Sanderson, in partnership with the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST), has named Hanny Newton as the winner of the QEST Sanderson Rising Star Craft Award
Hanny Newton is a specialist embroiderer, who is pioneering the use of straw for embroidery as a sustainable alternative to metal threads. Fuelled by a passion to preserve and revitalise this near-extinct craft which dates to the 1700s, Newton is the first person to commercially pursue the use of straw in lieu of metal threads. In 2023, Newton received the QEST Broderers’ Company Scholarship.
As the winner of the QEST Sanderson Rising Star Craft Award, Hanny Newton receives a £25,000 cash prize. Newton says this will go towards advancing her practice before creating a body of work that encapsulates her innovative use of the historical straw technique. A significant portion, Newton adds, will also go towards teaching and advocating for culturally endangered fibre techniques.
Over 180 craftspeople were nominated for the award. Newton was chosen as the winner following an interview process with the five other finalists – Barnaby Ash, William Efe-Laborde, Bobby Knight-Mills, Olga Prinku, and Laura Quinn. This shortlist was selected by a distinguished panel of judges, including interior designer Benedict Foley, World of Interiors editor Emily Tobin, Crafts Magazine editor Debika Ray, QEST CEO Deborah Pocock, and Sanderson Design Group CEO Lisa Montague.
Interested in embroidery? You might enjoy my interview with Natasha Hulse