Gray’s School of Art Design Student Wins Offshore Achievement Awards Trophy Commission
November 2025
The Offshore Achievement Awards has announced Suzanne Whittle as the winner of its prestigious trophy design competition for the 2026 awards ceremony.
Each category winner takes home a coveted OAA trophy designed each year by Gray’s School of Art 3D Design students. The students presented their concepts for the 2026 trophy to a panel of 6 judges and were then tasked with creating a prototype for further judging.
Suzanne’s innovative design beat competing entries with a concept that captures the essence of the offshore energy sector's evolution, combining traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. The winning trophy features a 3D-printed organic form inspired by seismic surveying processes, paired with an oak wood base that references the durable decking materials used on supply vessels.
A distinctive steel element split through the middle serves as a powerful metaphor for breakthrough innovation while subtly referencing drilling into the seabed—themes at the heart of the offshore industry's ongoing transformation.
The design incorporates laser-cut engraving and will be produced as a series of 11 trophies to honour winners across all award categories at the 2026 ceremony.
"It means a lot to have won this award," said Suzanne. "We have been running two live projects this semester so it's really helped with my time management working on a real client brief. This will really help my career in the future."
Production of the trophies is set to begin in November 2025, with delivery scheduled for mid-February 2026. The design successfully met the project's material budget requirements while delivering a trophy that embodies the offshore sector's key themes of transition, innovation, and connection.
The 39th annual Offshore Achievement Awards, sponsored by Bilfinger celebrates excellence and innovation across the offshore energy industry, recognising outstanding contributions from individuals and organisations shaping the sector's future.
Winners of the OAA’s will be announced at a black-tie ceremony on the 5th March at the P&J Live in Aberdeen. The full list of OAA categories for 2026 are:
- Emerging Technology Award
- Field-Proven Technology Award
- Collaboration Award
- Sustainability Project Award
- Skills Development Award
- Offshore Workplace of Choice - Judges Award – supported by RigRun
- Inclusivity Champion Award – sponsored by slb
- Industry Expert Award
- Young Professional Award
- Industry Transferer/Returner Award
- Significant Contribution Award
Entries are now open until 28th November 2025, with finalists announced in January 2025. Entries are open to all UK-registered companies within the oil & gas and renewables sectors. Sponsorship is available for each Award category. Contact oaa@mearns-gill.com for more information.
