Meet the MullenLowe Group’s NOVA Awards exceptional creatives

MullenLowe Group’s NOVA Awards, created with Central Saint Martens, have found this year’s winners

They are:

2021 MullenLowe NOVA Award Winner:

Nikoleta Crysikou, MA Material Futures, ‘BacTerra’

2021 MullenLowe NOVA Award Runners Up:

Alice Turner, BA Product Design, Carnerie, a “grow your own meat” device for around 10 to 20 years in the future.

Lydia Hardcastle, BA Performance: Design and Practice, FEN (Growing Garments), garments knitted from plants

2021 Unilever #Unstereotype Award:

Cheuk Laam Wong, BA Product Design, Looop Can, a cleaning kit for washing reusable menstruation pads.

2021 Creative Boom Conscious Award:

Francesca Dalosio, MA Industrial Design, Ulïètu, a collection of surface panels reflecting the traumatic effect of xylella fastidiosa, one of the most dangerous plant-pathogenic bacteria in the world.

2021 YourNOVA ‘People’s Choice’ Award:

Jann Choy, BA Graphic Communication Design, Liǎn.

Winners of the 2021 MullenLowe NOVA Awards were announced in an online ceremony. The overall winner, runners up and recipients of both the Unilever #Unstereotype Award and Creative Boom Conscious Award were chosen by a panel of expert judges, while the YourNOVA People’s Choice Award was chosen by a public vote.

MullenLowe NOVA Awards 2021 Judging Panel:

Isak Åkerlund – Designer & Animator, Winner of the first ever MullenLowe NOVA Award
Katy Cowan – Founding Editor, Creative Boom
Jodie Eastwood – CEO, Knowledge Quarter
Shahira Fahmy – Founder & Principal, Shahira Fahmy Architects
Sau Fun Mo – Head of Design and Presentation, London Transport Museum
Tammy Hourigan – Global Agency Relations Director, Unilever
Sandra Poulson – Artist & Winner of the 2020 MullenLowe NOVA Award and 2020 YourNOVA ‘People’s Choice’ Award
María Inés Rodríguez – Artistic Director at Tropical Papers
Jose Miguel Sokoloff – Global President, MullenLowe Group Creative Council
Tony Wright – Strategic Consultant & Founder of the MullenLowe NOVA Awards

As overall winner of the 2021 MullenLowe NOVA Awards, Nikoleta Crysikou will receive a cash prize to help continue practice. She commented, “I feel really happy and grateful to be named the winner of the MullenLowe NOVA Awards, not only for the recognition and endorsement within the art world and wider industry, but because I will be able to communicate my project to a bigger audience. The prize money will enable me to scale up my project from a home-based workshop to a bigger workshop, and it will give me the opportunity to research the project more, to develop and optimise the material and method. Hopefully, it will start a conversation with other makers and industries about how we can collectively reimagine the future of ceramics and traditional crafts.”

Jose Miguel Sokoloff, global president, MullenLowe Group Global Creative Council and MullenLowe NOVA Awards jury president, stated, “This year, the work from both the winners and all of the shortlisted students has been extraordinary. Not only did the winning projects challenge the judges to view creativity through a different lens, but the work was bulletproof. It was relevant, tested and in most cases, can be put into production tomorrow with infinite practical uses. I’m continually amazed at how connected the students are to the world around us and how they’re engaging and reacting with purpose, and this year was no exception. A lot of the work this year delved into the issues humanity is facing – from waste and recyclability to period poverty and mental health – and the students asked some very interesting questions and offered clear, tangible, and innovative solutions to problems that touch every one of us.

The past two years have been difficult in terms of how the work has been produced, showcased, and shared, but what I can say with certainty is the winning work is the best of the graduate projects that exist out there in the world right now, and that’s quite something. It’s been a privilege to recognise these brilliant minds for the 10th year. Congratulations to all of the winners and shortlisted students – your work inspires this whole programme, so thank you for being so extraordinarily creative. I’m sure we will see continued success from each and every one of you.”

This year marks 10 years of partnership between Central Saint Martins and MullenLowe Group. Professor Jeremy Till, head of Central Saint Martins and pro vice-chancellor of the University of the Arts London, commented, “It’s an honour and a privilege to celebrate 10 years of partnership between Central Saint Martins and MullenLowe Group. If we trace the winners from the last 10 years, you will be able to see how important the MullenLowe NOVA Awards are in boosting their careers, and I have no doubt this year’s winners will thrive post-graduation as they find new ways of displaying, making, and disseminating their work. It’s wonderful to see how the MullenLowe NOVA Awards bring together work from multiple disciplines across Central Saint Martins’ courses, and give graduating students a platform for recognition as they bring to the surface work that might not have been celebrated in the way it deserves without the programme,” he continued.

As part of London Design Festival this September, MullenLowe Group and Central Saint Martins are delighted to present ‘NOVA X’, celebrating a decade of award-winning creative practice. Online and at Central Saint Martins, the exhibition will share how past winners of the MullenLowe NOVA Awards have propelled their careers beyond the educational environment.