For over a decade, the Water Artisan of the Year Awards have celebrated the creativity, craftsmanship and innovation that define the pond and water feature industry. As the profession has evolved, so too has the awards program.
Following months of collaboration with industry leaders and feedback from professionals across the globe, POND Trade Magazine is proud to introduce the reimagined Water Artisan of the Year Awards for 2026.
The updated program represents the most significant evolution in the awards’ history, featuring new project categories, expanded recognition opportunities, a more transparent judging process and a renewed commitment to recognizing professionals at every stage of their careers.
Built by the Industry, for the Industry
The redesign began with a simple question: How can the Water Artisan of the Year Awards better represent today’s industry while encouraging greater participation across the industry at large?
To answer that question, POND Trade Magazine assembled the 2026 Water Artisan of the Year Committee, bringing together respected professionals with diverse backgrounds and expertise from across the water feature industry.
The committee includes:
- Mark Wilson
- Shane Hemphill
- Dave Duensing
- Brian Fitzsimmons
- Bradley Blocksom
- Jason Lenox
Over the course of several months, committee members dedicated countless volunteer hours to evaluating the awards program from the ground up. Together, they reviewed existing categories, discussed judging philosophies, refined submission requirements, developed standardized scoring rubrics and explored new ways to recognize excellence throughout the profession.
The committee’s work was complemented by feedback from the industry at large. Between March and July 2026, POND Trade Magazine invited pond builders, designers and water feature professionals to participate in a survey focused on the future of the awards program. Those responses helped validate the committee’s recommendations and played an important role in determining the final Project Excellence categories.
The result is an awards program shaped not only by experienced industry leaders, but also by the collective voice of the professionals it was created to serve.
Four Project Excellence Categories
The Water Artisan of the Year Awards will recognize outstanding projects in four Project Excellence categories:
- Best Naturalistic Pond
- Best Pondless Water Feature
- Best Formal Water Feature
- Best Recreational/ Swim Pond
These categories were selected to reflect the core disciplines of today’s pond and water feature industry while providing opportunities for a broad range of professionals to participate.
Each category features detailed eligibility requirements and standardized judging rubrics designed to create a fair, transparent and consistent evaluation process. Projects will be evaluated using clearly defined criteria, including design, craftsmanship, technical execution, natural integration, and overall visual impact.
Expanding Recognition
The committee recognized that excellence within the industry extends far beyond individual projects.
Equally important was creating an awards program that encourages participation from pond builders throughout every stage of their careers. Whether entering a first professionally completed project or submitting work backed by decades of experience, every entrant should feel there is a place within the program to showcase outstanding craftsmanship.
To better recognize the many ways professionals contribute to the industry, the committee introduced five Special Recognition Awards.
- Best Overall Pond Project will honor the highest-scoring project submitted across all Project Excellence categories, recognizing the year’s most exceptional achievement in water feature construction.
- Best Collaborative Project celebrates projects completed through outstanding teamwork between multiple companies or professionals, recognizing that some of the industry’s finest work is accomplished through collaboration.
- Best Mature Water Feature recognizes water features that have stood the test of time. Rather than focusing on newly completed installations, this award celebrates projects that continue to thrive years after construction, demonstrating lasting craftsmanship, thoughtful design, ecological balance and long-term beauty.
- Photo of the Year honors exceptional photography that captures the artistry and emotion of water features. Winning images may feature ponds, waterfalls, koi, aquatic plants, wildlife or the landscapes that surround them, highlighting the visual storytelling that inspires the industry.
- Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual whose career has made a lasting impact on the pond and water feature profession through leadership, innovation, mentorship and service. Unlike the other awards, this honor will be determined through a public nomination process followed by committee deliberation.
Together, these awards celebrate not only extraordinary projects, but also collaboration, longevity, artistry and the individuals whose dedication continues to move the industry forward.
A New Way to Recognize Excellence: Project Nominations
New for 2026, the Water Artisan of the Year Awards will introduce Project Nominations, giving the entire water feature community an opportunity to recognize outstanding work.
Industry professionals, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and even homeowners are invited to nominate projects they believe deserve recognition. While a nomination does not constitute an official award entry, it serves as an invitation for the project’s builder to participate in the competition.
The goal is simple: ensure exceptional work doesn’t go unnoticed.
Many remarkable projects are never submitted for awards—not because they aren’t deserving, but because builders are busy serving clients or simply don’t think to enter. The Project Nominations initiative helps shine a light on those projects and encourages more professionals to showcase the craftsmanship and creativity that continue to elevate the industry.
Once a nomination is received, POND Trade Magazine will contact the builder with an invitation to complete an official submission. Final judging will be based only on completed entries that meet the published submission requirements.
By opening the nomination process to the broader industry, the committee hopes to expand participation, celebrate more outstanding work and ensure the Water Artisan of the Year Awards continue to recognize the very best our profession has to offer.
A Stronger Judging Process
Transparency and consistency were recurring themes throughout the committee’s discussions.
To strengthen the integrity of the awards, each category now includes a standardized scoring rubric that provides judges with clearly defined evaluation criteria while giving entrants a better understanding of how projects will be assessed.
In addition, judges will have the opportunity to advance a limited number of exceptional entries into consideration for Best Overall Project, ensuring remarkable work receives additional recognition regardless of category.
The committee believes these enhancements will create a judging process that is more objective, more consistent and more representative of the industry’s highest standards.
Looking Ahead
While the 2026 program marks a major milestone, committee members view these changes as the beginning of an ongoing process rather than a finished product.
As the industry continues to evolve, so too will the Water Artisan of the Year Awards. Future refinements will be guided by continued collaboration with industry professionals, ensuring the program remains relevant, respected and representative of the people it honors.
More importantly, the committee hopes the redesigned awards inspire greater participation throughout the profession. Whether a builder is entering for the first time or has spent decades creating exceptional water features, the Water Artisan of the Year Awards are intended to celebrate craftsmanship, encourage professional growth and recognize the passion that unites the industry.
Thank You
POND Trade Magazine extends its sincere appreciation to Mark Wilson, Shane Hemphill, Dave Duensing, Brian Fitzsimmons, Bradley Blocksom and Jason Lenox for their dedication, thoughtful leadership and countless volunteer hours devoted to shaping the future of the Water Artisan of the Year Awards.
The magazine also thanks the many industry professionals who participated in surveys and shared their perspectives throughout the spring and summer. Their feedback helped ensure the program reflects the priorities, values and aspirations of the industry as a whole.
Together, the committee and the broader water feature community have laid the foundation for a stronger, more inclusive Water Artisan of the Year Awards program—one that celebrates not only exceptional projects, but also the people whose creativity, craftsmanship and commitment continue to elevate the profession.
POND Trade Magazine looks forward to opening submissions for the 2026 Water Artisan of the Year Awards and celebrating another year of extraordinary work from across the water feature industry.
