, Mark Evans
- Jamie Vette - Anchor Me. Staff: George Hajian, Mark Evans
- Jamie Vette - "B". Staff: George Hajian, Mark Evans
- Sarah Bakker – Oatrageous. Staff: Becky Ford, Layla Tweedie Cullen
- Melanie Quach - Just a Pinch. Staff: Becky Ford, Layla Tweedie Cullen
- Ruby McEvoy - Mission: Welcome to my Dataverse. Staff: Tatiana Tavares
- Amelia Lewis - Good Dog. Staff: Becky Ford, Paul Shadbolt
- Kayla Williams - ANTI – Skincare. Staff: Becky Ford
Industrial Design
- Julie Bladinieres - Beyond The Toolpath. Staff: T'heniel Chetty
- Yuki Man - Sashi: mended by me. Staff: Emma Heatley, Eujeen Hwang
- Hannah Wilson – Endure, Staff: Emma Heatley, Eujeen Hwang
- Timo van Noppen - E.motion. Staff: Emma Heatley, Eujeen Hwang
- Oliver Lloyd - Roll a Rat. Staff: Jyoti Kalyanji, Dan Collings
- Lucy Carr - Shear Relief. Staff: Jyoti Kalyanji, Dan Collings
- James Clark – BioBuds. Staff: Jyoti Kalyanji, Dan Collings
- Christy Botha – NiraFlow. Staff: Jyoti Kalyanji, Dan Collings
- Alia Mikyla Polon - Grab n Go. Staff: Jyoti Kalyanji, Dan Collings
Social Good
- Michael Gibson - Parkode: Reimagining the Skatepark. Staff: Marcos Mortensen Steagall, Fiona Grieve, David van Vliet
- Brittany Townsend - Circles of You: Understanding Hormonal Health Through Visual Communication. Staff: Tatiana Tavares, Cecelia Faumuina, Yamila Palatnik
- Camryn Lowe - Allergy Explorers. Staff: Marcos Mortensen Steagall, Fiona Grieve, David van Vliet
- Laura Jane Gooderson – Remember. Staff: Tatiana Tavares, Cecelia Faumuina, Yamila Palatnik
- Fern Bell Bowers - Brush Up: Building Healthy Brushing Habits Through Play. Staff: Marcos Mortensen Steagall, Fiona Grieve, David van Vliet
- Kayla Williams - { unseen } " unspoken ". Staff: Becky Ford, Yamila Palanik, Emil McAvoy
Spatial
- Kenndric Corpuz - Tātou Tātou E. Staff: Amelia Lee Chee, Fleur Palmer, Tau Lelaulu
- Chloe Fernley - Kohi Hui: Rain Gallery. Staff: Jack Wu, Carl Douglas, Sue Gallagher, Amber Ruckes
- Alesha O'Connor - To Hold, To Heal, To Protect, To Honour. Staff: Jack Wu, Carl Douglas, Sue Gallagher, Amber Ruckes
- Grace Wright - Whero Whero. Staff: Jack Wu, Carl Douglas, Sue Gallagher, Amber Ruckes
- Reese Casas – Timekeeping. Staff: Jack Wu, Carl Douglas, Sue Gallagher, Amber Ruckes
- Jocelyn Glenn - Ringa Rehe Library. Staff: Jack Wu, Carl Douglas, Sue Gallagher, Amber Ruckes
- Issy Mason – Self. Staff: Rafik Patel, Emily O'Hara
- Stephanie Blows - Newmarket Hub and Community Garden. Staff: Jack Wu, Carl Douglas, Sue Gallagher, Amber Ruckes
- Nicole Cherize' Kotze - Te Umu Wairua | Immersive Installation Gallery. Staff: Jack Wu, Carl Douglas, Sue Gallagher, Amber Ruckes
Toitanga
- Lee Makatoa – Mataginifale. Staff: Tatiana Tavares, Cecelia Faumuina, Yamila Palatnik
- Kelys Witty - Data is Taonga. Staff: Becky Ford, Yamila Palanik, Emil McAvoy