The Emerging Artist Award welcomes artists aged 13 to 25 who live in the Southland area (as defined by Community Trust South, including Southland, Queenstown, Glenorchy, Arrowtown, Tapanui, and Heriot) to submit their original, recent work for the Mixed Media Exhibition. An independent panel judges the entries, selecting the top ten to feature in the annual exhibition.

The winner of the Emerging Artist category receives a $1000 prize to help support their creative pursuits.