The NZ Rural Sculpture Awards were founded on the belief that creativity strengthens both personal mental health and wellbeing and community spirit. The festival encourages rural residents to step into their workshops, set aside the demands of everyday life, and channel their ingenuity into creating a sculpture. Using materials drawn from the rural environment —particularly recycled tools, machinery, and farm materials — participants are invited to reflect on their connection to the land and express the resilience, humour, and character of rural New Zealand through sculpture.
Open to professional sculptors, farmers, hobbyists, and beginners alike, the awards offer a chance to bring artistic ideas to life, with prizes of up to $5,000. More than just a competition, it’s an opportunity to have fun, get creative, and transform everyday materials into something extraordinary.
Emphasis is placed on creative thinking and rural inventiveness rather than simply the most beautiful or technically refined sculpture.
Sculptures may be purchased on the day of the festival or from the ruralart.nz website for 30 days following the festival.
NZ RURAL SCULPTURE AWARDS
Lean on a gate, talk to a mate
NZ Rural Sculpture Supreme Award: $5,000
This category is the festival’s major award and is open to all sculptures. It celebrates the ingenuity and inventiveness of the sculptor, recognising works that demonstrate skill in transforming recycled materials such as old machinery, equipment, wire, steel and tools, commonly found on farms into sculpture in the art form often described as “farm art.”
NZ Creative Cocky Sculpture Award: $2000
This award celebrates the creativity of people who work, or have worked, on the land. It is open to practising or retired farmers, rural contractors, lifestyle block holders, horticulturalists, and others whose principal livelihood—past or present—has come from land-based work.
The winning sculpture reflects imagination and originality, capturing the ingenuity and resourcefulness that are hallmarks of rural life.
NZ Rural Sculpture Open Award: $2,000
This award is open to both established and emerging sculptors and provides an opportunity for artists to explore ideas beyond traditional “farm art.” Entries may be created in any medium, using either new materials or only minimal recycled content, provided the work is suitable for outdoor exhibition.
The category welcomes a broad range of themes, styles, and artistic approaches, encouraging sculptors to express their creativity freely. It celebrates innovation, imagination, and artistic vision, offering a space for both professional and developing artists to present work that may sit outside the rural or recycled-material traditions of the festival.
NZ Rural Small Sculpture Award: $1000
This award recognises smaller works that demonstrate ingenuity in the use of recycled tools and materials in their construction. It highlights how the principles of “farm art” can be expressed in smaller, carefully crafted sculptures that still reflect the character and resourcefulness of rural New Zealand.
Sculptures entered in this category must not exceed 1 metre in any dimension.
Give it a go Sculpture Award: $300
This award is designed to encourage first-time sculptors to step into the workshop and try their hand at creating a sculpture. It is open to entrants who are creating and exhibiting their first sculpture at the festival.
To keep the focus on new participants, sculptures entered in this category are not eligible for any other festival awards.
Local Yokel Sculptor Award: $1000
This award recognises sculptures created by artists from the local region. Entries in this category are judged using the same criteria as the NZ Rural Sculpture Supreme Award, celebrating creativity, skill, and the imaginative use of recycled materials associated with rural life.
To be eligible, the sculptor must reside within a nominated radius of Kimbolton. The award highlights and supports the talent of local artists while showcasing the creativity that exists within the surrounding rural communities.
People’s Choice Sculpture Award: $1000
This award gives festival visitors the opportunity to have their say by voting for their favourite sculpture. During the festival, members of the public are invited to cast their vote for the work they believe best captures their imagination and interest.
All sculptures entered in the festival are eligible for the People’s Choice Award, making it a true reflection of the audience’s favourite piece.
Youth awards
The Youth Awards encourage students from Manawatū schools to explore their creativity through sculpture. Each festival features a different theme to inspire entries and challenge young artists to interpret it in their own unique way.
