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.
