Over 20 years ago, sculptor and designer Bruce Dodds established a company that was looking to break into an industry dominated by big companies and mass produced, meaningless awards. Design awards started from humble beginnings in Albion Street, Surry Hills, but Bruce’s dedication to the company and talented design skill quickly set him apart from the competition. Today, Design Awards is Australia’s leading high-end, bespoke award company and we serve some of the country’s most iconic brands.
Bruce and his two sons James and Charles are now in charge of a small team of artisanal designers that are amongst some of the most talented in Australia. At Design Awards, we are incredibly proud of our humble beginnings and our considerable growth, and we now offer world-class services with local Australian roots. We offer everything from crystal trophies and metal plaques to sustainable awards and custom trophy plates in Australia.
Why Buy From Designs Awards?
Design Awards didn’t simply float to the forefront of the trophy industry, but our growing status has been due to hard work, dedication and talent. Here’s why some of Australia’s biggest brands choose to buy their awards from us:
• We’re family run: The trophy industry is largely dominated by big businesses and at Design Awards, we think that family is the most important thing. We have grown and prospered in a competitive market due to our close ties and relationships within the community and with our clients.
• We’re local: As proud Australians, we always try out best to serve our local clientele in such a way that it exceeds their expectations. We are proud of our Australian heritage and love giving back to those that support us.
• We design in-house: We have workshops located in Melbourne and Sydney where our designers and makers go above and beyond to make our clients’ visions come to life. No need to export or import when you buy your trophies from us.
• Talented team: We have picked some of Australia’s most skilled designers and makers to ensure that our designs don’t just stick to specifications but they are also innovative, amazing and out the box.
• Bespoke options: Custom trophy plates and other bespoke designs are a wonderful way to make the award meaningful to the recipient, while at the same time representing your brand and event.
• A wide range of materials: When it comes to trophies there isn’t much that we can’t do and we are proud to offer a wide range of materials such as sustainable, crystal, glass, metal and many others.
• Secure and simple website: Our website is incredibly secure and it is our priority to protect your personal and payment details. We also believe that you should be able to use our website effortlessly and that’s why it has a user-friendly design and interface.
Custom Trophy Plates in Australia
If you’re looking for something special for your awards event, then you’ve come to the right place. At Design Awards, we believe that innovation and dedication are the keys to creating amazing work. Simply contact us or fill out our online form if you would like to know more about out trophy and award design services. We can’t wait to hear your ideas!
Design Awards is a team of designers and artisans that specialise in award making across Australia. We can craft trophies and medals to your order, as well as engraved plaques. Browse our website further or contact us to learn more.
We are a small team of designers and artisan makers that specialise in the creation of beautiful trophies and awards. We have two workshops, one based in Sydney and one in Melbourne, where we design and hand craft high-end awards, trophies, plaques, medallions and more.
How it all started
It all started with the state of awards in Australia. The problem was clear: meaningful award ceremonies, meaningless trophies. Think brittle plastic trophies shaped like an Oscar, think crystal mugs etched with Comic Sans. Awards were an afterthought undeserving of their recipients.
The answer, as founder and sculptor Bruce Dodds saw it back in 1994, was considered design hand-crafted in Australia. Thankfully, the idea caught on.
As a result, Design Awards has been changing the face of the Australian awards industry for over 20 years. Our design-first approach means every single award is unique, and the care and consideration taken in each award imbues a meaningfulness which cannot be achieved in mass produced items.
As we see it, design is what sets us apart and our craftsmanship is our pride.
Made in Australia, Awarding the World
Bespoke Trophies from Melbourne & Sydney to Australia and the World
We have curated our online pages to highlight what we can achieve for you, have a browse for inspiration or give us a call to discuss something completely different.
Absolutely everything we produce, from our medals and medallions to our trophies and statuettes, is completely bespoke. We believe a hand crafted, unique element makes an award that much more special, so we are more than happy to take the time to design something new and meaningful for you.
Changing An Industry. And That's The Way We Like It.
Australia’s Leading Makers of Custom Made Awards, Bespoke Trophies and Unique Plaques
We craft the extraordinary. With a huge breadth of experience spanning from Government and Business, to top tier Sports, to Not-for-Profits and Education, we have the expertise to create exactly what you have in mind. Corporate awards, premium sports trophies, deal toys, tombstones, perpetuals, centrepieces and bespoke sculptures, we are the industry leader in hand-crafted excellence, modernising the face of Australian trophy design.
Trusted by both Australian and international clients of the highest calibre who demand the most stringent of quality standards, with relationships spanning in excess of 20 years, is testament to the quality and craftsmanship of every single one our pieces. Want to know more? Check out our testimonials page.
Our Promise To You
A commitment to high-quality, creativity and craftsmanship in every trophy
What makes us unique? For starters, our design-led approach and local, in-house production. We are certainly not your typical trophy shop.
Unlike almost every other trophy supplier, we strictly do not mass-produce our awards. Instead, our team designs and handcrafts every single award and trophy because of our dedication to originality and our belief that the personal touch is so much more meaningful. In terms of custom awards and trophies, we sit at an unrivalled position within Australia, which means that you can order with confidence knowing you are in trustworthy hands. Check out our Who We Are page to see more about our ethos.
Because we have fully equipped workshops in both Sydney and Melbourne, we are also able to offer a wide range of other services online such as engraving, metal casting, aluminium printing, ID plates, unique signage and more, and have a wide selection of materials to choose from, ensuring that you get exactly what you want, plus a little bit more.
Contact one of our locations for more information on Design Awards
Discover more about our services and custom-made products by contacting us today. Call our Melbourne office on (03) 9555 0171, or our Sydney location on (02) 9439 7144. We will be more than happy to chat about what you are after in order tailor your ideal solution. You can also request a quote online and we will be back in touch as soon as we can. If you want to keep up to date, follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. Awards with distinction, from Australia’s finest.