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AIS Awards (updated August 20 2008)

Each year AIS accredited judges vote for a variety of awards for irises. Full information on the various medal and award winners from recent years are provided:

Photo: Dykes Medal winner 2008 Starwoman (Marky Smith 1998). This is an Intermediate Bearded iris (IB) hybridized by Marky D. Smith. Previously winner of the Hans and Jacob Sass Medal 2005, AIS Award of Merit (AM) 2003, AIS Honorable Mention (HM) 2001. (photo courtesy of Rick Tasco)

Click here to go to the 2008 AIS Awards  (PDF 89k)
Click here to go to the 2007 AIS Awards  (PDF 116k)
Click here to go to the 2006 AIS Awards  (PDF 113K)
Click here to go to the 2005 AIS Awards
Click here to go to the 2004 AIS Awards
Click here to go to the 2003 AIS Awards
Click here to go to the 2002 AIS Awards
Click here to go to the 2001 AIS Awards
Click here to go to the 2000 AIS Awards
Click here to go to the 1999 AIS Awards

Summary of medals and awards given by the American Iris Society:

Dykes Memorial Medal: First awarded in 1927, the Dykes Medal is the highest award of the AIS. Awarded to no more than one iris per year. Irises are eligible as a Dykes Medal candidate for three years following the winning of a classification medal. Only AIS registered judges may vote.

Medals: Each year there are Medals awarded to irises of each specific classification type. This is the top award for each AIS iris classification type. Irises are eligible as a candidate for a Medal the second year after they receive an Award of Merit (AM).  One medal for each classification is given each year (except for the very popular tall bearded which awards 3 Wister Medals each year). Again, only AIS registered judges may vote. The following list details the different Medals for the various iris classification types.

*Note: History+winners list for each medal are a work in progress. All of the Medal histories are already in place below, balance of information to follow ASAP as time allows and when the medal winners listings are collected/supplied/made available. (CH October 2007).

Award of Merit (AM) awards are given to irises from each classification each year. Any iris is eligible the second year after previously winning an Honorable Mention (HM). Only AIS registered judges may vote.

Honorable Mention (HM) awards are awarded each year to irises of each classification. Registered bearded irises are eligible the second year after introduction. Registered beardless irises are eligible the third year after introduction.

High Commendation (HC) awards are reserved for seedling irises, viewed in the garden by AIS judges, under seedling number or registered name, which have not been introduced into commerce yet. Any seedling of any established classification that receives five votes is granted an HC award.

There are a couple of popularity awards as well. These awards are voted on by any AIS members (not necessarily judges). These are voted on at AIS National and Regional conventions and by symposium ballot. These awards include the President's Cup and the Franklin Cook Cup. Every year at the AIS National Convention, registered attendees (regardless of whether they are members of AIS) vote for irises for these two awards.

The President's Cup
The President’s Cup is awarded annually during The American Iris Society’s national meeting. Eligibility is restricted to introduced irises originated within the host region for that year’s national meeting or originated by a hybridizer whose garden is included on the meeting’s official convention tour, regardless of its location. Irises must have been seen growing and in bloom in the meeting’s official tour gardens, but need not be official guest irises. Each registrant may vote for one variety, and The President’s Cup is awarded to the iris with the largest number of votes.

The Franklin Cook Cup
The Franklin Cook Memorial Cup is awarded annually during The American Iris Society’s national meeting. All introduced irises seen growing and in bloom in the official tour gardens of the meeting are eligible for the Cook Memorial Cup, except irises originated within the host region for that year’s national meeting or originated by a hybridizer whose garden is included on the official garden tour, regardless of its location. Irises considered need not be an official "Guest" iris. Each registrant may vote for only one variety and the Franklin Cook Memorial Cup is awarded to the iris receiving the greatest number of votes.
Presidents Cup and Franklin Cook Cup winners listing  (PDF 152K)

The Ben R. Hager Cup
The Ben R. Hager Cup, first awarded in 2007, is awarded annually during the American Iris Society's annual meeting. All introduced median irises (SDB, IB, MTB and BB) seen growing and in bloom in the official tour gardens of the meeting are eligible. Irises considered need not be official guest irises. Each registrant may vote for one median iris variety and the Ben R. Hager Cup is awarded to the median iris receiving the largest number of votes.

Fred and Barbara Walther Cup
Awarded annually by The American Iris Society to the originator of the iris variety that received the greatest number of votes in the Honorable Mention Award balloting, regardless of classification. All classifications of irises are eligible.

1999 DIABOLIQUE (Schreiner's)
2000 MIDNIGHT OIL (K. Keppel)
2001 STARWOMAN, IB (Marky Smith)
2002 HAPPENSTANCE (Keith Keppel)
2003 DELIRIUM IB (Marky Smith)
2004 CAT’S EYE SDB (Paul Black)
2005 PAUL BLACK TB (Tom Johnson)
2006 DECADENCE TB (Barry Blyth)

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