Some 99 artworks from around the country were selected for this prestigious competition from the 450 entries received, a record number in the 15-year history of the Atelier Awards. Selected works are in the process of being judged in Johannesburg and the winners will be announced on July 12.

There were ten finalists from KZN selected out of the 65 entries received. These were Stewart Barstow, Bongi Dube, Peter Ford, Carol-Anne Gainer, Stavros Georgiades, Georgia Kotretsos, Langa Magwa, Sithembiso Shongwe and Seona Taylor who has two works accepted.

A winner and four merit award winners will walk away with a total of R100,000 in prize money. The competition is intense with multi-media submissions - video, painting, sculpture and installations - vying for the coveted first place. The winning artist receives R60,000, a round trip to France and accommodation for up to six months in the Cité Internationale des Arts, an artist community in the heart of Paris where novices and masters from all over the world meet to live with and learn from each other. Each of the four runners-up receives R10 000.