The New Zealand Body Art Awards has had its funding cut, which meant after eight years, last night was the last chance for fans to catch the event.
And while the Auckland Council and pub charities have decided to stop funding the awards, organisers say this year was the best one yet.
Over eight years, the Body Art Awards have gone from strength to strength.
"What stood out this year was the quality of the art," says organiser Mem Bourke. "It was precise, crisp, inventive."
When the awards started, the art had a more cartoony feel. But now, there's much more intricate shading, creating more 3D effects.
"The standard was superb, even the novice this year," says Ms Bourke. "People were saying, 'I can't believe that's novice.'"
This year's big winner was Taupo's Emma Edworthy. The others ranged from an 11-year-old to an Australian who picked up the Weta Workshop special effects creatures award, Janie Fearon.
This year's body art competition drew more international artists than usual, but that's not enough to keep the competition going. This year is its last because the funding has been cut.
The organisers believe the art of body art has improved because everyone wants to be noticed by Weta Workshop. They say it's a shame to lose the competition because New Zealand is finally starting to make an impact on the world stage.
3 News
source: newshub archive
