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Juried Exhibitions & Competitions  /  Verified 2 September 2026

National Contemporary Art Award.

Hamilton, New Zealand · Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato
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The National Contemporary Art Award, administered by Waikato Museum in Hamilton, offers NZ$20,000 to the winner, NZ$7,500 to the runner-up, and merit prizes from a pool exceeding NZ$30,000. Entry costs $30 and uses blind judging. The next deadline is June 30, 2027.

301
Days left
$30
To apply
Apply at Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato →

Every fact, with its receipt

What the organizer actually says

Deadline. June 30, 2027

“Call for entries typically opens in March with finalists announced in May. Next award in 2027.”✓ Checked on the organizer’s site

Cost to apply. $30 entry (currency unconfirmed)

“$30 entry”On file — not confirmed on a public page

What you get. NZ$20,000 winner (Hugo Charitable Trust) + NZ$7,500 runner-up + NZ$1,000 merits (pool NZ$30k+)

“Winner: $20,000; Runner-up: $7,500; Merit awards: $1,000”✓ Checked on the organizer’s site

How they choose. Juried

“Anonymous 'blind judging' process where judges view videos/photographs and artist statements; each judge selects their own finalists and winners with differing rationales.”✓ Checked on the organizer’s site

Members only

Should you
apply?

Whether this is worth your entry fee, your shipping, and the weeks it takes to put an application together depends on work only you have…

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Departist checks every deadline, fee and eligibility rule against the organization’s own page before publishing it. Last checked 2 September 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.