Earth Guardians
Character Design Competition

Create a character to defend the earth, using nature and the elements to inspire your designs.

Tell us where your character lives, what special powers it has and links it may have to specific places, myths and legends.

• Entries are open now and close Wednesday 1 July 2021.
• This competition is open to New Zealand secondary school and kura kaupapa students in Years 10–13 (including international students studying in New Zealand).
• There are two categories open to international students aged 14–18 from anywhere outside New Zealand.

Meet our industry judges

Download the full terms and conditions for entry [PDF]

Download a poster for your classroom [PDF]

Questions? Contact A.Visser1@massey.ac.nz

Submit your entry through the Earth Guardians competition entry form.

Digital images should be uploaded in high resolution, 1080x1080px. Scanned images or photos should be at 300dpi.

Entry submissions must include:

• Name of your character
• A 300 word description of the inspiration behind your design. 

You can submit up to two entries, and they must be two completely different characters. 

Make sure you read the full terms and conditions before you submit your entry.

Moana Oceania Narratives Award
Massey University
$500 prize pack including flights to Wellington for a Weta Workshop experience
Awarded to the best entry that displays homage to Atua across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa

Te Ao Māori Award
Massey University
$500 prize pack including flights to Wellington for a Weta Workshop experience
Awarded to the best entry inspired by customary Māori practices of sustainability, customary narratives and toi Māori

Best Game Concept x5
PikPok
Win 1 of 5 PikPok prize packs

Traditional Media Award x5
Gordon Harris
Win 1 of 5 $100 prize packs of art supplies

Highly Commended Schools Participation Awards x5
Gordon Harris and Adobe Creative Educators
Win 1 of 5 $250 prize pack of art supplies from Gordon Harris for your school and Adobe Creative Educator merchandise for your teachers and classrooms

We had over 300 outstanding entries to the 2020 Earth Guardians competition, and our panel of industry expert judges had a challenging time selecting the stars. Congratulations to our winners!

Check out the winning entries!