Art & Olfaction Awards Reveal Finalists for 7th Annual Event

The Institute for Art and Olfaction announced 30 finalists for the seventh annual Art and Olfaction Awards' three juried categories: Independent, Artisan, and the Sadakichi Award for Experimental Work with Scent.
The Institute for Art and Olfaction announced 30 finalists for the seventh annual Art and Olfaction Awards' three juried categories: Independent, Artisan, and the Sadakichi Award for Experimental Work with Scent.

The Institute for Art and Olfaction (IAO) has announced the finalists for the seventh annual Art and Olfaction Awards. The featured finalists qualified in the programs three juried categories: independent, artisan and the Sadakichi Award for Experimental Work with Scent.

Since the program’s inception in 2014, The Art and Olfaction Awards have become a prestigious celebration of excellence in independent perfumery.

Designed to raise public interest and awareness around new developments in perfume, the Art and Olfaction Awards’ Golden Pear statuette is handed out to eight outstanding creators in the categories of independent, artisan, and experimental perfume, at its yearly awards events in cities around the world.

The Art and Olfaction Awards honors excellent work being done in a broad range of styles. Cemented by its three juried categories, awards are also given in three discretionary categories: The Contribution to Scent Culture Award, The Septimus Piesse Award for Exceptional Vision, and the Aftel Award for Handmade Perfume.

Winners will be announced during the annual public ceremony, which is returning to Los Angeles, at the stunning art deco Cicada Club in September 2020. Each winner will receive the Golden Pear, which continues to cement its status as an important achievement in the perfume world. 

This year’s jury included Anahita Mekanik, Andreas Wilhelm, Ashley Eden Kessler, Bibiana Prival, Dana El Masri, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, Eddie Bulliqi, Frederic Jacques, Mark Behnke, Marta Siembab, Sherri Sebastian and Yosh Han. Together, these judges blindly selected the finalists and the winners in the artisan and independent categories.

The Sadakichi Award was juried by Anna Gerber, Darin Klein, Deji Bryce Olukotun, Peter de Cupere and Simon Niedenthal. The Aftel Award for Handmade Perfume was selected in a separate blind judging process by Mandy Aftel, Jana Blankenship and Jane Larkworthy.

Independent Category Finalists

Due to several ties, there are 12 finalists in the independent category.

  • 20|20

by J. F. Schwarzlose Berlin (Germany)

Perfumer: Veronique Nyberg

  • Accento Overdose

by Xerjoff (Italy)

Perfumer: Christian Carbonnel

  • Amyi VIII

by Amyi (Brazil)

Perfumer: Samuel Moraes

  • Bee

by Zoologist (Canada)

Perfumer: Cristiano Canali

  • Behique

by Renier Perfumes (Czech Republic/Cuba)

Perfumer: Christian Carbonnel

  • Ganymede

by Marc-Antoine Barrois (France)

Perfumer: Quentin Bisch

  • Love Kills

by MASQUE Milano (Italy)

Perfumer: Caroline Dumur

  • Moire

by Les Nez Parfums d'Auteurs (Switzerland)

Perfumer: LD Garnier

  • November 2019

by Scent Trunk (USA)

Perfumer: Tyler Monk

  • Post_Hume

by Son Venïn (Norway)

Perfumer: Rosine Courage

  • Squid

by Zoologist (Canada)

Perfumer: Celine Barel

  • Young Hearts

by Bruno Acampora Profumi (Italy)

Perfumer: Miguel Matos

Artisan Category Finalists

Due to several ties, there are 13 finalists in the artisan category.

  • Absinthe-Minded

by Anka Kuş Parfüm (Australia)

Perfumer: Ali Erkekli

  • Bonsai

by House of Matriarch (USA)

Perfumer: Christi Meshell

  • Eve

by St. Clair Scents (USA)

Perfumer: Diane St. Clair

  • Fall

by Criminal Elements (Australia)

Perfumer: Corey Newcombe

  • Impermanence

by Christèle Jacquemin (France)

Perfumer: Christèle Jacquemin

  • Keman

by DI SER (Japan)

Perfumers: Rajesh Balkrishnan and Yasuyuki Shinohara

  • Nepenthe

by En Voyage Perfumes (USA)

Perfumer: Shelley Waddington

  • Nimbis

by Parallax Olfactory (USA)

Perfumer: Linda Sivrican

  • OBO #302

by OK Fine Fragrances (USA)

Perfumer: Steven DeMercado

  • Perfumista

by Anatole Lebreton (France)

Perfumer: Anatole Lebreton

  • Rasa

by Pomare’s Stolen Perfume (USA)

Perfumer: Rachel Binder

  • Weinstrasse

by Chatillon Lux (USA)

Perfumer: Shawn Maher

  • Wild Child

by CognoScenti (USA)

Perfumer: Dannielle Sergent

Sadakichi Award Finalists

  • Cerca (Closer)

by Pablo Eduardo Schanton and Alejandro Ros (Argentina)

Perfumer: Various

  • Jónsi (Hvítblinda / Í blóma / Svartalda)

by Jónsi Birgisson (Iceland/USA)

Perfumer: Jónsi Birgisson

  • Notes

by Lauren Jetty (The Netherlands/UK)

Perfumer: Renske van Vroonhoven

  • Olfactory Labyrinth V. 5: Invisible Footprints

by Maki Ueda (Japan)

Perfumer: Maki Ueda

  • Tree VR

by Milica Zec and Winslow Turner Porter III

Perfumer: Laurent Le Guernec

Discretionary Awards

Aftel Award for Handmade Perfume

This award is given to one outstanding small batch perfume that was 100% perfumer-created, in-house, with no use of outsourced compounding or expansion at any stage of the process.

Contribution to Scent Culture Award

This award is given to one outstanding person who made significant contributions to global public awareness of artisan, independent and experimental practices with scent in 2019.

Septimus Piesse Visionary Award

New to the awards this year, this award is given to an outstanding person showing proof of exceptional vision with regards to how scent is used, developed or imagined.

More in Event Coverage