Previous Museum Awards winners

2019 Awards - Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington

Exhibition Excellence, Art

Winner

• Dunedin Public Art Gallery & Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Gordon Walters: New Vision

Finalists

• Dunedin Public Art Gallery, New Networks: Contemporary Chinese Art & Yang Yongliang: Artificial Wonderland
• Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, He Taua Uku/Terracotta Warriors – Guardians of Immortality
• City Gallery Wellington, This is New Zealand

 

Exhibition Excellence, Science & Technology

Winner

• MOTAT, Accelerate: Driving New Zealand

Finalist

• Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato, Inventors & Innovations: Waikato Bright Sparks

 

Exhibition Excellence, Social History

Winner

• Nelson Provincial Museum Pupuri Taonga o te Tai Ao, A Century of Saying Cheese: Heritage Photography Rediscovered

Finalists

• Southland Museum & Art Gallery Noho o te Taniwha, The Dawn Raids – Educate to Liberate
• Otago Museum, Things Change: Martin Phillipps and the Chills
• MTG Hawke’s Bay Tai Ahuriri, The House of Webb: A Victorian Family’s Journey to Ormondville

 

Exhibition Excellence, Taonga Māori

Winner

• Tairāwhiti Museum, TaoNgā Pare-Mata: Managtū Taonga Returned

Finalists

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, Ta paki o Matariki: 160 Years of the Kiigitanga
• New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata, John Walsh: A Portrait of Ūawa Tolaga Bay, He Whakaahua o Ūawa
• Central Hawke’s Bay Settlers Museum, Ngā Taonga o Tamatea – Te Hokianga Mai

 

Kia Toi Te Reo, Most Innovative Use of Te Reo Māori

Winner

• Tairāwhiti Museum, TaoNgā Pare-Mata: Managtū Taonga Returned

Finalists

• Dowse Art Museum, Shannon Te Ao: My Life as a Tunnel
• MOTAT, He Whakaritenga Hou: A New Setting
• Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, Kūreitanga II, IV

 

Most Innovative Education Programme

Winner

• Otago Museum, Kia Rapua Science Playground

Finalists

• Ashburton Museum, A Youth Perspective on Suffrage 125
• Rotorua Museum, Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa, Māra Kai: A traditional Māori Garden
• MOTAT, STEAM Cells

 

Most Innovative Public Programme

Winner

• Otago Museum, Space Central

Finalists

• Highwic, Til Death Us Do Part: Fifty Years of Vintage Wedding Style
• MOTAT, Night Lights @ MOTAT
• MTG Hawke’s Bay Tai Ahuriri, George Nuku: Bottled Ocean 2118

 

Arts Access Aotearoa Museums Award

Winner

• Otago Museum, iNDX

Finalists

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, Accessibility Initiatives
• Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre, Sense Art Tours
• ​​​​​​​Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Access Tours for Pacific Sisters Ho Toa Tāere/Fashion Activists Exhibition

 

Museum Shops Association of Australia and New Zealand Best New Product Range

Winner

• Museums Wellington and Auckland War Memorial Museum, 'Kate Sheppard Camellia Range'

Finalist

• Te Awamutu Museum, 'New Product Range'

 

Project Excellence

Winner

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, Online Cenotaph/He Pou Aroha

Finalists

• MOTAT, Collection Relocation Project
• Switzers Museum, Switzers Museum Waikaia – 30 Years in the Making
• ​​​​​​​Wairoa Museum, Kakapa – Re-imagining Wairoa Museum

 

2018 Awards - Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetu, Christchurch

Mina McKenzie Award

Winner

• Awhina Tamarapa

 

Arts Access Aotearoa Museum Award

Winner

• Canterbury Museum, The Bristlecone Project

Finalist

• New Zealand Maritime Museum, Auckland, Jae Kang: Knot Touch

 

Museum Shops Association of Australia and New Zealand Award - Best new product or range

Winners

• The Dowse Art Museum, The Pattern Project (Winner, under $1 million turnover)
• ​​​​​​​Christchurch Art Gallery, Look Mum No Hands (Winner, over $1 million turnover)

Finalists

• Te Manawa, Palmerston North, Santa's Cave Centenary Collectibles (Finalist, under $1 million turnover)
• ​​​​​​​Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum, Being Chinese in Aotearoa: A photographic journey (Finalist, over $1 million turnover)

 

Exhibition Excellence, Art

Winner

• Hastings City Art Gallery, #keeponkimiora, Edith Amituanai and Kimi Ora Community School

Finalists

• MTG Hawke's Bay, Napier, Tūturu
• Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts, Auckland, Yona Lee, In Transit (Arrival)
• Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Shannon Novak: The Expanded Gallery (Special mention)
• ​​​​​​​MTG Hawke's Bay, Napier, Yuki Kihara: Te Taenga Mai o Salome (Special mention)

 

Exhibition Excellence, Science and Technology

Winner

• Kaikoura Museum, Kaikoura, New Normal - The Kaikoura Earthquake Exhibition

Finalists

• Pearson & Associates, Auckland, Brave Hearts - The New Zealand Cardiac Story 
• ​​​​​​​Otago Museum, Dunedin, Far from Frozen

 

Exhibition Excellence, Social History

Winner

• Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT), Auckland, Changing Gear

Finalists

• Akaroa Museum, Revitalising Akaroa Museum
• Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum, Pou Kānohi New Zealand at War
• Waitangi National Trust and Workshop E, Treaty House Reinterpretation
• ​​​​​​​Tairāwhiti Museum, Gisborne, Recovery: Women's overseas service in WW1 (Special mention)

 

Exhibition Excellence, Taonga Māori

Winners (joint)

• MTG Hawke's Bay, Napier, He Manu Tīoriori 100 Years of Ngāti Kahungunu Music
• ​​​​​​​Otago Museum, Dunedin, Tūhura Otago Community Trust Science Centre 

Finalists

• Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, He Rau Maharataka Whenua: A Memory of Land
• ​​​​​​​Tairāwhiti Museum, Kete Puāwai Basket of Evolution

 

Most Innovative Public Programme

Winners (joint)

• Otago Museum, Extreme Science - Taking Science to the Chathams
• ​​​​​​​Taupo Museum, Dog Show and Gallery for Dogs 

Finalists

• Ashburton Museum, MindPlus Kids Curators Programme 2017
• ​​​​​​​Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Gordon Walters: New Vision - A Complementary Discourse

 

Museum Project Excellence Award

Winner

• Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, Foxton

Finalists

• Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT), Auckland, MOTAT Inventory Project 2016-2018
• Museums Wellington, Flux
• ​​​​​​​Otago Museum, Dunedin, Tūhura Otago Community Trust Science Centre

 

2017 Awards - Te Manawa, Palmerston North

Exhibition Excellence, Art

Winner

• Te Tuhi, Share/Cheat/Unite

Finalists

• The Dowse Art Museum, Legacy: The Art of Rangi Hetet and Erenora Puketapu-Hetet
• ​​​​​​​Te Tuhi, THE HIVE HUMS WITH MANY MINDS

 

Exhibition Excellence, Science and Technology

Winner

• Locales/Stardome Observatory: Stardome Exhibition

Finalists

• MOTAT, The Innovators
• ​​​​​​​Puke Ariki, BUGS! Our Backyard Heroes

 

Exhibition Excellence, Social History

Winner

• Nelson Provincial Museum, Murder at Maungatapu

Finalists

• Air Force Museum of New Zealand, 80 Years in 80 Stories
• ​​​​​​​Auckland War Memorial Museum, Volume: Making Music in Aotearoa
• ​​​​​​​Toitu, Slice of Life: The World Famous Dunedin Study

 

Exhibition Excellence, Taonga Māori

Winner

• Tairāwhiti Museum, Ko Rongwhaakata

Finalists

• Auckland War Memorial Museum, Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu
• Nelson Provincial Museum, Mai | Hawaiiki Te Ahi Ka Roa
• ​​​​​​​Waikato Museum, Te Whaanau Maarama: The Heavenly Bodies

 

Most Innovative use of Te Reo Māori

Winner

• Auckland War Memorial Museum, Mana Aotūroa

Finalists

• MOTAT, The Innovators
• Nelson Provincial Museum, 鸡年吉祥 | Good Luck for this Rooster Year | Ngā mihi nui mō tēnei tau o te Tamaheihei
• ​​​​​​​Waikato Museum, Te Whaanau Maarama: The Heavenly Bodies

 

ServiceIQ Museum Visitor Experience Award

Winner

• Mokau Museum, Save Mokau Museum

Finalists

• Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Yayoi Kusama: The Obliteration Room – Open Fun Day: Spot Ya
• ​​​​​​​MTG Hawke's Bay, Somebody's Darling: Stories from the Napier Cemetery 1855-1917

 

Most Innovative Public Programme

Winner

• Otago Museum, Yoga with the Butterflies

Finalists

• Christchurch Art Gallery, Good Vibrations
• City Gallery Wellington, Bullet Time Education Programme
• ​​​​​​​Sarjeant Gallery, The Tote Bag Project

 

Museum Project Excellence Award

Winner

• The Suter Art Gallery, Te Aratoi o Whakatū Redevelopment Project

Finalist

• Pearson & Associates, Kaikoura Museum

 

ServiceIQ 2016 New Zealand Museum Awards - Auckland

Regional Art

Winner

• Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui, The Horses Stayed Behind

Finalists

• Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre, Sister Corita's Summer of Love
• MTG Hawke’s Bay, Talanoa: Colloquies of the unrecognised worker

 

Regional Social History

Winner

• Pātaka Art + Museum, We Built This City: Porirua 50 Years Young

Finalists 

• South Otago Museum, Never A Week Goes By
• Tairawhiti Museum, Wm. F. Crawford: Photographic Landscape Artist

 

Regional Taonga Māori

Winner

• Waikato Museum, E Ngā uri Whakatupu – Weaving Legacies: Dame Rangimarie Hetet and Diggeress Te Kanawa

Finalists

• Puke Ariki, Displaying the Motunui epa
• MTG Hawke’s Bay, Tēnei Tonu

 

Regional Science and Technology

Winner

• Te Manawa Museum, Sunlight – Ihi Kōmaru

Finalists 

• Click Suite, Exposed Wounds
• Locales/Wellington Zoo, The Barn
• Otago Museum, Beautiful Science Gallery

 

Metropolitan Art

Winner

• Auckland Art Gallery, Lisa Reihana, in Pursuit of Venus [infected]

Finalists

• City Gallery Wellington, Fiona Pardington: A Beautiful Hesitation
• Otago Museum, Intersections: Ceramics from Ralph Hotere’s Personal Collection

 

Metropolitan Social History

Winners (joint)

• Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Gallipoli: The scale of our war
  Auckland War Memorial Museum, Taku Tāmaki

Finalists 

• Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, Life on the Edge: Otago Harbour Communities
• Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Contraception: Uncovering the collection of Dame Margaret Sparrow

 

Metropolitan Taonga Māori

Winner

• Otago Museum, Hākui: Women of Kāi Tahu

Finalist

• Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Archives: Te Wāhi Pounamu

 

Metropolitan Science and Technology

Winner

• Otago Museum, Beautiful Science Gallery

ServiceIQ Best Museum Visitor Experience

Winner

• Auckland War Memorial Museum, Gallipoli in Minecraft®

Finalists

• Expressions, Submergence
• Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato, For Us They Fell – Waikato WW1 Centenary Exhibition

 

Most Innovative Public Programme

Winner

• City Gallery Wellington, Poi E/Thriller flash-mobs to support Candice Breitz exhibition

Finalists 

• Auckland War Memorial Museum, The Studio and Tales of Tāmaki
• The Dowse Art Museum, Could You? Would You?
• Te Awamutu, Dig It At Te Awamutu Museum

 

Best Museum Project

Winners (joint)

• Pearson & Associates, Kaiapoi Museum
• Waitangi National Trust, Te Kōngahu - The Museum of Waitangi

Finalists

• MTG Hawke’s Bay, Pin Wall
• Otago Museum, Perpetual Guardian Planetarium
   

 

ServiceIQ 2015 New Zealand Museum Awards - Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, Dunedin

Best Exhibition over $20,000

Winner 

• Air New Zealand, Workshop e & Te Papa, Air New Zealand 75 Years: Our Nation. The World. Connected

Finalists

• City Gallery Wellington, Yvonne Todd: Creamy Psychology
• MTG Hawke's Bay, Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan - Travel in Style

Highly Commended

• Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, Dunedin's Great War

 

Best Exhibition under $20,000

Winner

• MTG Hawke's Bay, Dr Felkin and the Forerunners: Visions of Utopia, 1900-1930

Finalists

• Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Wonderwall
• Expressions Arts and Entertainment Centre, WWI: Tracing the Footsteps from Trentham
• New Zealand Maritime Museum, Messing about in boats

 

​​​​​​​Best Museum Project

Winners (joint)

• Mataura Museum, Reinventing the Mataura Museum
• Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, Journey of the Otagos

Finalists 

• Havelock Museum, Museum Redevelopment – a campaign to free Havelock's history
• Locales, Rangihoua Heritage Park

 

ServiceIQ Best Museum Visitor Experience

Winner

• Waihi Gold Discovery Centre

Finalists

• Canterbury Museum, Our people at the heart of a world-class visitor experience
• Click Suite (in association with Museum Victoria), Future Cities

 

Most Innovative Public Programme

Winner

• Expressions Art & Entertainment Centre, World War 1 Regimental Dinner

Finalists

• Dowse Art Museum, Art + Feminism Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon
• New Zealand Maritime Museum, Sister Anzac
• ​​​​​​​Waipu Museum, Public Programme 2013-2015

 

Most Innovative use of Te Reo Māori

Winner

• MOTAT, Welcome to the Machine - Nau mai ki te Mīhini

Finalists 

• City Gallery Wellington, Johnson Witehira: Toituhi education project
• MTG Hawke's Bay, Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan - Travel in Style 
   

 

2014 New Zealand Museum Awards - War Memorial Centre, Napier

Best Exhibition over $20,000

Winner

• Canterbury Museum, RISE - Street Art 

Finalists

• Auckland War Memorial Museum, Moana - My Ocean 
• Christchurch Art Gallery, Burster Flipper Wobbler Dripper Spinner Stacker Shaker Maker

 

Best Exhibition under $20,000

Winner

• Tauranga Art Gallery, Corrugations: the art of Jeff Thomson

Finalists 

• Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Sir Frank Brangwyn: Captain Winterbottom and the Billiard Room of Horton House
• Te Awamutu Museum, Toi Ki Roto - Art inside from the Te Ao Marama Unit, Waikeria Prison

 

Best Museum Project (activity)

Winner

• Rotorua Museum, On the Wing - Urban Release of the New Zealand Falcon

Finalists 

• New Zealand Historic Places Trust, High Street Stories 
• Te Hikoi, Taonga Toki Project

 

Best Museum Project (museum)

Winner

• MTG Hawke's Bay, MTG Hawke's Bay Redevelopment Project

Finalists 

• Canterbury Museum, Quake City
• Whakatane Museum, Te Kōputu a Te Whanga a Toi development

 

Most Innovative Public Programme

Winner

• New Zealand Historic Places Trust and New Zealand Film Archive, Reel Life in Rural New Zealand

Finalists

• Canterbury Museum, Red Zone Bus Tours
• Museums Wellington, Great Strike 1913
• Voyager NZ Maritime Museum, Auckland Tall Ships Festival

 

Most Innovative use of Te Reo Māori

Winner

• Hastings City Art Gallery, Te Taniwha

Finalists 

• MTG Hawke's Bay, Ūkaipō - ō tātou whakapapa, Taonga Māori exhibition
• Voyager NZ Maritime Museum, Kōrero Tipua

 

Individual Achievement

Winner

• Bronwyn Simes

 

2013 New Zealand Museum Awards - Hamilton (sponsored by National Services Te Paerangi, Philips Selecon, NZ Micrographic Services and Service IQ)

Winners

• New Zealand Fashion Museum - for Exhibition Excellence, Small Museum: Home Sewn
• The Kauri Museum - for Innovation/Environment/Technology: Achieving CarboNZero Certification
• Auckland War Memorial Museum - for Public Programmes, URBANLIFE
• Toitū Otago Settlers Museum - for Significant Project: Redevelopment Project
• ​​​​​​​Christchurch Art Gallery - for Exhibition Excellence, Art: Outer Spaces

View a short video of the winners on our YouTube channel

 

2012 New Zealand Museum Awards - Wellington

Winners

• Auckland Art Gallery - for museum/gallery development
• Christchurch Art Gallery - for art/design exhibition, De-Building (joint winner)
• Dunedin Public Art Gallery - for Still Life: the Art of Anatomy (joint winner)
• Waikato Museum - for social history exhibition, Red, Yellow and (All) Black
• Canterbury Museum - for social history exhibition, Canterbury Quakes (highly commended)
• Christchurch Art Gallery - for innovation/technology, MyGallery online
• ​​​​​​​Waikato Museum - for innovation/technology, temporary wall system (judges award for sustainability)

 

2011 New Zealand Museum Awards - Nelson (sponsored by Story Inc., with additional support from National Services Te Paerangi, Philips Selecon and NZ Micrographic Services)

Individual Achievement Award

Winner

• David Wright, Navy Museum

 

Project Achievement Award, Technology and Innovation

Winner

• Auckland Art Gallery, Whakamīharo Lindauer Online

 

Exhibition Excellence, Art

Winner

• Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Beloved

Finalists

• Dowse Art Museum, White Cloud Worlds
• ​​​​​​​Museums Wellington, Back & Beyond & Here

 

Exhibition Excellence, Social History

Winner

• Puke Ariki, Te Ahi Kā Roa, Te Ahi Ka Kātoro, Taranaki War 1860-2010: Our Legacy, Our Challenge 

Finalist

• Nelson Provincial Museum, Port Nelson, Haven Ahoy!

 

Exhibition Excellence, Small Museum

Winner

• Expressions Arts & Entertainment Centre, Bohemians of the Brush: Pumpkin Cottage Impressionists

Finalists

• Isel House, Isel's 160th Year
• Waimate Museum, Ka Takata Whenua o Waihao
• Whangarei Art Museum, Credo and Quest

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We also congratulate the 2011 ATTTO Museum Workplace Training Ambassador Award winner, Eva Huismans, who is Volunteer and Training Coordinator at Canterbury Museum.

 

2010 New Zealand Museum Awards - New Plymouth (sponsored by Story Inc)

Individual Achievement Award

Winner

• Thérèse Angelo

 

Innovation Achievement Award

Winner

• Hawke's Bay Museum & Art Gallery, The Miniatures: An Adventure in the Bren Collection

Finalists

• Locales/Te Papa, Colossal squid interactives and website
• ​​​​​​​Canterbury Museum, 3D Digital Binocular Station

 

Selecon Award for Exhibition Excellence

Winner

• Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, Brought to Light

Finalists

• Museum of Wellington City and Sea, 10 Years in Wonderland
• ​​​​​​​The Air Force Museum of New Zealand, History Gallery Redevelopment Project; Horizon to Horizon

 

2009 Museums Aotearoa Awards - Tairawhiti Museum, Gisborne

Individual Achievement Award

Winner

• Warwick Smith, Forrester Gallery, Oamaru

 

Innovation Achievement Award

Winner

• Canterbury Museum, Fred & Myrtle’s Paua Shell House

 

Selecon Award for Exhibition Excellence

Winner

• Nelson Provincial Museum, Unpicking the Past

Finalists

• Waipu Museum, Waipu Museum Redevelopment
• ​​​​​​​TheNewDowse, Common Ground

 

Selecon Award for Exhibition Excellence

Finalists

• TheNewDowse, Enchanted Forest
• Waikato Museum, Waiclay
• ​​​​​​​Christchurch Art Gallery, White on White

 

2008 Museums Aotearoa Awards

Individual Achievement Award

Winner

• Jim Geddes, Head of Arts and Heritage at Gore District Council

 

Innovation Achievement Award

Winners (joint)

• Christchurch Art Gallery 
• ​​​​​​​Pearson & Associates Architects of Auckland 

 

Exhibition/Visitor Achievement Award

• Whanganui Regional Museum

 

Media releases

Find media releases about awards finalists and winners in our publications repository.

 

Photographs and media

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