The AWAPAs highlight the vitality of arts publishing in the region and acknowledges the contribution of both emerging and established scholars, curators and artists. The Awards play a pivotal role in promoting the importance of writing and publishing in disseminating knowledge and understanding of the visual arts, craft and design. They are the only prizes in the Australasia region to celebrate the publishing achievements writers make to the field.
AWAPAs categories include prizes for books, exhibition catalogues, artist led publications, Indigenous Australian, Māori and Pasifika art writing. The Awards are sponsored by a number of universities, art museums, associations, publishing bodies and individuals.
AWAPAs recognise:
- Originality and rigour of scholarship
- Contribution to knowledge in the area and impact on scholarly debate in the field
- Significance of the topic to the field and to adjacent disciplines
- Significance and originality of arts research
- Quality of the design and production values of the publication
- Ability to convey complex ideas to wider audiences
Following a review of the Awards in 2020 AAANZ announced a new category, Best Medium Exhibition Catalogue. This category responds to the wide range of activity that takes place in the gallery and museum sector and aims to promote better recognition of smaller and mid-range catalogue publishing.
AWAPAs Winners│Highly Commended│Entries 2020
The Research in Focus Online Prize was proposed to run in place of the annual PhD prize in an alternative mode due to the postponement of the 2020 conference. This was also in response to feedback on the prize format from previous years. The Research in Focus Online Prize was based upon a video presentation of research and was open to all current PhD and recent graduates.
Early career researchers were invited to prepare a short video that focuses on their research. They could talk to their entire PhD project, or choose a sub topic. Entrants will be judged on the effective of their communication.
Research in Focus Winner│Highly Commended│Entries 2020
The Australian Institute of Art History Research Grants were open to an art historian or PhD student in Art History in one of the following categories:
- Institutional art historian (i.e. working in an academic or cultural institution such as a university, art museum, public library, etc.)
- Independent art historian
- Emerging art historian (PhD student or Early Career Researcher in Art History, i.e. PhD granted no earlier than 2014)
- Indigenous Australian, New Zealand Maori or Pasifika art historian