And We Want to Hear Yours!
The music industry has the Emmys, the film industry has the Oscars, journalists have the Pulitzers, and well, drywall has the Trophy Awards.
Every two years, a panel of experts in the gypsum industry gather to review the finest examples of craftsmanship, ingenuity and innovation in drywall design in the world. The submissions to this prestigious event range from towering gilded churches to versatile athletic centers to expertly designed residences demonstrating excellence in health and environmental design.
U.S. winners Mike McCann and Lynn Spears
The contractors behind these great works of art are more often operating behind the scenes; the spirited laborers and pioneers that make architectural design a reality are rarely celebrated for their skill and creativity on the job.
And so for one day the tools are ditched, the work belts are left behind, and the drywall and finishing contractors responsible for these masterpieces don their suites and gowns and stand to be recognized for their efforts, imagination and shear breadth of talent.
“So much of our time in this industry is spent focused on project deadlines, budgets, and looking ahead to the next job, ” said Steve Hawkins, Vice President, U.S. Sales at CertainTeed Gypsum, Inc. “This event is an opportunity to celebrate and honor the best building professionals in the industry – those who approach complex and challenging building designs with creativity and ingenuity to achieve outstanding results.”
The 2018 international competition in Lisbon featured 87 projects including 16 of those submissions from North America. Pictured here: Saint Mary and Saint Samuel Orthodox Church, Smith Brothers Contracting Corp. 2018 International Winner for Plasterboard Category, Canada.
What is CertainTeed Gypsum National Trophy?
The CertainTeed Gypsum Trophy is a national competition to honor those craftsmen and women who use gypsum solutions to deliver on the promise to build a better world.
The national competition serves as a chance for drywall and finishing contractors across the U.S. and Canada to get together, review, admire and applaud each other’s work on a regional level. Winners of the national competition will proceed to the global stage at the Saint-Gobain International Trophy awards. Here contractors from around the world will stand among the finest craftsmen and women in the industry, and projects will be evaluated by a jury of industry professionals to determine the best of the industry.
Competitors in the U.S. and Canada compete in one of two categories:
- Residential and Non-residential Construction
Top entries will be invited to attend the 5th CertainTeed Gypsum Trophy event in Phoenix, Arizona where they will compete for the top prize in one of four awards to be issued at the event (Residential Winner – U.S.; Residential Winner – Canada; Non-residential Winner – U.S.; Non-residential Winner – Canada).
The winners will then carry on to represent their countries in the 12th International Trophy competing with the most prestigious projects from around the world in Athens, Greece in April 2020.
What Makes a Project Trophy Worthy?
River Watch Model Home, Michaels’s Homes. 2017 National Winner Residential Construction, U.S.
At its base the competition is open to all contractors that can demonstrate use of CertainTeed products in the build. At its extreme it is highly ornate structures, grand churches or massive airport wings. In reality it’s a little bit of both and a lot in the middle.
“Last year, from the United States we sent a Romanesque cathedral and a lovely family home in Tennessee,” says Najwa Khoury, Vice President of U.S. Marketing at CertainTeed Gypsum, Inc. “It isn’t just about project size and it’s not always about complexity – or at least not visual complexity.”
Judges review the project for quality and craftsmanship, innovation in design and execution and presentation.
“We challenge all contractors to review their portfolio,” says Khoury. “Do you have a project that clearly stands above the rest? If you do, seriously consider entering it.”
“We are facing a crisis in skilled labor in this industry,” she continues. “Now more than ever it is important to recognize and applaud these amazing examples of craftsmanship without whom these architectural masterpieces are not possible.”
Key Dates:
- May 1, 2019 – Application Deadline for U.S. and Canadian projects
- November 7-9 – 5th CertainTeed Gypsum Awards
- April 3, 2020 – 12th Saint-Gobain Gypsum International Trophy Awards
Trophy is accepting applications through May 1, 2019. If you have questions about the program email us or call us at 1-866-532-8436 or visit Certainteed.com/trophy for more information.
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Plus, learn more about all CertainTeed efforts to help keep craft alive.
