VII. AOL Awards 2020.

The seventh consecutive The Art and Olfaction Awards took place in pandemic conditions: the traditional announcement of finalists at the Esxence in Milan, which was cancelled, was replaced by Zoom (April 24, 2020). Also, instead of the final ceremony, which was supposed to take place in Los Angeles, an online event took place on September 19th, 2020.

The AOL Awards 2020 included perfumes and experimental projects with scent released in 2019.

Regarding the established “rule of 8”, AOL Awards 2020 was also different from the previous: in the two key judging categories (independent and artisan), due to a tie in the final round, 50% more finalists were announced, so the number of awards was also doubled.
Winners in discretionary categories have not been announced.

You can view the press release material from the announcement of the finalists here, and the event announcing the winner here.

The Art and Olfaction Awards, established in 2014 by The Institute for Art and Olfaction, are given to outstanding creators in the categories of independent, artisan, and experimental perfume from across the globe.
Awarded to just eight projects and perfumes per year, The Art and Olfaction Awards are designed to celebrate excellence in independent perfumery, and raise public interest and awareness around new developments in perfumery, on a global scale.

JURIED CATEGORIES

The panel of AOL Awards 2022 judges for the independent and the artisan category included: Anahita Mekanik, Andreas Wilhelm, Ashley Eden Kessler, Bibiana Prival, Dana El Masri, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, Eddie Bulliqi, Frederic Jacques, Mark Behnke, Marta Siembab, Sherri Sebastian, Yosh Han.

The panel of judges for the Sadakichi Award included: Anna Gerber, Darin Klein, Deji Bryce Olukotun, Peter de Cupere, and Simon Niedenthal.

For brands that employed an external perfumer or fragrance house to initiate and create the formula for the submitted perfume, then released under the brand’s name.

Due to ties, AOL Awards 202 announced 12 finalists and 2 winners.

For perfume brands that are owned or co-owned by the brand’s primary perfumer, who initiated and created the submitted perfume’s formula in-house.

AOL Awards 2022 announced 13 finalists and 2 winners.

For creative or experimental practitioners who make use of scent in an unconventional or experimental manner, that takes it out of the domain of traditional perfumery.

AOL Awards 2022 announced 5 finalists and the winner.

Aftel award for handmade perfume

This award honours one outstanding, small-batch perfume that was 100% perfumer-created, in-house, with no use of outsourced compounding or expansion at any stage of the process.

Contribution to the scent culture award

This award honours outstanding and significant contributions to global public awareness of artisan, independent and experimental practices with scent.

SEPTIMUS PIESSE VISIONARY AWARD WINNER

This award honours an outstanding person showing proof of exceptional vision with regard to how scent is used, developed, or imagined.