AWARD has announced this year’s AWARD School state finalists who will go into the running to win the AWARD School national top student of the year award.

The top finalists are:

• Sophie Hackett: New South Wales. Tutors – Katie Moore & Nicolas Sellars, 303 MullenLowe Sudney; Jari Kennedy & Anthony Campagna, Ogilvy Sydney
• Thomas Ahearn: Victoria. Tutors – Patrick Trethowan & Lee Phillips, Ogilvy Melbourne. Shaun McFarlane & Janice Ko, Special Group Melbourne
• Brendan Morrow: West Australia. Tutors – Simon Mullins & Robert Mead, Rare. Bryan Dennis, &Partners. Matt Nankivell, Moonsail
• Catherine Lucas: Queensland. Tutors – Wayne Smith & Carissa Jackson, Ogilvy Brisbane. Salvatore Borzillo, CHEP Network & Tim Kelly, Khemistry
• Dallas Rodgers: South Australia. Tutors – Dave Lawson, Design People. Corey Swaffer, KWP!. Rory Kennett-Lister & Abby Moulton, Showpony. James Rickard, JAMES. Mark Atherton & Patrick O’Reilly, TBWA. Matt Minear., BAD Advertising. Sa, John, Codefish. David Ormston, Simple Integrated Marketing. Nick Brz & Alice McKenzie, NATION Creative. Adam Carpenter, Prohibition Gin
• Kirsty Reynolds: online. Tutors – George Organ & Russell Nelson, CX Lavender. Emily Field, Kiah Nicholas & BOB Broadfoot, BMF.

ALL received an AWARD School Gold Pencil for their outstanding efforts as part of graduation events held across the country over the last week to recognise the industry’s brightest emerging talent. This year’s state winners were drawn from a national intake of 193 students, which included a student on an Indigenous scholarship and students from regional Australia and New Zealand in the online program.

All the finalists will have their works reviewed by an international super jury, with the winner announced on August 18 at The AWARD Pencil Bar – an industry cocktail event being held as part of This Way Up, AWARD’s signature creative festival in Sydney.

AWARD chair and M&C Saatchi Australia chief creative officer, Cam Blackley, commented, “AWARD School is three months of blood, sweat and tears in pushing your creativity to the limit, therefore to consistently deliver solid ideas and an outstanding portfolio of work that brings them to life is testament to each student’s creative ability and the bright future that lies ahead of them. We congratulate each and every finalist and wish them the best in their careers.”

Matt Chandler and Katrina Alvarez-Jarratt, national and NSW AWARD School co-heads, stated, “Each year AWARD School proves itself to be an amazing feeder of fresh creative talent into the industry, and we couldn’t be prouder of the commitment this year’s state winners have shown in living up to, if not going beyond, the extremely high standards set by past students. We couldn’t be prouder of their achievements, which have been helped along by an incredible team of AWARD School heads, tutors and mentors, speakers and judges who all work so hard behind-the-scenes to foster the next generation of creative talent. We thank this huge team for their dedication and time, and congratulate this year’s students, in helping to make AWARD School 2022 a success.”

AWARD School 2022: top students per state

NSW:

Top students

1. Sophie Hackett – Gold Pencil
2. Dean Shein
3. Jaime Laird

Top 10 (in alphabetical order)

Brittany Davidson
Charlie Rosanove
Jake Jamieson
Lachlan Wills
Laura Clare Murphy
Opal Liang
Rachel Tucker

Mentorships

Lewis Clark
Phoebe Gribble
Angus Whalan

VIC:

Top students

1. Thomas Ahearn– Gold Pencil
2. Tiger Hongmung
3. Liz Simpson

Top 10 (in alphabetical order)

Gideon Goldberg
Jiaan Koch
Corrine Teng
Annika Duncan
Benjamin Bryan
Pip Dolman
Courtney Whitelaw

Mentorships

Kate Enright
Hayden Baidawi

QLD:

Top students

1. Catherine Lucas – Gold Pencil
2. Bronnie Clements
3. Jennifer Hall

Mentorship

Eleni Petridis

WA:

Top Students

1. Brendan Morrow – Gold Pencil
2. Andrew Fonceca
3. Mike Dann

Mentorship

Jess Sutton

SA:

Top Students

1. Dallas Rodgers – Gold Pencil
2. Francesca Germanis

Mentorship

Andrija Sala

ONLINE:

Top Students

1. Kirsty Reynolds – Gold Pencil
2. Thomas Charles Birts
3. Matt Ryan

Mentorship

Anna Brown

Top Tutor Agencies – Gold Sharpeners

NSW:

Jari Kennedy, Ogilvy Sydney
Anthony Campagna, Ogilvy Sydney
Will Halstead, Howatson+Company Sydney
Tom Macphail, Howatson+Company Sydney

VIC:

Patrick Trethowan, Ogilvy Melbourne
Lee Phillips, Ogilvy Melbourne
Shaun McFarlane, Special Group Melbourne
Janice Ko, Special Group Melbourne