NZOS Awards for 2026 Year
Below is a summary of all the awards given by the New Zealand Orchid Society Judging Panel for 2026.
New awards are constantly being added, so be sure to check back from time to time.
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Awarded Plants
Orchid Name: Paphiopedilum Butch Booth 'Richard Thomas Legg'
Parentage: Paphiopedilum rothschildianum X Paphiopedilum Linda Booth
Award Achieved: Highly Commended Certificate (HCC)
Award Number: 01-2026
Grown By: Richard Legg
Orchid Description: The plant was presented with 2 spikes carrying a total of 7 blooms, with an overall bloom width of 190 mm. The plant was well grown, with clean foliage.
The sepals are pale creamy white with a soft pale green overlay and dark brown stripes. The petals are light green with mid-brown spots and stripes. The labellum is creamy lemon with a pale maroon overlay towards the tip and deeper maroon striping. Some blooms showed damage, which limited the award level.
Orchid Name: Aerides odorata 'Aurora'
Parentage: Species
Award Achieved: Award of Merit & Cultural Certificate (AM & CC)
Award Number: 02 & 03-2026
Grown By: Wen Teo & Sue Chau
Orchid Description: The plant was presented with 3 spikes carrying a total of 145 blooms and 31 flower buds, with an overall bloom width of 25.5 mm.
The sepals are pale pink with a slightly deeper pink flush towards the tips. The petals are also pale pink with a matching deeper pink flush towards the tips. The three-lobed labellum is pale pink, with a darker pink mid-lobe and a greenish-yellow spur apex enclosing the column.
The flowers display good form, with a firm, waxy texture and a flat presentation with no gaps between the segments. The blooms are arranged cylindrically around the raceme and are fragrant. One leaf showed minor travel damage.
Orchid Name: Calanthe vestita
Parentage: Species
Award Achieved: Cultural Certificate (CC)
Award Number: 04-2026
Grown By: Geoffrey Marshall
Orchid Description: The plant was presented with 3 spikes carrying 40 open blooms and 15 buds. It was a well-grown plant with 6 clean, leafless bulbs.
Sepals were a delicate snowy white. Petals were upright and snowy white, partly hidden behind the dorsal sepals. The four-lobed labellum had a downward-pointing spur and was deep magenta centrally, fading towards the edges, with the lobes varying from pink to white.
Orchid Name: Paphiopedilum Nitens 'Pamela'
Parentage: Paphiopedilum insigne X Paphiopedilum villosum
Award Achieved: Cultural Certificate (CC)
Award Number: 05-2026
Grown By: Julie Hayward
Orchid Description: This beautifully grown Paphiopedilum was presented with 15 flower spikes, each carrying an open bloom. Grown in a 30 cm pot, the plant displayed attractive foliage with light mottling and reflected excellent culture and care.
The dorsal sepal is white with a soft lime-green overlay extending from the column and fading towards the top. Light brown vertical stripes and spotting add definition, while the fluted upper edge shows the influence of Paphiopedilum insigne. The ventral sepal is pale lime green.
The petals are pale lime green with a light brown overlay across the lower section. A central brown stripe runs through each petal, becoming slightly deeper towards the upper section, complemented by fine brown stripes and spots.
The labellum is pale lime green with a soft light brown overlay fading towards the tip. Together, the flowers and well-maintained plant created an attractive display worthy of a Cultural Certificate.
Orchid Name: Fredclarkeara After Dark 'Black Pearl'
Parentage: Mormodia Painted Desert X Catasetum Donna Wise
Award Achieved: Cultural Certificate (CC)
Award Number: 08-2026
Grown By: Lito Teopo
Orchid Description: This impressive plant was presented with 7 flower spikes carrying 102 open blooms and 10 buds, with an overall bloom width of 50.8 mm. The plant was exceptionally well grown, with 13 mature bulbs and 5 new bulbs with leaves, all clean and free from marks.
The sepals and petals are a rich, deep burgundy, creating the striking dark appearance for which this cultivar is known. The labellum is also deep burgundy, complemented by distinctive cream edging around the column.
The abundance of flowers, strong growth and excellent overall condition produced an outstanding display worthy of a Cultural Certificate.
Orchid Name: Calanthe vestita 'Sappho'
Parentage: Species
Award Achieved: Cultural Certificate (CC)
Award Number: 09-2026
Grown By: C Shannon
Orchid Description: This well-grown Calanthe vestita was presented with 5 flower spikes carrying 53 open blooms and 29 buds, along with one immature spike. The flowers had an overall bloom width of 35 mm. The plant was grown in a 7-inch terracotta bowl and carried 14 clean, leafless bulbs.
The sepals are white with a light pink blush towards the edges. The petals are also white, with a soft pink blush overlay that is more pronounced on some flowers.
The three-lobed labellum is magenta, with the upper two lobes displaying rose pink colouring and the lower lobe a softer blush pink. The generous flowering and strong overall growth created an attractive display worthy of a Cultural Certificate.
Orchid Name: Oncidium cheirophorum
Parentage: Species
Award Achieved: Cultural Certificate (CC)
Award Number: 10-2026
Grown By: Tara Nguyen
Orchid Description: This well-grown Oncidium cheirophorum was presented with 10 flower spikes carrying 181 open blooms and 89 buds. The blooms measured approximately 15 mm across. The plant displayed multiple bulbs with healthy foliage and showed excellent culture.
The sepals and petals are solid golden yellow. The labellum is golden yellow with contrasting white keels and white spotting in the throat.
Orchid Name: Lycaste Shonan Bright
Parentage: Lycaste Shoalhaven X Lycaste John Ezzy
Award Achieved: Award of Merit (AM)
Award Number: 11-2026
Grown By: Luis Ortiz-Catedral
Orchid Description: The plant was presented with 1 flower spike carrying 1 open bloom, with an overall bloom width of 151 mm. The flower displayed an attractive crystalline texture.
The sepals are cream with a green tinge and pale pink edging. The petals have a cream base infused with light pink. The labellum is cream with maroon edging, a yellow centre and a light yellow throat.
Orchid Name: Neopabstopetalum Kiwi Horizon 'Minty'
Parentage: Neopabstopetalum Adelaide Jester X Zygopetalum Kiwi Susan
Award Achieved: Highly Commended Certificate (HCC)
Award Number: 14-2026
Grown By: R & S Tucker
Orchid Description: This first-flowering seedling was presented with 1 flower spike carrying 6 open blooms and no buds. The overall bloom width was recorded as 646 mm. The plant was young and showed good growth.
The sepals and petals have a light green base with irregular brown stripes and blotches. The labellum has a white base colour with a lilac overlay extending into the throat.
Orchid Name: Neopabstopetalum Kiwi Horizon 'Lavendar and Lime'
Parentage: Neopabstopetalum Adelaide Jester X Zygopetalum Kiwi Susan
Award Achieved: Highly Commended Certificate (HCC)
Award Number: 15-2026
Grown By: R and S Tucker
Orchid Description: This first-flowering seedling was presented with 2 flower spikes carrying 4 open blooms and 2 buds. The overall bloom width was recorded as 701 mm. The plant was young and showed good growth.
The sepals and petals have a light green base with irregular brown stripes and blotches. The labellum has a white base colour with a lilac overlay extending into the throat.
Orchid Name: Neopabstopetalum Kiwi Horizon
Parentage: Neopabstopetalum Adelaide Jester X Zygopetalum Kiwi Susan
Award Achieved: Plant Breeders Award (PBA)
Award Number: 16-2026
Grown By: R and S Tucker
Orchid Description: A group of six plants was presented, showing award or near-award quality, with two plants receiving Highly Commended Certificates. The plants were young, first-flowering seedlings with similar characteristics.
The inflorescences were well presented, standing upright with the flowers facing forward. Flower size and form were considered average for young, first-flowering plants. The flowers showed similar characteristics across the group, with some displaying more brown markings than others.
Orchid Name: Rhynchostylis gigantea 'Ruby'
Parentage: Species
Award Achieved: Award of Merit (AM)
Award Number: 17-2026
Grown By:Wen Teo and Sue Chau
Orchid Description: The plant was presented with 2 flower spikes carrying 71 open blooms and 13 buds. The overall bloom width was 34.6 mm. The plant had clean leaves shaded light and darker green, with an elegant and even overall appearance.
The sepals and petals are a solid dark violet-purple with a touch of white at the column and slight natural reflexing. The labellum is very dark purple, becoming almost brown at the column, with a lighter shade of purple towards the front of the lip.