Six-year-old stamps his mark on Christmas

Six-year-old stamps his mark on Christmas

A six-year-old South Auckland boy is the Supreme Winner of this year’s NZ Post Design a Stamp Awards.

Sione Vao beat stiff competition from 17,000 submissions from children all over NZ.

Blending a Pasifika aesthetic with the more traditional elements of a Kiwi Christmas such as candy cane found hanging on a tree, judges said his image combined strong, simple elements to produce a striking, eye-catching design.

NZ Post Stamps general manager Ivor Masters says this year judging was even more difficult.

“Standards across the country were extremely high and it was a very difficult process for the judges. We chose images in the end that most suited the brief which was symbols of Christmas.”

He says this competition offers children a rare opportunity to get their work seen across the world.

“These images will be used on this year’s Christmas stamp issue. That means these stamps will be used and seen around NZ and around the world. These winners are now artistic ambassadors for this country. Congratulations to them.”

The awards were open to all year one to eight students attending NZ schools.

Five winners were chosen out of the 17,000 entries. Each winner receives a $1,000 Kiwibank account and $3,000 for their school. Judges also chose an overall winner.

This is the Design A Stamp Awards second year. Mr Masters says the response to running the first competition last year was overwhelming, so they decided to offer the competition again this year.

Winners:

• Sione Vao (six) – year two Flat Bush School, Otara Manukau – Supreme Winner.

• Reece Cateley (seven) – year two St Joseph’s Fairfield, Hamilton.

• Emily Wang (11) – year six Three Kings Primary School, Auckland.

• Alexandra Eathorne (12) – year eight St Orans College, Lower Hutt.

• Jake Hooper (eight) – year four Waverley Primary School, Wanganui.

The stamps will be available for purchase from 3rd October at all NZ Postshops, Real Aotearoa stores in Christchurch and Auckland, the Wanganui Stamp Cent