The Art and Olfaction Awards
Annual
Locations Variable
In our near decade of operations, the Art and Olfaction Awards have evolved into an important arbiter of excellence for independent and artisan perfumery and experimental practices with scent.
With our anonymized judging, careful management, clearly stated ethics, and impartial mechanism, we’ve set a rigorous – and challenging – standard.
We also never forget our purpose: to celebrate the unfettered expression and creative risk that can come with independent practices with scent, and to celebrate independent perfumery as a whole. It’s true that the competition is tough, and not everyone will get the Golden Pear. But when we celebrate and promote independent voices, all of us will win.
+ Visit the Art and Olfaction Awards website for 2024
2024 EVENTS
Art and Olfaction Awards Finalist Announcement
April 19, 6-8pm
Craft Contemporary, Los Angeles
We announced the finalists for the 10th Art and Olfaction Awards at Craft Contemporary, in an informal celebration of independent perfumery. Madre Mezcal was on hand with aromatic drinks to power our celebrations, while wine was provided by Oliver McCrum Wines & Spirits, food by The Aromatic Gourment, and music by Maxwell UFO.
+ MEET THE FINALISTS
+ SEE PHOTOS
Experimental Scent Summit
June 6, 10am – 6pm
Casa do Alentejo, Lisbon
The Experimental Scent Summit is an ongoing program produced by the Institute for Art and Olfaction (Los Angeles) and Smell Lab (Berlin). A non-for-profit venture, ESS is designed to build community and learning in creative practices with scent. Through informal talks, round tables and workshops, practitioners can share experimental work in an open and unrestrained environment that facilitates collaboration and inquiry. ESS 2024 is being co-curated by Klara Ravat and Saskia Wilson-Brown, with Julianne Lee and Miguel Matos.
Tenth Art and Olfaction Awards
June 7, 7pm – 10pm
Casa do Alentejo, Lisbon
Join the international community of independent and artisan perfumers for the tenth Art and Olfaction Awards. Help us mark this milestone as we celebrate the finalists and announce the winners at the beautiful Casa do Alentejo – a prime example of architecture in the heart of Lisbon.
ABOUT THE ART AND OLFACTION AWARDS
The Art and Olfaction Awards celebrate creativity, innovation and excellence in global independent and artisan perfumery. We accomplish this through an annual award in three categories: Artisan Perfume, Independent Perfume and Experimental Work with Scent, as well as our discretionary awards: the Contribution to Scent Culture Award, the Aftel Award for Handmade Perfume, and Piesse Award for Exceptional Vision.
Awarded to just eight projects a year, the Art and Olfaction Awards present a highly competitive and highly selective award that is designed to raise interest and awareness for active independent and artisan perfumers from all countries. Our hope is that by shining a spotlight on independent and artisan perfumery’s most outstanding creators, we- in turn – will help generate support for independent perfumery, as a whole.
Submissions to the awards are open to the public, and are judged blindly by an international panel, in two phases. The preliminary judges decide the shortlisted perfumes in the artisan and independent category, and the finalist judges decide the winners. A separate panel of curators and artists decide both the shortlisted projects and the winners in the Sadakichi Award for Experimental Work with Scent. Learn about our judges here.
The award ceremony takes place in May every year, and celebrates the work of the finalists and winners. We announce the finalists earlier in the year in a separate ceremony – often at Esxence, in Milan.
2024: THE TENTH ART AND OLFACTION AWARDS
The tenth edition of the awards will take place on June 7, 2024 at Casa do Alentejo, in Lisbon. It will be preceded by the 5th Experimental Scent Summit.
+ Learn more here
2023: THE NINTH ART AND OLFACTION AWARDS
The ninth Art and Olfaction Awards took place on May 11, 2023 at Cicada Club, in Los Angeles.
+ Learn more here
2022: THE EIGHTH ART AND OLFACTION AWARDS
The eighth Art and Olfaction Awards took place on July 1, 2022 at the World Perfumery Congress in Miami.
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2020: THE SEVENTH ART AND OLFACTION AWARDS
The seventh annual Art and Olfaction Awards took place in September 17, 2020, in a celebration on Zoom.
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2019: THE SIXTH ART AND OLFACTION AWARDS
The sixth annual Art and Olfaction Awards took place at the historic Oude Kerk in Amsterdam on May 2, followed by an after-party for awards attendees at Mata Hari Bar. The third annual Scent Summit took place two days later, on May 4, at Treehouse NDSM.
+ Learn more here
2018: THE FIFTH ART AND OLFACTION AWARDS
Attended by 200 people (approximately!) 2018’s award ceremony took place on April 21, 2018, at The Tabernacle, in London’s eclectic Notting Hill neighborhood.
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2017: THE FOURTH ART AND OLFACTION AWARDS
Attended by 200 people from around the world, 2017’s award ceremony took place at the historic and beautiful Silent Green Kulturquartier in Berlin on May 6, 2017.
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2016: THE THIRD ART AND OLFACTION AWARDS
The third annual Art and Olfaction Awards were held on May 7, 2016 at Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, and attended by 200 people from around the world.
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2015: THE SECOND ART AND OLFACTION AWARDS
The second annual Art and Olfaction Awards were held on April 17th, 2015 at The Goethe Institut in Los Angeles, and were attended by approximately 100 people from Los Angeles and abroad.
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2014: THE FIRST ART AND OLFACTION AWARDS
The first annual Art and Olfaction Awards were held on April 25, 2014 at The Goethe Institut in Los Angeles, attended by approximately 100 people from Los Angeles and abroad.
+ Learn more here
Past Winners of the Art and Olfaction Award, Independent Category
2014 – Ashoka, by Neela Vermeire Creations with Bertrand Duchaufour (France)
2014 – König, by YOSH with Olivia Jan (USA)
2015 – Black Pepper & Sandalwood, by Acca Kappa with Luca Maffei (Italy)
2015 – Skive, by Canoe with Jessica Hannah (USA)
2016 – Bat, by Zoologist Perfumes with Ellen Covey (Canada/USA)
2016 – Néa, by Jul et Mad Paris with Luca Maffei (France/Italy)
2017 – Altruist, by J.F. Schwarzlose Berlin with Véronique Nyberg (Germany)
2017 – Fathom V, by BeauFort London with Julie Marlowe (UK)
2018 – Nuit de Bakélite, by Naomi Goodsir with Isabelle Doyen (Australia / France)
2018 – Eau de Virginie, by Au Pays de la Fleur d’Oranger with Jean-Claude Gigodot (France)
2019 – Rich Mess by Ryan Richmond with Christophe Laudamiel (USA)
2019 – Colorado by American Perfumer, with Dawn Spencer Hurwitz (USA)
2020 – Young Hearts by Bruno Acampora Profumi, with Miguel Matos (Italy, Portugal)
2020 – PostHume by Son Venïn, with Rosine Courage (Norway)
2022 – Aged Tea by Pan Seven International (Taiwan, R.O.C)
2022 – Saskia by Grandiflora, with Christophe Laudamiel, Ugo Charron, Saskia Havekes (Australia)
2023 – Fuchsrot by Bodé Studios, with Andreas Wilhelm for Lino Bottani, Nicola Deflorin (Switzerland)
2023 – Ierofante by Parfums Quartana, with Luca Maffei for Joseph Quartana (USA)
Past Winners of the Art and Olfaction Award, Artisan Category
2014 – Calling All Angels, by April Aromatics / Tanja Bochnig (Germany)
2014 – John Frum, by Aether Arts Perfumes / Amber Jobin (USA)
2015 – Eau de Céleri, by Monsillage / Isabelle Michaud (Canada)
2015 – Woodcut, by Olympic Orchids / Ellen Covey (USA)
2016 – Incendo, by La Curie / Lesli Wood Peterson (USA)
2016 – Miyako, by Auphorie / Eugene and Emrys Au (Malaysia)
2017 – Mélodie de l’Amour, by Parfums Dusita / Pissara Umavijani (France)
2017 – Bruise Violet, by Sixteen92 / Claire Baxter (USA)
2018 – Chienoir, by BedeauX / Amanda Beadle (UK)
2018 – Club Design, by The Zoo / Christophe Laudamiel (US/Germany)
2019 – Hyde, by Hiram Green Perfumes / Hiram Green (The Netherlands)
2019 – Powder & Dust by SP Parfums / Sven Pritzkoleit with Yana Lysenko Tommelise (Germany)
2020 – Bonsai by House of Matriarch / Christi Meshell (USA)
2020 – Nimbis by Parallax Olfactory / Linda Sivrican (USA)
2022 – Mayan Chocolate by Aether Arts Perfume / Amber Jobin (USA)
2022 – Oolong Tea by One Day / Michael Wong (Hong Kong R.O.C)
2023 – Tabacco Smeraldo by Miguel Matos (Portugal)
2023 – Voices by House of Mammoth, by Benjamin Esposito (USA)
Past Winners of the Sadakichi Award for Experimental Work with Scent
2015 – Famous Deaths by Marcel van Brakel, Frederik Duerinck, Mark Meeuwenoord, Marcel Boonman, Daan Rijnkels, Caro Verbeek, Jorg Hempenius, Peter de Cupere, Wander Eikelboom, Thijs Eerens, Simon Kentgens, Martijn de Ruiter (Netherlands)
2016 – Century’s Breath by Cat Jones (Australia)
2017 – Osmodrama / Smeller 2.0 by Wolfgang Georgsdorf, with perfumer Geza Schön (Germany)
2018 – Under the Horizon, by Oswaldo Maciá with perfumer Ricardo Moya (IFF)
2019 – Diary of Smells: Glass Ceiling by Josely Carvalho with Leandro Petit (Brazil)
2020 – Jónsi: Í blóma (In bloom), Hvítblinda (Whiteout), Svartalda (Dark wave) by Jónsi Birgisson (Iceland / USA)
2022 – Viral Parfum by Maki Ueda (Japan / Netherlands)
2023 – Salt Flowers by Peter de Cupere (Belgium)
Past Winners of the Contribution to Scent Culture Award
Awarded for significant contributions to public awareness of artisan, independent and experimental practices with scent, on an international scale.
2017 – Christophe Laudamiel (US/Germany)
2018 – Peter de Cupere (Belgium)
2019 – Sissel Tolaas (Germany)
2020 – no award given
2022 – Nez (France)
2023 – Black Perfumers by Elle N. and a collective of 33 perfumers (US/International)
Past Winners of the Septimus Piesse Visionary Award
This award is given to an outstanding person showing proof of exceptional vision with regards to how scent is used, developed, presented, or imagined.
2019 – Frederik Duerinck (Netherlands)
2020 – no award given
2022 – Mandy Aftel (USA)
2023 – Olif by Taylor Ahlmark & Anoria Gilbert for Maak Lab (USA)
Past Winners of the Aftel Award for Handmade Perfume
2018 – Pays Dogon, by Monsillage / Isabelle Michaud (Canada)
2019 – Maderas de Oriente Oscuro by PK Perfumes / Paul Kiler (USA)
2020 – Rasa, by Pomare’s Stolen Perfume / Rachel Binder (USA)
2022 – Behold, Patchouli by Gallagher Fragrances / Daniel Gallagher and Mindy Ruiz (USA)
2023 – La Tacita De Cafe, Extrait by Day Three Fragrances, by Michael Paul (USA)
MORE INFORMATION
Awarded to just five projects and one person a year, The Art and Olfaction Awards present a highly competitive and highly selective award that is designed to raise interest and awareness for active independent and artisan perfumers from all countries. Our hope is that by shining a spotlight on independent and artisan perfumery’s most outstanding creators and experimental practitioners with scent, we- in turn – will help generate support for independent perfumery, as a whole.
The Art and Olfaction Awards were started to fill a perceived gap in the industry, allowing access to a well-produced and fair competition specifically designed to celebrate the work done by artisan perfumers, independent perfume houses, and experimental practitioners with scent.
We started the awards by implementing and improving upon some existing awards structures, including:
– Blind, multiple-phase judging
– A clear set of judging parameters
– Affordable submission fees
– Public announcement of finalists, as well as the winners
– An international panel of judges, reflecting a diversity of fields and interests
HISTORY
Our first awards ceremony took place in April, 2014 at Goethe Institut Los Angeles, with the support of Luckyscent / Scent Bar.
In 2015, we expanded on our two award categories by adding The Sadakichi Award for Experimental Work with Scent, created to highlight scent-related work being done in the context of other creative practices. This experimental award joined our artisan and independent awards to create a broad snapshot of the diversity, excellence and potential in the field. 2015 also marked the beginning of our partnership with Esxence Milan. As part of our collaboration with Esxence, we announce the finalists in a special yearly event at the conference.
We held the third annual Art and Olfaction Awards at Hammer Museum as part of their public programming in May 2016. The expanded event was hosted by Zackary Drucker, and was free, open to the public, and packed with over 200 attendees. The event was also supported by a three day scent fair, produced by Hammer Museum, The Institute for Art and Olfaction and Luckyscent / Scent Bar.
In 2017, we hosted the fourth annual Art and Olfaction Awards in Europe – announcing the finalists at Esxence in Milan (March 2017), and holding the award ceremony itself at Silent Green kulturquartier in Berlin, Germany on May 6, 2017. At that event, we launced the Contribution to Scent Culture Award, which was given to Christophe Laudamiel.
In 2018, we hosted the awards in London at The Tabernacle in Notting Hill. In addition to the existing awards, we awarded our inaugural Aftel Award for Handmade Perfume. The 6th awards were held at The Oude Kerk in Amsterdam, in May 2019. The 7th awards were to be held in Los Angeles, but due to the global pandemic, were held online in September 2020.
The 8th awards were held at the World Perfumery Congress in Miami in July 2022. The 9th awards returned to Los Angeles and were presented in the context of a ten day festival of perfume called Scent Week.
For more information about the Art and Olfaction Awards, please visit our website and social media pages: