The Arts Foundation’s Springboard Awards
The Arts Foundation’s Springboard Awards brought together Aotearoa’s most promising emerging artists for an evening celebrating bold ideas, new voices, and what comes next.
There was a sense, from the moment guests arrived, that this was not your standard awards night. Less formality, more feeling and generous — a reflection of the kaupapa at the heart of the award itself: connection, collective learning, and belief in what’s possible next.
Hosted by Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi in Pōneke, the Springboard Awards brought together artists, patrons, and supporters from across Aotearoa for an evening that felt equal parts celebration and catalyst. Across the room, conversations overlapped and expanded, introductions folded into future collaborations, and the line between mentor and mentee felt intentionally porous. This is, after all, what Springboard is designed to do — not simply recognise emerging talent, but to actively support it, pairing each recipient with a mentor to help shape the next phase of their practice.
Sixteen artists were named as this year’s recipients, spanning disciplines and approaches, yet united by a shared sense of momentum. There was no singular definition of what an “emerging artist” looked like here, instead, a multiplicity of voices, each at a different point of becoming.
Sefa Tunupopo, Jaime Jenkins, Isabella Loudon, AJ Manaaki Hope, Steven Junil Park, Tony Guo, Erika Holm, Isla MacLeod, Flora Feltham, (front row) Scarlett Robinson-Kean, Mia Maramara, Sean Dioneda Rivera, Lyncia Muller, Jess Chambers
And while the formalities of the evening marked an important milestone, it was the in-between moments that lingered: the recognition that for many in the room, this kind of support can be transformative. The impact of Springboard is lived, unfolding in real time through the relationships it fosters. As the night moved on, the mood shifted easily into celebration. Drinks flowed, courtesy of a generous network of local makers and supporters, while DJ Bontempo kept the room in motion — a reminder that the future of the arts is not only something to be invested in, but something to be enjoyed.
Hamish Edgar, Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Co-Chair
Jaime Jenkins and Jessica Palalagi
Thomas LaHood, Mia Maramara, Isla MacLeod, Steven Junil Park, and guests
If the evening made anything clear, it’s that the strength of Aotearoa’s creative community lies not just in individual talent, but in its willingness to back it — collectively, and with intent.
Flora Feltham, AJ Manaaki Hope, Erika Holm, Isabella Loudon
Mia Maramara, Lyncia Muller, Scarlett Robison-Kean and Sean Dioneda Rivera
ABOUT SPRINGBOARD AWARDS 2026 :
Sixteen artists, each at a pivotal point in their development have been recognised for the strength and range of their practices across disciplines. Each receives a $15,000 grant, alongside a carefully considered mentorship pairing with a senior practitioner drawn from the Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi network and beyond. Mentors are supported with a $5,000 koha, acknowledging the critical role of sustained dialogue and exchange within the programme.
The Springboard Awards are entirely underwritten through private philanthropy, foregrounding a model of collective investment in the future of Aotearoa’s arts ecosystem. This year’s awards have been made possible through the continued support of key patrons and foundations, including Fiona Pardington in partnership with Starkwhite, alongside Ensemble Ltd, Hummingbird Coffee, Jamie and Ann Selkirk, Julian and Lizanne Knights, Joy Shivas, Marko and Jennifer Bogoievski, the Edgar Family Foundation, the Kate Gray Memorial Trust, Wendell Property, and contributors to the Supernova crowdfunding campaign.
Tony Guo and mentor Séraphine Pick
Isla MacLeod, Jaime Jenkins and Jess Chambers
Séraphine Pick and Isabella Loudon
Mentor Giselle Clarkson and Scarlett Robison-Kean
Find out more about The Arts Foundation Springboard.
This post was brought to you in partnership with Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi.
