Winning poems

2025

Read the winning and shortlisted poems on our Schools Poetry Award website.

Winner

Keiko Bruce, Year 13, One Tree Hill College, Auckland.

Finalists

Aidan Clarke (Westlake Boys' High School)
Penny Dai (St Andrews' College)
Alexandria Farrington (St Mary's College, Wellington)
Maia Hills (Wellington High School)
Mohammad Nazif Islam (Timaru Boys' High School)
Cameron Lewes Murray (Wellington College)
Jasmine Liu (Rangitoto College)
Isla Partridge (Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu)
Thomas Rowe Palmer (St Andrews' College).

2024

Read the winning and shortlisted poems on our Schools Poetry Award website.

Winner

Chantelle Xiong, Year 13, St Andrew's College, Christchurch.

Finalists

Ysabelle Casimiro (Baradene College of the Sacred Heart, Auckland)
Greer Castle (Wellington Girls' College)
Raphael Ferdinands (St John's College, Hillcrest, Hamilton)
Freya Furjan (Wellington Girls' College)
Toby Holden (Wellington Girls' College)
Joseph Lomani (Rolleston College)
Charlotte McKenzie (St Cuthbert's College)
Charles Ross (Logan Park High School, Dunedin)
Meg Simpson (St Andrew's College, Christchurch).

2023

Read the winning and shortlisted poems on our Schools Poetry Award website.

Winner

Liberty Beck, Year 13, Takapuna Grammar.

Finalists

Andrew Castles (St Andrew's College, Christchurch)
Jonah Cropp (St Andrew's College, Christchurch)
Layla Hoskin (Tauranga Girls' College, Tauranga)
Molly Laurence (Lincoln High School, Lincoln)
Isabelle Lloydd (St Mary's College, Auckland)
Oshadha Perera (Southland Boys' High School, Invercargill)
Sunny Radzyner (Avonside Girls' High School, Christchurch)
Charles Ross (Logan Park High School, Dunedin)
Lavenitani Taufa (Aorere College, Auckland).

2022

Read the winning and shortlisted poems on our Schools Poetry Award website.

Winner

Joshua Toumu'a, Year 12, Wellington High School.

Finalists

Sofia Drew (Takapuna Grammar School, Auckland)
Louie Feltham (Samuel Marsden Collegiate School, Wellington)
Bella Laban (Michael Park School, Auckland)
Ivy Evaaliyah Lyden-Hancy (Papakura High School, Auckland)
Natalya Newman (Huanui College, Whangarei)
Ella Sage (Westland High School, Hokitika)
Cassia Song (Otumoetai College, Tauranga)
Lucas Te Rangi (St Andrew's College, Christchurch)
Hannah Wilson (Raphael House Rudolph Steiner School, Wellington).

2021

Read the winning and shortlisted poems on our Schools Poetry Award website.

Winner

Caitlin Jenkins, Year 13, Papatoetoe High School, Auckland.

Finalists

Ruby Buffett-Bray (St Dominic’s College, Auckland)
Grace Fakahau (Palmerston North Girls’ High School)
Janet Guo (Hillcrest High School, Hamilton)
Jackson McCarthy (St Peter’s College, Auckland)
Darcy Monteath (Logan Park High School, Dunedin)
Ella Paterson (Tauranga Girls’ College)
Penelope Scarborough, (Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu)
Holly Willis (Wellington Girls’ College)
Angelina Zhou Narayan (Burnside High School, Christchurch).

2020

Read the winning and shortlisted poems on our Schools Poetry Award website.

Winner

E Wen Wong, Year 13, Burnside High School.

Finalists

Arwyn Cranston (Wakatipu High School, Queenstown)
Xavia Hayward (Marist College, Auckland)
Marijke Hinton (St Andrew's College, Christchurch)
Abraham Hix (St Andrew's College, Christchurch)
Robin Kunwar (Burnside High, Christchurch)
Isabella Lane (Rangitoto College, Auckland)
Victoria Sun (Epsom Girls' Grammar, Auckland)
Allegra Wilson (Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland)
Campbell Wilson (St Andrew's College, Christchurch).

2019

Read the winning and shortlisted poems on our Schools Poetry Award website.

Winner

Xiaole Zhan, Year 13, Westlake Girls High School.

Finalists

Maia Armistead (Waikato Diocesan School for Girls)
Charlotte Boyle (Cashmere High School)
Sebastian Macaulay (Wellington High School)
Claudia Snow (Wakatipu High School)
Pippi Duncan (Takapuna Grammar School)
Rachel Lockwood (Taradale High School)
E Wen Wong (Burnside High School)|
Emily Blennerhassett (Cashmere High School)
Elizabeth Nahu (Onslow College).

2018

Read the winning and shortlisted poems on our Schools Poetry Award website.

Winner

Ilena Shadbolt, Year 13, Queen Margaret College.

Finalists

Patricia Alcartado (Hamilton Girl's High School)
Harriet Carter (Northcote College)
Catherine Davidson (St Hilda's Collegiate)
Cerys Fletcher (Cashmere High School)
Ruby Rae Macomber (Northcote College)
Cybella Maffit (St Cuthbert's School)
Kushla Siemonek (Taumarunui High School)
Stella Stevens (Motueka High School).

2017

Read the winning and shortlisted poems on our Schools Poetry Award website.

Winner

Zora Patrick, Year 12, Wellington High School.

Finalists

Katie Gotlieb (Otago Girls' High School)
Antonia Smith (Rangitoto College)
Hannah Wetzel (Kaitaia College)
Logan McAllister (St Andrew's College)
Tessie-Rose Poutai-Tipene (Te Wharekura o Mauao)
Millie Hulme (Timaru Girls' High School)
Anna Doak (St Margaret's College)
Emily Rais (homeschooled)
Piper Whitehead (Diocesan School for Girls).

2016

Read the winning and shortlisted poems on our Schools Poetry Award website. (Site by Wonderlab.)

Winner

Ioana Yule Manoa, Year 12, Northcote College, Auckland.

Finalists

Lily Van Buskirk (Columba College)
Mira Karunanidhi (Queen Margaret's College)
Jamie McKenzie (St Hilda's Collegiate)
Caleb Morgan (St Andrew's College)
Eva Poland (Wellington High School)
Nina Richardson (Samuel Marsden Collegiate School)
Huyen Thu (Wellington East Girls' College)
Kassandra Wang (St Cuthbert's College)
Zhouai Wang (St Cuthbert's College).

2015

Read the winning and finalist poems on our Schools Poetry website. (Site by Wonderlab.)

Winner

Grace Lee, Year 13, Auckland International College.

Finalists

Alyxandra Devlin (St Mary's Diocesan New Plymouth)
Anastazia Docherty (Cambridge High School)
Leah Dodd (New Plymouth Girls' High School)
Katie Hooper (Timaru Girls' High)
Amy Huang (Rangi Ruru Girls' School)
Jake Kelly-Hulse (Sacred Heart College Auckland)
Sarah Liu (Epsom Girls' Grammar School)
Holly Morten (Otumoetai College)
Josh Richard (Collingwood Area School).

No award held in 2014

2013

Read the winning and finalist poems on our Schools Poetry website. (Site by Wonderlab.)

Winner

Emma Shi, Year 13, Pakuranga College, Auckland.

Finalists

Madeleine Ballard (Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland)
Holly Brendling (Baradene College, Auckland)
Bryony Campbell (Wellington East Girls' College)
Timothy Fraser (Hutt International Boys' School, Upper Hutt)
Didi Hughes (The Correspondence School, Tokomaru Bay)
Philippa McMenamin (Villa Maria College, Christchurch)
Isabelle McNeur (Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti, Christchurch)
Abigail Mossman (Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu - The Correspondence School, Fielding)
Ruby Solly (Western Heights High School, Rotorua).

2012

Read the winning and finalist poems on our Schools Poetry website. (Site by Wonderlab.)

Winner

Haro Lee, Year 12, St Cuthbert's College.

Finalists

Arie Bates-Hermans (Wellington High School)
Maria Ji (St Cuthbert's College)
Catherine Marshall (Rangi Ruru College)
Beth Rust (Karamu High School)
Ruby Solly (Tauhara College)
Sam Spekreijse (Wellington College)
Annie Stevenson (St Andrews College)
Jade Trim (Taradale High School)
Olivia Whyte (St Andrews College).

2011

Read the winning and finalist poems on our Schools Poetry website. (Site courtesy of Neogine.)

Winner

Eden Tautali, Year 13, St Cuthbert's College.

Finalists

Amy Barnard (Taradale High School)
Lucy Brownlee (St Andrews College)
Lachlan Dixon (Wellington High School)
Madison Hamill (Queens High School)
Chelsea Lund (Te Kura - The Correspondence School)
Alexandra Morris (Karamu High School)
Vinay Patel (Wellington College)
Hayley Russell (Rangi Ruru Girls' School)
Nikita Ward (Paraparaumu College).

No Award held in 2010

2009

Read the winning and finalist poems on our Schools Poetry website.

Winner: Best Poem

Charlotte Trevella, Year 13, Rangi Ruru Girls' School.

Winner: Best Lyric

Sammy Hickson, Year 11, Middleton Grange School.

Finalists: Best Poem

Birgitta Swanberg (Northcote College)
Georgia Johnstone(Epsom Girls' Grammar School)
Alisha Lews (Epsom Girls' Grammar School)
Charlotte Priestley(Epsom Girls' Grammar School)
Georgia Boyce (Epsom Girls' Grammar School).

Finalists: Best Lyric

Charlotte Agnew-Harington( St Cuthbert's College)
Michelle Grafton(Hornby High School)
Toni Duder(Epsom Girls' Grammar School)
Dylan Wharton(Edgewater College).

Commended entrants: Poem category

In addition to the finalists, 12 entries were commended by the judge of this year's Best Poem category. Read the commended entrants' names.

2008

Read the winning and finalist poems on our Schools Poetry website.

Winner: Best Poem

Manon Revuelta, Year 13, Epsom Girls Grammar School.

Winner: Best Lyric

Sonya Clark, Year 12, Karamu High School.

Finalists: Best Poem

Claire Sorrenson (Takapuna Grammar School)
Finn Teppett (Wellington College)
Nalin Samountry (Tamatea High School)
Ish Doney (St Andrews College)
Carlos Carbonatto-Bowkett (Wellington College).

Finalists: Best Lyric

Saxon Adams (St Andrews College)
Cara Chimirri (Rangi Ruru Girls' School)
Jimmy Garden (Wellington College)
Taylor Hughson (Wellington College)
Jennifer Yeh (St Cuthbert's College).

Commended entrants: Poem category

In addition to the finalists, seven entries were commended by the judge of this year's Best Poem category. Read the commended entrants' names.

2007

Read the winning and finalist poems on our Schools Poetry website.

Winner

'Mosaic' by Chloë Nannestad, Year 12, Epsom Girls Grammar School.

Recording prize

'The Pact' by Shannyn Boyd, Year 12, Hutt Valley High School.

Finalists

Michaela Ball - (Year 13, Cashmere High School, Christchurch)
Sue Mun Huang - (Year 12, Karamu High School, Hastings)
Laura Lincoln - (Year 12, Karamu High School, Hastings)
Zoe Newman - (Year 13, Dargaville High School)
Michael Trigg - (Year 13, Wellington College)
Alisha Vara - (Year 13, Rangi Ruru Girls' School, Christchurch)
Sam Wells - (Year 12, Wellington College)
Sarah Zydervelt - (Year 12, Nayland College, Nelson).

Commended entrants: Poem category

In addition to the finalists, seven entries were commended by this year's judge. Read the commended entrants' names.

2006

Read the winning and finalist poems on our Schools Poetry website.

Winner

'strawberries strung on lines' by Alisha Vara, Year 12, Rangi Ruru Girls' School, Christchurch.

Finalists

Andrew Aitken-Fincham - (Year 13, St Andrew's College, Christchurch)
Lisa Cochrane - (Year 13, Epsom Girls Grammar School, Auckland)
Dora Sharpe-Davidson - (Year 13, St Andrew's College, Christchurch)
Sophia Graham - (Year 13, Epsom Girls Grammar School, Auckland)
Chaturika Jayasinghe - (Year 12, St Cuthbert's College, Auckland)
Graeme Ninness - (Year 12, Awatapu College, Palmerston North)
Jennifer Niven - (Year 13, Samuel Marsden Collegiate, Wellington)
Sarah Wilks - (Year 13, Samuel Marsden Collegiate, Wellington)
Lilian Yong - (Year 12, Epsom Girls Grammar School, Auckland).

Commended entrants: Poem category

In addition to the finalists, a number of entries were commended by this year's judge. Read the commended entrants' names.

2005

Read the winning and finalist poems on our Schools Poetry website.

Winner

'Chain of Fools' by Kirsti Whalen, Year 12, Epsom Girls Grammar School.

Finalists

Melissa Chen (Epsom Girls Grammar School)
Jessie Hendy (Taradale High School)
Russell Kale (Karamu High School)
Guanting Liu (St Cuthbert’s College, Auckland)
Selina Powell (Wellington High School).

2004

Read the winning and finalist poems on our Schools Poetry website.

Winner

'Had I an intelligent dolphin...' by Poppy Haynes, Chilton St James School, Lower Hutt.

Finalists

Melissa Chen (Epsom Girls Grammar School, Auckland)
Helen Lyttelton (Rangi Ruru Girls' School, Christchurch)
Shezani Nasoordeen (Epsom Girls Grammar School, Auckland)
Meg Ryburn (Rangi Ruru Girls' School, Christchurch)
Arielle Tai (Epsom Girls Grammar School, Auckland).

2003

Read the winning and finalist poems on our Schools Poetry website.

Winner

'harriet' by Mia Gaudin, Epsom Girls Grammar School, Auckland.

Finalists

Catherine Palmer (Epsom Girls Grammar School, Auckland)
David Seaman (Taradale High School, Napier)
Sienna Smale-Jackson (Otago Girls' High School, Dunedin)
Meg Waghorn (Rangi Ruru Girls' School, Christchurch)
Joanna Wang (Pakuranga College, Auckland).