The Fabulous Placemaking
Award of Aotearoa
The Kūmara Awards is on a mission to celebrate fabulous placemaking projects happening across Aotearoa, so that anyone can experience a better connection to place, learn more about community and get inspired to make their own projects. Big or small, permanent or temporary, many kinds of placemaking projects can win a Kūmara Award!
Let’s celebrate great placemaking projects
of Aotearoa together!
The Kūmara Awards have been happening since 2020. Led by 3 local organisations, Catalyse, Gap Filler and Hutt City Council, there have been 4 successful celebrations with more than 550 projects nominated. 50 projects have won a Kūmara Award and more than 20 others received a Loud Hurrah.
38 people have volunteered as judges in Tāmaki Makaurau, Te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui and Ōtautahi (wider Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch).
“It was a real privilege to attend The Kūmara Awards and hear about all the great projects taking place… We're feeling very lucky to live here. Congratulations to all the winners, and a Loud Hurrah!”
- GapFiller - 2024 Ōtautahi Loud Hurrah! Winner
So, what are The Kūmara Awards?
The Kūmara Awards are a celebration of projects that have made a positive difference to life in public places. Nominated by all kinds of people, the awards showcase meaningful transformation and impactful change that is experienced positively by communities in public spaces.
The Kūmara Awards also encourage placemaking initiatives and remind us that both big and small changes have the potential to uplift a place and the people in it.
And The Kūmara Awards supports people who care enough to act. We all have some power to change a place, improve a community and to nominate projects that have made a difference!
Short story of The Awards
2020
The first Kūmara Awards followed a year of Covid-19 lockdowns that had seen the rise and rise of small local placemaking. These Awards were a socially distanced celebration of connection to people and place, despite lockdowns, in Tāmaki Makarau
Two other cities joined in - Ōtautahi Christchurch and Te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui Greater Wellington. Both already had lots of amazing placemaking happening and it was time to showcase that and encourage more. Each place did things slightly differently because, well, we are all a bit different :)
2021
All three cities were involved too, with both Ōtautahi and Te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui expanding their reach to include nearby areas. This was the first year in Tāmaki Makaurau that we could have face to face celebrations - so we did!
2022
We listened to feedback and… paused. We changed the time of year the Awards happened, grew our network, and our online and in person engagement. The Kūmara Awards grew massively!
2023
We held celebrations in Tāmaki Makaurau and Ōtautahi and Te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui on the same night at the same time. Hundreds of people came! Each celebration was different, reflecting the local area. Everyone had a lot of fun connecting over food, beverages and music while honouring fabulous placemaking.
2024
See how it was:
How do we handpick all these wonderful projects?
We don’t you do!
Some people create a great project that changes a place for the best
You notice it and nominate it to share your appreciation of the project
1. Mā te haukāinga hei tūāpapa ki te ao tūroa /
It Takes a Village - is all about collaboration
2. Ahakoa he iti, ko tōna painga ka puawaitia /
From Little Things Big Things Grow - small changes can make an impact
3. Kei tua atu i te kaupapa /
Beyond the brief - physical spaces that are more than what is expected or required
4. Ngā akoranga i muri, hei tūāpapa ki ngā mahi ki mua /
Looking Back to Move Forward - highlighting experiences of culture in our places
5. Tiakina te whenua, ka manaakitia te tangata /
Caring For the Land, Caring For the People - nature is the focus here
We write it up and give it a category:
Then we send it to our wonderful judges - they score it. Anonymously and generously to create a shortlist
You’ll see the shortlist published on Facebook
Judges meet, talk and make final decisions..
Winners are announced!
We give awards
and celebrate together!
Are you curious? Have any questions?
Want to run the Kūmara Awards in your place?
Or maybe have a good joke? Tell us!
‘There’s not a lot we can ask for in terms of being awarded (for our work), and the Kūmara Awards is our very first step in being able to do that.’
– Kelly Marie Francis, Whenua Warrior and 2023 Winner
It feels really great to get this support and recognition, and that we are valuable enough to (the community.)
– Pascal Gillies, Gribblehirst Hub and 2023 Winner
The more that the Kūmara vine sings the more that people are going to do these types of initiatives and the community will have more of an appetite for it too.
– Bea Enriques, Gear up Play Portals, 2021 Kūmara Awards Winner
Yeah, we have a smile on our face. What we are trying to do is make a better future for all, and that’s serious work. But if you can do it with a sense of joy and fun and play, then your heart’s in it.
– Frith Walker, Head of Placemaking at Eke Panuku Development Auckland
