SBA Plantae 2025: Awards and Certificates + Photos

We had a wonderful Private View and Awards evening at SBA Plantae 2025 on Wednesday 4th June when the following awards, prizes and certificates were announced - and received by those who were attending the PV

The awards presentation was enhanced by a visual presentation of each artwork winning an award on a big screen to the left of the presenters. A huge improvement on what I see and experience at other presentations in this gallery!  For some of the awards you will see the screen version rather than my photo of the artwork in question.

We just need a little coaching for the artists so they stop and turn around to the cameras and pause for a few seconds before departing the presentation. i.e. I was sat on the front row and I've got an awful lot of photos of people's backs!

THE WINNERS ARE LISTED BELOW

Listed below are all the winners of the various awards, prizes and certificates.
I have embedded a link to a relevant website - usually their own - within the name of each artist - where you can find out more about the artist and see more of their art.

You can also see all the artwork with an award or certificate label hanging in the garden at the end of last week in my album about 

• SBA Plantae 2025 - Awards and people with artwork (47 items)

The audience for the Awards Ceremony at the Private View in the West Gallery of Plantae 2025

SBA Awards
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The following are the traditional awards made by the Council of the Society of Botanical Artists. Where Judges are independent of the Council these are stated.

Four works by Tatiana Efimova SBAF

Joyce Cuming Presentation Award – Awarded with an inscribed glass trophy – For a body of beautiful botanical pieces

• Tatiana Efimova SBAF

One of her artworks (the one on the left) was included on the cover of the Catalogue

Eryngium by Marina Kiselyova

John Waterman Awards judged by Helen Allen and Rachel Sherwood

• 1st prize of £750 – Marina Kiselyova SBAF for Eryngium (47) - see her Instagram post about her five awards below
• 2nd prize of £500 – Patricia Richards for Banana Shallot (206)
• 3rd prize of £250 – Toni Dade SBAF for Much Weathered Nicolai (110)​

Marina Kiselyova has had a VERY GOOD exhibition. She

• won 1st prize in the John Waterman Award - the top money prize (£750),
• was a joint winner of the CPGFS award (£250),
• was awarded two Certificates of Botanical Merit for her Hellebores and Eringium
• awarded an Exhibiting Excellence in Watercolour for her Hellebores,
• sold her tulip on vellum to an eminent collector (£950)

​
She thinks she's very lucky. I think she's extremely talented. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Marina Kiselyova (@tasamajamarina)

Suzanne Lucas Memorial Award in Recognition of Services to the SBA – Jackie Gethin
(Suzanne Lucas won 13 RHS Gold Medals, founded the Society of Botanical Artists and was its first President)

​The Presidents' Award – Awarded with an inscribed glass trophy – Nick McMillen SBAF for Teasel (2) 
(Nick took over 100 artworks by some 80+ international artists and framed them all!)

Nick McMillan receiving the Presidents Award

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RHS RMCG Judges + Lucy Smith who judged the Certificates of Botanical Merit on extreme left

Entries for The RCMG RHS Competition were entirely separate from entries for Plantae 2025 but it involved a close collaboration with SBA and Plantae 2025 hosting the exhibition. All artworks had a size restriction of a maximum of 60cm x 90cm (framed size).

Rhododendron, Camellia and Magnolia Group Awards – Judged by a panel of Judges from the RHS Rhododendron, Camellia and Magnolia Group,

• Jim Gardiner, Head Judge Vice President of the RHS, member of RHS RCMG
• Lionel de Rothschild member of RHS RCMG
• Deborah Lambkin SBAF, RHS Orchid Artist and RHS Botanical Art Judge
• John Sanders member of RHS RCMG
• Sarah Bray RHS Floral Judge, member of RHS RCMG and Vice President of Plant Heritage
• Leigh-Ann Gale SBAF botanical artist, author and teacher​ ​

OVERALL WINNER 

The overall winner - of the competition as a whole - was Yunjeong Kim SBAF for her excellent watercolour painting of Magnolia sprengeri var. Diva (Maxim).

It also sold for a very handsome price - before the exhibition opened to the public! Methinks maybe one of the RCMG group could not resist it! Which highlights an interesting aspect of gardening, many leading horticulturalists are avid collectors of art about the plants they love.

Rhododendron 

• 1st prize: An Suk Park SBAF
• Runner Up: Billy Showell PPSBA

Rhododendron Awards

Magnolia 

• 1st Prize: Yunjeong Kim SBAF 
• Runner Up: Maggy Fitzpatrick SBAF

Magnolia Awards

Camellia 

• 1st Prize: Geum Hee Choi SBAF (graduate of DLDC 16)
• Runner Up: Shimmi Koh SBAF Director, Botanical Artist Society of Korea​ ​

Camellia Awards

Sponsors Awards - awarded by Guest Judges
​

SBA orders its Sponsors prizes in alphabetical order.  My personal preference is to always order them - for every exhibition I review - in terms of the value of the prize - to encourage other potential sponsors in future years!  Plus IMO cash always outranks vouchers!

The Inaugural Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society Award (£500) for excellence in botanical art
– Judged by Emma Van Klaveren SBAF and Katherine Tyrrell SBAF (Hon) - with input from fellow CPGFS members.

Jointly awarded - in its first year - to:

• Sarah Gardner SBAF DipSBA(Dist) for Natural Mandala (142) and
• Marina Kiselyova SBAF GM (2019) for White & Pink Hellebores (164)  (but also for her overall body of work which was outstanding)

"Great Mullein - Natural Mandala) (top) with CPGFS Award Joint Winner Sarah Gardner SBAF DLDC (Dist.) with Katherine Tyrrell SBAF (Hon.) i.e. me!

White and Pink Hellebores by Marina Kiselyova SBAF GM (2019)

Marianne Hazlewood was awarded the Branded Mark Award AND an Exhibiting Excellence Award for Contemporary Botanical Art for Arisaema tortuosum I & II (39)&(40)

Marianne Hazlewood GM 2019 (RHS and BISCOT) was awarded TWO sponsor prizes and an Exhibiting Excellence Certificate for Contemporary Botanical Art 
​
Branded Mark Award – £250 voucher

• ​Marianne Hazlewood SBAF for Arisaema tortuosum I & II (39)&(40)

Making A Mark Award (£100 + an article about her botanical art career and artwork) judged by Katherine Tyrrell (me!)

• ​Marianne Hazlewood SBAF  (body of work 37, 38 39, 40, ) 

The Making A Mark Award was won by Marianne Hazlewood GM (2019)

Royal Talens Award (Van Gogh watercolour box worth £135)

• Young Nam An SBAF for Peony Seed (114)

​St. Cuthberts Mill– Best use of paper in watercolour
Prize: 20 sheets Saunders Waterford HP paper 300 gsm (value £120+)

• Liudmyla Spodin SBAF for Physalis: Autumn Lantern (112)

Winner of the St Cuthbert Mill Award: St Cuthbert Mill Award Liudmyla Spodin SBAF for Physalis- Autumn Lantern (112)

Faber Castell Prize (Jude Henry) and Jackson's Art Prize (Emma Tildesley SBAF)

Faber Castell Award (coloured pencils box) for coloured pencils  

• ​Jude Hendry for Canteloupe Melon (298) - left above

Jackson’s Art Prize (£100 voucher) -  judged by Helen Allen and Rachel Sherwood 

• Emma Tildesley SBAF for Immature Blueberries (325) - right above

One of Jackie Gwyther's oil paintings which won her the Searchpress Award

Searchpress Award (£100 voucher) for a body of work 

• Jackie Gwyther SBAF for her body of oil paintings

​Rosemary & Co. Award (£100 voucher)

• Svetlana Lanse SBAF for Tenderness (134)​

The Rosemary & Co Award to Svetlana Lanse SBAF for Tenderness

Coloured Pencil Shop – £100 voucher – 

• Caroline Buckley SBAF for Malus vernalis (335)

Daler Rowney (Princeton Brush Sets)

• Awarded to Sarah Wood SBAF for Ilex aquifolium Holly

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Ursula Romero Award (Inky Leaves Online Mentoring) for a DLDC student.
Judged by DLDC Course Director, Simon Williams SBAF

• awarded to Rebecca Higgins

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Certificates of Botanical Merit

A CBD for Alison Barter DipSBA(Dist) for Malus ‘Golden Hornet’

The Certificates of Botanical Merit – CBM’s were judged by botanical artist and Kew scientific illustrator Lucy T Smith; and awarded to....
​

• Alison Barter DipSBA(Dist) for Malus ‘Golden Hornet’ (182)
• Christina Hart Davies SBAF for Yonder Cowleaze Lichens (117)

A CBM was awarded to Alessandro Infuso for "Pedicularis comosa" (386)

• Alessandro Infuso for Pedicularis comosa (386)
• Caroline Jamfrey SBAF DipSBA(Dist) for Autumn Flora from the Catalan Pyrenees (88)

Autumn Flora from the Catalan Pyrenees by Caroline Jamfrey SBAF was awarded a CBM

Finally completed my paean to the flowers on Rodborough Common this April: hairy violet (viola hirta); common rockrose (helianthemum nummularium)-leaves; cowslip (primula veris); early purple orchid (orchis mascula)-leaves; wood anemone (anemone nemerosa). I always find it hard to wash the palettes when a pic is done, as they are part of the a record of the creation! Bonkers!
Caroline Jamfrey on Instagram

This Moon Cactus by Agita Keiri was awarded a CBM and is coming home with me this week. Unfortunately the Certificate went on one of her other paintings!

• ​Agita Keiri SBAF for Moon Cactus (412)
• Yeonuk Kim SBAF for Bupleurum latissimum (329) lives in Korea. She majored in bioengineering in college and bio education in graduate school and then taught biology to students in high school.
• Marina Kiselyova SBAF for Eryngium (47) - beautifully stippled in pen and ink - see image for the John Waterman Award above
• Marina Kiselyova SBAF for White & Pink Hellebores (164) - see image above for the CPGFS Award

An enlargement of the central section of "Eryngium" by Marina Kiselyova

Anna Suprunenko - Certificate of Botanical Merit

• Anna Suprunenko SBAF for Crocus vernus ‘King of the Striped’ (221)
• Lesia Zaitseva for Taxus baccata (392)

Lesia Zaitseva - Certificate of Botanical Merit

Exhibiting Excellence Awards
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The Exhibiting Excellence Awards at the Annual Exhibition were introduced by the Council of the  Society of Botanical Artists to highlight

• excellent artworks in different media or;
  
• excellent artwork in relation to colour or composition.

Exhibiting Excellence Award for Inspiring Use of Colour – Victoria Braithwaite for Peony, Greenbank Garden II

COLOUR OR COMPOSITION

• Inspiring Use of Colour – Victoria Braithwaite for Peony, Greenbank Garden II (132)
• Most innovative composition – Nessie Ramm SBAF for SBA at 40 (363)
• Most innovative composition –  Izabela Wolska-Kusmider SBAF for Paeonia ‘Carol’ (77)

Most innovative composition – Nessie Ramm SBAF for SBA at 40 (painted on a motif of a speed restriction sign indicating the 40 limit.)

TYPE OF ART

• Contemporary Botanical Art – Marianne Hazlewood for Arisaema tortuosum I & II (39)&(40) - see other awards above
• Depiction of Wild Flora – Caroline Jamfrey SBAF for Autumn Flora from the Catalan Pyrenees (88) - see Certificate of Botanical Merit above

• EXCELLENT ARTWORK IN DIFFERENT MEDIA
• Best Graphite – Marie Friman SBAF DipSBA (Dist.) for Flint corn Yellow (30)
• Watercolour – Marina Kiselyova SBAF for White & Pink Hellebores (164) - see other awards above​

Exhibiting Excellence Award for Mixed Media (watercolour and graphite) – Margaret Best SBAF for Cotoneaster apiculatis

• Mixed Media – Margaret Best SBAF for Cotoneaster apiculatis (372)
• Ink – Valeria Brambilla SBAF for Chestnut Tree (35)
• Ink – Pamela Taylor SBAF for Wych Elm (48)

Exhibiting Excellence Awards for Pen and Ink - Valeria Brambilla SBAF for Chestnut Tree (35) and Pamela Taylor SBAF for Wych Elm

• Opaque Mediums – Jackie Gwyther SBAF for Houseplants (356)
• Coloured pencil – Seong Weon Ahn SBAF for Kousa dogwood & bald-faced hornet (285)
• Artist’s Chosen Medium – Valerie Galchynska SBAF for Marasmius capillaris (451)

Exhibtiting Excellence Award for Coloured pencil – Seong Weon Ahn SBAF for Kousa dogwood & bald-faced hornet

Plantae 2025
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Botanical Art and Artists: Reference

For further information see:

• A look back at Plantae 2025 - a 40th anniversary exhibition to remember!

Facebook | Botanical Art and Artists - Albums of Photographs 

• SBA Plantae 2025 - West Gallery (53 items)
• SBA Plantae 2025 - North Gallery (54 items)
• SBA Plantae 2025 - East Gallery (DLDC / CPGFS / Munstead Wood etc.) (18 items)
• SBA Plantae 2025 - Awards and people with artwork (47 items)