QEST Sanderson Rising Star Craft Award 2026

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About the Award

Please read the following guidance before proceeding to the nomination form.

Deadline for nominations: Midnight, Friday 5 June 2026.

If you have any questions, please contact risingstar@qest.org.uk

The QEST Sanderson Rising Star Craft Award aims to recognise an emerging talent who is already a skilled craftsperson, and who is making a positive contribution to their craft, the wider craft sector and community.

The Award will shine a spotlight on this rising talent and – through recognition and financial reward – provide a boost at this critical moment of their career, helping them to become a leader in their field of craft.  

First stage:

Candidates must be nominated by a credible person (the Nominator) who must know the maker and their work well in a professional capacity - see Eligibility below.
 
Nomination is via this nomination form (next page).

The nomination form will ask the Nominator to comment on the Candidate's practice, focusing on their:
  • Craft skill and quality of their work/practice
  • Significant achievements to date
  • Originality (what sets them apart as a Rising Star)
  • Contribution to their sector or community
  • Contribution to a better planet
  • Potential as a maker.
A shortlist of 12 Candidates will be selected by a panel of judges.

The judges are seeking Candidates who can perform well across all these areas or notably excel in a few areas. Additionally, you will be required to submit five images showcasing the Candidate's recent work.

Second stage:

The 12 shortlisted Candidates will be contacted directly and asked to provide a supporting statement as to why they believe they should receive the Award; how they would use the prize money and how it would further advance their practice. Examples could include:
  • Studio costs – particularly a studio move or enhancement
  • Equipment – which would further advance their practice
  • Materials – which would enable them to realise a specific project or aspiration
  • Training, education, self-directed learning, research or residencies
    • Note: if predominantly planning to use the prize money for college courses, one-to-one tuition with a master craftsperson or short courses, consider instead applying for a QEST Scholarship or Emerging Maker Grant here.
  • Project costs – which would benefit the wider community
  • Other relevant intentions.
Six finalists will be selected by a panel of judges.

Third and Final stage:

The six finalists will be invited to interview at Sanderson Design Group Offices, Voysey House,
Sandersons Lane, London W4 4PN

The winner will be announced at an evening reception at Voysey House. 

The Nominator

The Nominator should be a credible person such as an industry professional (maker who is a leader in their field, educator, senior colleague) or influential voice (commissioner, curator, designer, journalist, thought leader) operating within the craft and cultural sector.

The Nominator must know the Candidate and their work in a professional capacity.

The Nominator may only nominate one Candidate for the Award.

Candidates may not self-nominate.

Nominators may not also be Candidates – if you are being nominated for the award, you cannot be a Nominator. 

Nominators should make the Candidate aware they are nominating them and they may liaise on specific details of the nomination form.

Nominators should complete the nomination form by Midnight, Friday 5 June.

The Candidate

The Candidate should be an early-to-mid career craftsperson, defined as follows:
  • A committed maker who has been practising professionally for typically between 2 and 7 years in their field (please give details if necessary when introducing the maker) 
  • A maker who identifies their practice within the field of craft and has a strong foundation and clear commitment to their craft, but who are still in the process of developing their skills and expertise
  • A maker with a strong connection to materials, technical skills and processes. 
The Award is not for individuals who are just starting out or pursuing making as a hobby.

The Candidate must be:
  • Aged 18 or above at the time of nomination (no upper age limit; they could be a career-changer/taken up their craft professionally at a later stage in their career)
  • Living in the UK with the right to reside either permanently or on a long-term basis
    • Note: if based in the UK on a visa, an eligible visa must in place at the time of nomination. Those with Settled Status, Pre-settled Status and Partner/Spouse Visas are eligible for nomination. Those with Student visas are not eligible for nomination. 
  • Intending to continue to practice in the UK and contribute to the UK craft industry.
Ideally, Candidates should only be nominated once by one Nominator per award. 

In the event that they are shortlisted, the Candidate must be prepared to provide a supporting statement by Friday 24 July.

In the event that they become a finalist, the Candidate must be available to attend an in-person interview on Monday 7 September and the evening reception on Thursday 8 October at Voysey House.

Judges will include members of Sanderson and QEST, as well as:
  • Sanderson Design Group CEO and QEST Chair Lisa Montague
  • QEST CEO Deborah Pocock LVO
  • Journalist and QEST Ambassador, Debika Ray
  • The World of Interiors Style Director Ruth Sleightholme
  • Hugo Macdonald, curator, consultant and Design Critic at Wallpaper*
  • Hanny Newton, recipient of the inaugural QEST Sanderson Rising Star Craft Award, recognised for her pioneering use of straw as a sustainable alternative to metal threads.

The Winner will receive a cash prize of £25,000.

It is expected that the bulk of the cash prize will be spent on relevant craft activities, and the Winner will be asked to report back on the progress of these activities, with the stories to be used anecdotally for PR purposes and to promote future Rising Star Craft Awards.

This is intended to be a biennial Award (every two years) and the Winner will be invited to join the panel of judges for the following Award.

Fri 5 Jun                 Deadline for Nominations

                                Judges to identify a shortlist of 12 Candidates

by Fri 10 Jul           Shortlist of 12 Candidates to be notified and asked to provide a supporting statement

Fri 24 Jul         Deadline to provide supporting statement

                                Judges to identify six finalists to invite to interview

by Fri 21 Aug         Six finalists to be invited to interview

Mon 7 Sep              In-person interview at Sanderson Design Group Offices, Voysey House,
                                Sandersons Lane, London W4 4PN

Thurs 8 Oct            Winner announced at an evening reception at Voysey House

About the Nominator and the Candidate
























Nomination Form

Please complete the below sections.

Note that judges are looking for Candidates who:
  • Perform well across all sections of the form, or
  • Notably excel in a few sections of the form.

(max 150 words)

What they do, where they operate, what they are known for and how they meet the criteria of early-to-mid career craftsperson
(max 200 words)

(max 150 words)

What is their unique selling point? What about their work or practice is innovative/meets a need/overcomes significant challenge or adversity/brings contemporary relevance to a traditional craft?
(max 150 words)

Include details of any significant awards, commissions or other recognition they have recently achieved. Where possible, please paste links to evidence e.g. news story, listing on award site
(150 words for details + 100 words for links to evidence)

Do they have the potential to succeed/ability to achieve what they set their mind to? Have they set realistic goals? Do they have the ability to adapt to/overcome challenge?
(max 150 words)

 How are they improving the sustainability of their practice, or otherwise having a positive impact on people and planet?
(max 150 words)

Please attach a PDF document containing five strong images of the Candidate’s work.

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