The 10th Annual Diemen Awards will take place in the opulent surrounds of the Hobart Theatre Royal on Saturday 23 March 2024.
Adam Glover, chair of the Diemen Awards, said they are expecting the biggest turnout to date.
This year, the Diemen’s will not only award printing and design excellence but also throw a big bash post-presentation to celebrate its 10th birthday.
Once known as the Piker Awards, the Diemen Awards began when the awards expanded to include all creative industries.
Glover said the awards presentation evening will be an extraordinary occasion, but he won’t elaborate on the details, as that would spoil the surprise.
“What we can tell you is there will be entertainment; it will be a little bit different.”
Over the years, the Diemen Awards has grown in reputation, status, and cred. This year sees the print categories broaden to include all iterations, such as labels and signage, along with traditional commercial print and packaging.
Glover said they have reduced the number of categories but broadened the scope of work eligible for entering within those categories. For example, this year will be the first-time large format signage is eligible for entry.
Judges this year include professional experts in each category, including design, digital, and ten printing and packaging.
So, what makes a Diemen Award winner?
“It’s just pure excellence in print and craftsmanship for the print categories and then and then obviously you’ve got the design and digital and advertising, and they’ve all got their own different criteria they are judged on,” said Glover.
Glover adds that the Diemen’s prides itself on fostering youth in the Tasmanian creative community through its Student of the Year award, its Young Executive of the Year award as well as an Inclusive Work award for people in the industry with disabilities.
He also highlighted renaming the Print Apprentice of the Year award two years ago to the Peter Clark Award, recognising the late, great Peter Clark as a significant and inspirational member of the industry who originally hailed from Tasmania.
As a celebration of the excellent work of Tasmanians, to be a potential Diemen Award recipient, you need to be a Taswegian. Glover said the criteria for entry is that the work must be done by Tasmanians in Tasmania and completed over the past twelve months.
One of the proud sponsors of the Diemen Awards 2024 is the Visual Media Association.
“We’ve locked away our sponsors and started all our television advertising already,” says Glover.
A Diemen Award is highly sought after in Tassie, not to mention the award itself is a work of art in its own right. They are custom-made out of brass in a pyramid shape, and Glover says they are extremely dangerous.
“They’re so pointy; they are like a lethal weapon. We have to be very careful. We’ve had a couple of spikes in fingers and drawn blood!” jokes Glover.
“We have partnered with Media Super, as proud sponsors of the Diemen Awards each year since it has become an independent event. I congratulate the Diemens Award Board and Team for the terrific program they run bringing all of industry together from design to print to distribution. It is a great event and I look forward to attending and participating once again this year,” commented Kellie Northwood, Chief Executive Officer, Visual Media Association.
Entries are now closed, and the judging is to take place over the next month.
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