Since 1994, Design Awards have been leaders in the design and making of bespoke trophy plaques in Australia. Our determination to create trophies that exceed our clients’ expectation has kept us at the helm of the industry since our inception.
We are a manufacturing business that specialises in high-end trophy and award making and that means we are completely against the mass production of any of our work. We individual assess all of our clients’ needs and create bespoke trophies exact to their specifications. Design Awards is a proudly Australian company and all of our products are available online or in our studios in Sydney and Melbourne.
We have two fully equipped workshops, where our highly skilled artisanal makers and designers go above and beyond to create trophies and awards that our clients love. There is no mass importing of trophies and all of our materials are locally sourced and of the highest quality.
High-Quality Trophy Plaques in Australia
We don’t just design and make entire trophies, but also specialise in engraving trophy plaques in Australia. Trophy plaques are an incredibly important part of any trophy, as it allows for the personalisation of a trophy, which makes it more relevant and meaningful to recipients. Plaques can be engraved with the recipient’s name, the award name, the event, the date and even a meaningful quote. These kinds of details will ensure that the recipient proudly displays the trophy for years to come.
We create trophy plaques and much more here at Design Awards, and here are some of the alternative uses that we often manufacture plaques for:
• Openings: When opening a new building or business, you can give it an extra level of recognition. Most people get a sleek plaque to commemorate the day it opened, and proudly display it at the entrance for everyone to see.
• Historical buildings: Buildings of historical significance should be celebrated for their significance! Whether it was the first building in town, the oldest post office or the original bank, it’s always nice for locals and residents to find out more about the building – a detailed plaque is an excellent way to do this.
• Employee Milestones: A wonderful way to give your longest serving and hardest working employees recognition is through plaques that commemorate the accomplishments – these could be proudly displayed on their desks at work.
• Job Titles: It modern and interesting why to spruce up the office is to use plaques on office doors engraved with names, job titles and departments. Not only does this look professional, it also helps employees to feel appreciated.
• Memorial Plaques: Memorial plaques are a wonderful way to honour loved ones that have passed away.
Dedicate a park bench or plant a tree and place a plaque with a small meaningful quote, name and details of the loved one.
The Continuing Popularity of Trophy Plaques
Despite improvements in technology and the ability to produce unique trophies in all sorts of unusual designs, traditional plaques are still very popular and have an important role to play. That’s because they’re so adaptable, immensely attractive and can be supplied in a range of shapes, sizes and styles.
Plaques are available in familiar heart shapes or can be square, rectangular or any unusual shape for customised designs. They can be wall hung or free-standing with a supporting strut. The combinations can seem almost endless, but the overall appearance is familiar and comforting, resulting in their enduring charm.
Awards for Various Occasions
Plaques are ideal as trophies for various types of event that include:
special occasions or events that need to be commemorated
excellence in anything that is deserving of reward
any type of sport, whether cricket, rugby, football or anything else
special occasions or events that are to be marked
particular achievements or long service in a company or any other organisation.
You can give large plaques as perpetual trophies that are handed out and held for a period as well as smaller replicas for the recipient to keep as a permanent memento of the event. All can be customised to your needs and engraved with personal details.
The effort you put into the design and acquisition demonstrates the value you put on the achievement or the recipient’s contribution. The award demonstrates the level of your appreciation and so it’s well worth the time and effort to create a trophy that will be valued by whoever receives it.
Our Trophy Plaques — Australia Designed and Manufactured
Although the presentation of awards may only be a relatively small part of a bigger event, it is important to those receiving the awards and to their family and friends. So, you do want to treat it seriously and, by buying our trophy plaques, you’ll certainly do that.
We have a wide range of trophy plaques online that are suitable for all types of events and occasions. The selection and ordering process couldn’t be easier. Just specify the quantities and types you want; add customisation and engraving details and we’ll handle the rest.
If you want something a little different, we can customise any design or can create a totally unique plaque that will be really appreciated by the lucky winner. Our designers welcome a challenge and specialise in creating unique and beautiful trophies. Every plaque, no matter what size or type, will be carefully made from high quality materials to the highest standards and delivered in plenty of time for your event. And we’ll provide as much help and advice as you need to ensure you get everything perfect.
Organising an awards ceremony can be a difficult and stressful process. If you buy trophy plaques online from us, however, you have one less thing to worry about because you can be assured we will deliver high quality products with each one correct and on time.
Order Trophy Plaques Online
At Design Awards, we are dedicated to excellence. If you’d like to know more about our services then simply fill out our online contact form, give us a call or email, or even pop around one of our store fronts – we are looking forward to working with you.
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.