Honour Laurels
Call for honour laurels nominations
Two honour laurels are presented by HMAA. The Anita Boucher Laurel, which acknowledges an outstanding contribution to the horticultural media and honours the late Anita Boucher who was a founding member of HMAA, and the Gold Laurel, which is the highest accolade awarded by HMAA.
The executive committee is calling for nominations for both awards for 2022. A nomination can be made by any financial HMAA member and should include a citation outlining the achievements of the person who is nominated. The nominee must also be a member of HMAA. Nominations should be sent to HMAA President, Matthew Carroll (email president@hmaaustralia.com.au) by JUNE 6.
Gold Laurel winners
2020 Jennifer Stackhouse
2018 Annette McFarlane and Angus Stewart (joint winners)
2016 Jane Edmanson
2014 Gwen and Rodger Elliot (joint winners)
For previous Gold Laurel winners visit the HMAA website.
Anita Boucher Outstanding Achievement Laurel winners
2020 Sophie Thomson
2018 Jennifer Stackhouse
2016 John Colwill and Catherine Stewart (joint winners)
2014 Chloe Thomson (as winner Anita Boucher Young Achiever Award)
For previous award winners visit the HMAA website.
The 2022 HMAA Laurels
Organised by the HMAA Inc Executive Committee
Laurel Award Judging Information
The HMAA 2022 Laurels judging process is informed by the understanding that horticultural media crafts are based on the simple concept that quality horticultural media output embodies the effective communication of accurate and balanced gardening information.
1. Judges
A panel of judges will be convened under the chairmanship of the Laurels Judging Coordinator. The panel will consist of individuals from outside the horticultural media from two professional areas: communications and horticultural knowledge. No HMAA members will be appointed as judges of the Laurels.
a. Communications One group of judges will be selected from the areas of writing, video and radio presentation, book publishing and/or editing with significant experience in mainstream media channels. They will assess entries based on media communications skills.
b. Horticultural knowledge A second group of judges will be selected from academia and industry to assess entries for horticultural accuracy and breadth. The two groups of judges will collaborate during the judging process.
2. Judging methodology Given the fluid nature of the way media styles respond to cultural and social changes and the abstract nature generally of creative work, Laurel entries are most appropriately assessed at a given moment by comparison with each other rather than by being judged against a fixed standard.
3. Judging criteria for Laurels
a. Accessibility Highly ranked entries present information in a way easily understood by the intended audience.
b. Accuracy and breadth Highly ranked entries are both accurate and convey sufficient information to make the central subject matter or premise meaningful within a wider gardening context.
c. Support material Highly ranked entries will include evidence to support the main premise or supposition of an entry in the form of relevant explanation, images, vision and or graphics.
d. Engagement Highly ranked entries will engage audience interest from the outset by utilising techniques that may include humour, provocation, curiosity, a compelling overview or other techniques that encourage the audience to start and keep watching, listening or reading.
e. Quality Highly ranked entries will be of a professional standard.
