Celebrating the Hand & Lock Prize Winners 2026
The Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery once again showcased the extraordinary creativity, technical skill and innovation that continues to push embroidery into exciting new territory. Now in its 26th year, the prestigious international competition challenged entrants to respond to the theme "Embroidery Talks: Visual Storytelling from Heart to Hand", exploring how stitch can communicate narratives, memories, traditions and personal experiences.
This year's finalists demonstrated the remarkable breadth of contemporary embroidery, from intricate textile artworks to boundary-pushing fashion pieces. The resulting exhibition was a celebration of craftsmanship, imagination and the enduring power of thread as a storytelling medium.
Student Fashion Winners
The Student Fashion category highlighted emerging talent from the next generation of embroidery artists and designers.
🥇 First Place: Harriet Hawtry-Coombs
🥈 Second Place: Sabrina
🥉 Third Place: Kai Otsuki
These award-winning pieces showcased a sophisticated understanding of both embroidery techniques and contemporary fashion design, demonstrating how traditional craftsmanship can be reimagined for modern audiences.
Open Fashion Winners
The Open Fashion category attracted entries from established practitioners and independent designers worldwide.
🥇 First Place: H.L. Story
🥈 Second Place: Mariia
🥉 Third Place: Dorine Leenders
The winning works exemplified innovation and technical excellence, combining embroidery with compelling storytelling and strong artistic vision.
Student Textile Art Winners
The Textile Art category continues to be one of the most inspiring areas of the competition, where embroidery transcends decoration to become a powerful artistic language.
🥇 First Place: Anna Moroid🥈 Second Place: Romy Philo🥉 Third Place: Eden Kingston
Each piece reflected a unique interpretation of the brief, demonstrating how textile art can convey complex narratives through texture, material and stitch.
Open Textile Art Winners
International artists competed in this category, presenting works that challenged conventional approaches to embroidery while remaining rooted in exceptional craftsmanship.
🥇 First Place: Ka Wai Lily Lei🥈 Second Place: Sarah Muscat Azzopardi🥉 Third Place: Kirsten Doogue
These works highlighted the global nature of contemporary embroidery and the diverse stories that can be communicated through textile practice.
Chairman's Choice Award
One of the most anticipated awards of the evening is the Chairman's Choice Award, recognising exceptional innovation in hand embroidery across all categories.
Winner: Adam Dee
Runner-Up: Sarah Youngson
This award celebrates work that pushes creative boundaries while maintaining the highest standards of craftsmanship.
Associate Awards
In addition to the main prizes, several industry partners recognised outstanding specialist skills and innovation:
Royal School of Needlework Associate Award – Ishitaa Khemani
The Worshipful Company of Broderers Associate Award – Kai Otsuki
The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers Associate Award – Lucy May
Wilcom Associate Award for Digital Embroidery – Emma Eley
Wilcom Associate Award for Digital Embroidery – Poppy Schneck
The Embroiderers' Guild & Embroidery Magazine Design and Innovation Award – Annabel Thornton
The Future of Embroidery
The Hand & Lock Prize continues to affirm embroidery's relevance in contemporary art, fashion and design. Drawing entrants from around the world, the competition provides an invaluable platform for emerging and established makers alike, encouraging innovation while celebrating the rich heritage of embroidery practice.
This year's theme proved particularly timely, reminding us that in an increasingly digital world, handmade textiles remain powerful vessels for storytelling, preserving personal histories, cultural traditions and creative expression through the simple yet remarkable act of stitch.
The 2026 winners exemplify the future of embroidery: technically accomplished, conceptually ambitious and deeply connected to the stories they seek to tell. Their work demonstrates that embroidery remains not only a craft tradition but also a vital and evolving contemporary art form.
Explore more about embroidery and find supplies to support your creative projects at The Manbroiderer. Embrace the joy of stitching and join a community where creativity and learning come together.
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