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AIS Awards (updated July 15 2010)The American Iris Society (AIS) awards are provided annually encompassing all categories of irises. Each year AIS accredited judges vote for these iris awards. Further details on the AIS awards are provided below. Full information on the various medal and award winners from recent years are provided in the annual listings below.
Click here to go to the
2010 AIS Awards
(PDF 213k)
Photo: PAUL BLACK a 2003 tall bearded iris introduction by hybridizer Thomas Johnson. Dykes Medal winner 2010, Wister Medal 2009, AM 2007, HM 2005. At the 2004 AIS Convention in Fresno, California, this iris was voted most the popular iris seen in convention gardens from a hybridizer outside of the host region (AIS Region 14). For this it received the Cook Cup, an annual award of the AIS Convention. Height= 42inches Season= Mid-Late. This dark purple self demonstrates all around excellence. Show-bench stems bear 11-12 triple-socketed buds. Large flowers have excellent ruffled form and are smoothly saturated in dark purple color. The dark orange beards create a fascinating color combination and a pronounced spicy fragrance enhances its appeal. (photo courtesy of Rick Tasco) Summary of medals and awards given by the American Iris Society:
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 August 2009).
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 Franklin Cook Cup The Ben R. Hager Cup 2007 Fred and Barbara Walther Cup 1996 FEATURE ATTRACTION TB (Schreiner)
Photo: GOLDEN PANTHER (Tasco
2000) TB iris 34 inches, M, Dykes Medal winner 2009
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)
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 Tom Gormley) | Home
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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. 
