Friday, 26th September: Yesterday, Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) announced the winner of the David Shaw-Smith Legacy Award 2024, Scott Benefield. The award was created by DCCI to recognise, support and honour master craftspeople for their exceptional creative growth and contribution to their craft now and into the future. Its title pays tribute to the great Irish filmmaker David Shaw-Smith, who recognised that Irish craft is rooted in heritage and innovation, and who himself made such a contribution to Ireland’s craft sector. This year’s recipient, Scott Benefield, is a contemporary glassmaker based in Antrim, who together with his partner Andrea Spencer, creates pieces which are designed, crafted, and finished entirely by hand in the studio in Antrim.
The David Shaw-Smith Legacy Award has a value of €5,000 and the recipient was awarded an engraved piece created by previous winner, Eric Philips. The judging panel comprised Mary Gallagher, curator and artist; Eric Philips, designer and maker as well as previous winner and Daniel Shaw Smith, David’s son. The winner was announced in a ceremony held in the David Shaw-Smith Library at DCCI headquarters in Kilkenny. DCCI has opened applications for the 2025 David Shaw-Smith Legacy Award, inviting master craftspeople aged over 50 to apply. A full list of criteria can be found here.
The shortlisted makers show the high level of skill and talent that these awards have attracted from Ireland’s community of master craftspeople. They come from many different areas of craft, combining traditional skills with contemporary ideas. Each maker shows great dedication, creativity and attention to detail in their work. Their achievements highlight both the deep roots of Irish craft and its continuing importance today. Together, they represent the best of Irish craftsmanship and reflect the true standing of the awards.
Scott Benefield established and founded his studio, Benefield Spencer, with Andrea Spencer in 2010. Based on a restored farmstead near Ballintoy on Northern Ireland’s Antrim coast, the studio doubles as a home and workspace, shaping their creative practice. Every piece is handmade, combining traditional glassmaking with contemporary design. Their limited production approach ensures subtle variations and organic forms that showcase craftsmanship, while upholding precision, authenticity, and the enduring value of the handmade. The result is a body of work that bears the subtle marks of hand craftsmanship with slight variations, tool impressions, and organic forms, while maintaining an uncompromising standard of precision and finish.
Mary Blanchfield, CEO of Design & Crafts Council Ireland, said, “We are honoured to present the David Shaw-Smith Legacy Award to Scott Benefield. It is a privilege to celebrate and support Ireland’s master craftspeople by highlighting their exceptional work to a broader audience. This award recognises their outstanding contributions and encourages the continued growth of their craft and heritage. Presenting this award to Scott, in the presence of Daniel Shaw Smith, son of David Shaw-Smith, makes the occasion even more meaningful.”
Presenting the David Shaw-Smith Legacy Award, Daniel Shaw Smith said: “As David’s son and on behalf of the family, I am grateful for the opportunity to present this award for excellence in Irish design and craft, in his name. My father believed deeply in the importance of recognising and honouring such talent. He was passionate about Irish craft traditions and their importance and dedicated much of his life to their preservation through his filmmaking. He would be so pleased to see them being celebrated through this award, but more particularly, by the incredibly talented makers who create such beautiful pieces with traditional skills at their core.”
The David Shaw-Smith Legacy Award was developed in response to a callout at Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s AGM in 2022 by master craftsman and previous DCCI bursary winner, Joe Hogan. David Shaw-Smith, with his wife Sally, produced and directed the acclaimed documentary series, Hands, and David made over 138 television documentaries during his career. The award is intended to invest in the future of Irish craft and judges are encouraged to consider not only the applicants past achievements but their future potential and how they might enrich the Irish design and craft landscape.
To learn more about the David Shaw-Smith Award and apply for 2025, visit: https://www.dcci.ie/opportunities/applications-open-for-david-shaw-smith-award/
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact Eimear Harding, Communications and Public Affairs Manager, DCCI, 083 023 8743 or email [email protected]
For further press information please contact Claire Feely, Laura Daly or Eliza Gallagher at Elevate PR, 01 662 5652 or email [email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]
