Mathilda Grinling from New South Wales named AWARD School 2025 national top student
Mathilda Grinling from New South Wales has been named AWARD School’s national top student for 2025.
The announcement was made at the 46th AWARD Awards held at This Way Up tonight, which celebrates the year’s best creative work and brightest new talent.
Grinling was nominated ahead of more than 200 students from across the Asia Pacific and received the coveted AWARD School Ray Black Pencil. She was also named the winner of the national Outdoor/Billboard brief for creative that was clear, crisp, impactful, and allowed the audience to understand the concept quickly.
State finalists include Tate Crowley from Victoria, Brendan Marshall from Western Australia, Amelia Fynes-Clinton from Queensland, Hayley Riessen from South Australia, and James Willis who topped AWARD School’s online program. All students’ work can be viewed on the AWARD School website.
Other 2025 national brief winners include Mina Melis and Zeeshan Ali Khan for Team Brief, Tony King for Audio, and Sunil Thomas O’Leary, who clinched the top honour with a standout creative response to this year’s Social Media brief.
AWARD Chair Mandie van der Merwe, Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi, said the national winner’s portfolio was “a truly exceptional standout, with all state and brief winners’ work nothing short of brilliant.”
“The judges were blown away by Mathilda’s creative thinking. Her portfolio blended sharp strategic insight with fresh, unexpected ideas, which, as a combination, set her apart. It showed strong lateral thinking, thoughtful craft, and a distinct creative voice, making her the clear choice for 2025’s national top student. She thoroughly deserves this recognition, and congratulations to all our outstanding finalists.”
Sponsors of AWARD School 2025 are Meta, Outdoor Media Association and Commercial Radio and Audio.
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