National
architecture
prizes and
competitions

Who can participate:

Current financial SONA members who have advanced architecture in the previous two years may be nominated or self-nominate for this prize. The work must have been undertaken while still a student or while the student has deferred the course (with the intention of finishing their architecture study in subsequent years).

• Nominations can be made by SONA members, SONA Executive, NEC members and Australian Architecture Schools/Programs. When nominated by other than the applicant, one nomination and an additional referee are required.
• Current National Councillors, Australian Institute of Architects staff members and current Student Prize for the Advancement of Architecture jurors may not take part in the application/nomination process.
• Achievements of the entrant considered by the Jury must relate to the advancement of architecture in leadership, publication, community or education activities other than those that form part of the role of SONA President.

How to nominate:

The online entry form must be completed with the following details:

• A statement of excellence addressing one or more of the selection criteria (teaching, research, community engagement, scholarship, leadership). The statement should be a maximum of one A4 page and be in a format suitable for publication (PDF is preferred).
• A CV of no more than two A4 pages referencing the nominee/applicant’s educational qualifications, career history, teaching positions and experience (where applicable).
• Contact information of two referees/nominators. If you are self-nominating or a collaboration, please provide the contact information of two referees.
• An image of the nominee (individual or group).

Judging Criteria

• The entrant should demonstrate high achievement in one or preferably more of the following categories:
• Leadership – chairing forums; organising student groups; effective representation of students on Institute and/or university committees; organising student activities such as conferences, competitions, camps, architecture weeks, exhibitions, architecture revues, guest lecture programs.
• Publication – editing, designing and/or producing a student or professional publication; student design and theory work; student opinion; student reviews of works of architecture; letters to the editor in prominent newspapers; articles in Architecture Australia and/or Chapter magazines; articles in student (campus-based) newspapers/magazines; digital publications.
• Community – promoting architecture and/or architects to the public; involving students with community issues; involving the community with architectural issues.
• Education – involvement in education activities that have consistently advanced architecture.

Who can participate:

Entrants can be nominated or may apply (self-nominate) for this prize.

Individuals and/or groups will need to demonstrate their exceptional leadership and outstanding contribution to the advancement of sustainability of the built environment.

How to nominate:

To enter, please provide the following materials via the online entry form:

• a statement of excellence addressing one or more of the above criteria,
• curriculum vitae of no more than two A4 pages, which describe the nominee’s educational qualifications, relevant, career history and experience,
• the name and contact details of a minimum of two nominees, or referees, with declaration of interest.

 Entrants must be financial members of the Institute.

Judging Criteria

Nominations should meet the following criteria:

• Creation of and advancement of knowledge through research and education,
• Development and deployment of effective advocacy and policy,
• Development and implementation of effective practice,
• Engagement of industry and the community with this knowledge, advocacy or practice.

Who can participate:

The Prize is awarded annually although the jury has discretion not to make an award where there is no nomination of appropriate merit in any year.

• The Prize maintains an emphasis on:
• Significant contributions to architectural education and recognises an outstanding career within academia.
• Individuals and/or groups of individuals who have contributed to architectural education in Australia can be nominated or self-nominate for this prize.
• Nominees must be financial members of the Institute.

How to nominate:

The online entry form must be completed with the following details:

• A statement of excellence addressing one or more of the selection criteria (teaching, research, community engagement, scholarship, leadership). The statement should be a maximum of 1 x A4 page and be in a format suitable for publication.
• A curriculum vitae of no more than two A4 pages referencing the nominee’s/applicant’s educational qualifications, career history and teaching positions and experience (where applicable).
• Contact information of two referees/nominators. 
• An image of yourself or the group.

Judging Criteria

The Prize is awarded on the basis of demonstrated national or international peer recognition of a contribution to education in any or all of the following categories:

• Teaching
• Scholarship
• Research
• Leadership
• Community engagement.

Who can participate:

Individuals and/or groups demonstrating exceptional leadership and an outstanding contribution to the advancement of gender equity may be nominated or may apply (self-nominate) for the prize.

Entrants must be financial members of the Institute.

Nominations are sought for excellence in achievement in one or more of the following areas:

• creation and advancement of knowledge through research and education,
• development and deployment of effective advocacy and policy,
• development and implementation of effective practice, engagement of industry and/or community.

How to nominate:

Submissions are made via an online portal and each nomination is required to provide relevant supporting material that addresses the judging criteria, including:

• A statement of excellence addressing one or more of the eligibility criteria (creation and advancement of knowledge through research and education, development and deployment of effective advocacy and policy, and development and implementation of effective practice, engagement of industry and/or community). The statement should be a maximum of one A4 page and be in a format suitable for publication.
• Address the judging criteria; each relevant Judging Criterion (education, research, advocacy, policy development, community engagement, leadership) individually with each as its own subheading. Total length of no more than two A4 pages.
• A curriculum vitae (CV) of no more than two A4 pages, referencing the nominee/s’ educational qualifications, career history, positions and experience.
• Contact information of two referees / nominators. If you are self-nominating, please provide the contact information of two referees. If you are nominating someone please provide contact information of two nominators. These may be the same or different from your references.
• An image of yourself or the group.

Judging Criteria

The prize will be awarded based on demonstrated national or international peer recognition of a contribution to the advancement of gender equity in architecture through:

• Education
• Research
• Advocacy
• Policy development
• Community engagement
• Leadership

Who can participate:

The Gold Medal is the highest honour the Institute may bestow.

The Award is made in recognition of most distinguished services by an individual architect who has designed or executed structures of high merit or produced work of great distinction to promote or facilitate the knowledge of architecture, or by work which has endowed the profession of architecture in such an exceptional or distinguished way as to merit the award.

• The Gold Medal may be awarded to an Australian or foreign architect. 
• Not more than one Gold Medal shall be awarded in any year, and the honour need not necessarily be given each year. 

In exceptional circumstances, the Gold Medal may be awarded to a group of individual architects who demonstrate that they have collectively met the above criteria.

How to nominate:

Annually the Institute will call for nominations for the Gold Medal. 

• The National Prizes Officer shall keep a record of Gold Medal nominations including the original date received.
• Nominations will be considered by the Gold Medal Jury and, if considered worthy, will be added to the Gold Medal Register.
• Once on the register, nominations will be considered each year for five consecutive years, after which the nomination will lapse.
• Previous nominees may be re-nominated.
• The Gold Medal Register will be kept confidential.
• Those nominated are not guaranteed a place on the Register.

To suggest a Gold Medal nominee please contact your local Chapter. 

Gold Medal nominations are submitted to the National Prizes Officer by:

1. The National President
2. A National Councilor
3. A Chapter President
4. A Chairperson of a National Committee
5. National Council – signed by the President
6. Chapter Council – signed by the Chapter President
7. National Committee – signed by the Committee Chair

An Area Committee – signed by the Chair

Judging Criteria

Nominations are sought for excellence in the achievement of the following:

• Excellence in architectural practice, research or education
• Involvement in Australian Institute of Architects’ activities and/or forums of similar professional bodies
• Contribution to architecture through leadership within the profession
• Contribution to community activities such as charity and voluntary work related to the profession

Nominations must be made electronically and provide:

1. Comprehensive biographical details
2. Career history
3. Evidence of distinguished work
4. Australian Institute of Architects Service
5. Chapter President’s citation supporting the nomination
6. High-resolution profile photo

It is at the discretion of the nominator to keep the nomination confidential.

The BlueScope Glenn Murcutt Student Prize is open to Architecture students who meet all the eligibility requirements below:

• Current student (SONA) members of the Institute
• Architecture student who have completed or are currently enrolled in:
  • An undergraduate degree (with a pathway to completing am accredited Master of Architecture) during 2023/2024 or
  • Accredited Master of Architecture Students enrolled during 2023/2024
• Design work submitted by students is to have been undertaken within an Australian architecture course in the last two years.
• Only one entry per person may be submitted. Group entries are not permitted. 

Please note student do not self-nominate for this prize. A student needs be nominated by their tertiary institution and supply a letter of endorsement from the Head of School/lecturer with their entry.

For the purposes of the prize, students represented on the Australian Institute of Architects/SONA national committee, excluding SONA National President, are considered eligible to enter this competition.

How to nominate:

STEP 1: University judging

Each Australian tertiary institutions selects one or two nominees to be considered by the National Jury. Nominee numbers from each university are determined as follows:

1. Schools with less than 500 students enrolled in architecture courses may select one nominee from their eligible students.
2. Schools with 500 or more students enrolled in architecture courses may select up to two nominees from their eligible students

Selection procedures are at the discretion of each tertiary institution, but entries are judged based on the judging criteria.

STEP 2: Submission

Each tertiary institution invites their nominee to submit their entry to the Australian Institute of Architects via an online entry system. Each nominee is to provide the following relevant supporting material:

• Up to 12 scanned or digital images of the project
• A written statement (max 450 words) describing how the project demonstrates excellence in response to place, in response to technology and in response to Australian culture.
• A letter of support from your University, in the form of a University letterhead with a signature of the nominating Head of School/lecturer.

STEP 3: National judging

The National Jury will meet to select a final prize winner from the nominees put forward by the tertiary institutions.

The jury will consist of:

• Glenn Murcutt or representative
• Australian Institute of Architects National President
• SONA National President.

Judging Criteria

The selection criteria used by both the tertiary institution and National juries shall include, but are not limited to the following:

• Degree of complexity of the program. 
• Sensitivity and communication of response to place and environment. 
• Practicality of approach to technology and feasibility of construction demonstrating an appreciation of build ability, structure and services requirements. 
• Sensitivity of response and relevance to Australian culture. 

Who can participate:

Entry into the Dulux Study Tour is open to all Architects and graduates of architecture of up to 10 years of accumulated practice from obtainment of the AACA Accredited Master of Architecture degree (or equivalent). *See terms and conditions – LINK

It is only open to Australian citizens/residents and New Zealand citizens residing in Australia. It is mandatory that entrants are Australian Institute of Architects members.

How to nominate:

Eligible members are invited to submit their entry through the online entry form. In addition to the entry form, during Stage 2, entrants are asked to attach supporting documentation that includes;

• Employer reference (maximum three references)
• Resume (maximum two pages)
• Portfolio of works (maximum of four pages)
• High resolution head shot.

Judging Criteria

The prize will be awarded to five emerging architects on the basis of their individual contributions to:

• Architectural practice
• Education
• Design excellence
• Community involvement.

Eligible members are invited to submit their entry through the online entry form. In addition to the entry form, during Stage 2, entrants are asked to attach supporting documentation that includes;

• Employer reference (maximum three references)
• Resume (maximum two pages)
• Portfolio of works (maximum of four pages)
• High resolution head shot.

The National President’s Prize recognises an individual’s contribution to the advancement of architecture in any significant way, other than through architectural design, practice or education. Such contribution may be made over a lifetime or may relate to a single activity or event, and could involve: 

• Support of the architectural profession
• Effective advocacy
• Architectural debate and discourse
• Community engagement or any other contribution deemed notable.

Who can Participate

Nominees, as an individual or as part of collaboration, must meet each of the following eligibility requirement:

Chapter/National EAP

• Must be a registered architect member of the Institute
• Open to all architects with up to 15 years of accumulated practice from obtainment of the AACA Accredited Master of Architecture degree (or equivalent); and/or have first been registered as an architect anywhere in Australia, with up to 10 years of accumulated practice since registration. Architects must be currently registered with any of the Architect Registration Boards in Australia.
• Must enter in the Chapter in which they are currently residing.
• Must be self-nominated or nominated by a member of the Institute (only members of the Institute will be eligible for this prize). 
• Previous recipients of a Chapter or National Emerging Architect Prize are not eligible to enter.
• Submission must be received by the closing date.

Additional considerations:

• Once nominated, the nominee must complete the required entry form. Nominations will remain on a register for three (3) consecutive years, after which the nomination will lapse.
• A minimum of three (3) eligible entries must be received by the closing date or the Jury may decide not to award a winner.
• The Chapter Jury may choose not to award a Chapter winner if they feel the entries received are not of a high enough standard or do not fulfill the judging criteria

How to Nominate

Entry into the Emerging Architect Prize is a two-step process.

1. Nomination – eligible candidates are nominated by a member of the Australian Institute of Architects or  members can self-nominate via the online entry system. 
2. Submission of entry material – nominated candidates will be invited to continue with their submission. Should they wish to accept the nomination, the nominee will be asked to submit the entry material listed under ‘entry requirements’ via the online entry system.

Winners at a Chapter level automatically proceed to be considered for the National Emerging Architect Prize, no additional entry material is submitted for National judging.

Entry requirements
The nominee will be asked to submit the following entry material via the online entry system:

• a statement addressing each of the key criteria items outlined in the judging criteria (within the entry form).
• a resume: four A4 pages maximum (please ensure you provide the architectural registration number, date of registration and date of graduation for each individual being nominated).
• a portfolio of works: this can include built and unbuilt work (five A4 pages maximum).
• two references: from an employer or clients.
• photo of entrant(s) – this can be uploaded separately to the requirements above.
• entry requirements listed above must be uploaded on a single PDF document and must not exceed 10MB.

Judging Criteria

All entries received by the due date will be judged by a Chapter Jury. Jury members will comprise:

• The Chapter President or nominee
• Previous Chapter Emerging Architect Prize winner
• Chair of the local EmAGN group or a nominated representative

The Chapter Jury will select one (1) Chapter winner, noting that juries are not obligated to select a Chapter winner if the pool of candidates does not warrant a decision. Each Chapter winner then progress to the National Jury for judging.

The National Jury will comprise:

• Institute National President or nominated representative
• EmAGN President or nominated representative
• Previous National Emerging Architect Prize winner or nominated representative.

Chapter and National juries will judge entries based on the following criteria:

• excellence in architectural practice, research or education
• involvement in Australian Institute of Architects activities and/or forums of similar professional bodies
• contribution to architecture through leadership within the profession
• contribution to community activities such as charity and voluntary work related to the profession is not essential but would be judged favourably.