Turnip Prize

History

Conceived in 1999 by management and regulars of The George Hotel (now in the New Inn), Wedmore, Somerset after the exhibition of Tracey Emin's My Bed won the Turner Prize. It is organised by Trevor Prideaux. Announced as, "The Turnip Prize is a crap art competition ... You can enter anything you like, but it must be rubbish." The competition is based on the supposition, "We know it's rubbish, but is it art?". Competitors submitted entries of ridiculous objects posing as contemporary art, mostly made from junk titled with spoofs or puns. The prize is a turnip impaled on a rusty six-inch nail.

In May 2000, the nominees appeared on the BBC TV Esther Rantzen show that has been featured by national and international media.

In 2001, the competition was held in the public conveniences in Wedmore.

In 2002, the "Monster Raving Loony Party" attempted to hijack the competition at The Trotter, Crickham, Wedmore.

In 2003, the winner was James Timms with Take a Leaf out of My Chook, an exhibit of a raw chicken stuffed with leaves. . James Timms subsequently appeared on BBC radio Scotland's Fred Macaulay Show with Ed Byrne.

In 2005, Ian Osenthroat, a 69-year-old former photocopier salesman, won with the exhibit Birds Flew, a bird's nest with a flu remedy box. He commented satirically, "I have entered this most coveted art award on several occasions and I really feel that the lack of effort this year has really paid off."

Winner in 2006 was Ian Lewis with the exhibit Torn Beef, an empty corned beef can. He stated, "The work took no time at all to create." Trevor Prideaux commented, "I believe that over the last seven years the bad artists of Wedmore and surrounding areas have created far better works than Nicholas Serota and The Tate Britain Gallery could ever wish to exhibit." Also in 2006, the BBC's Chief Somerset Correspondent, Clinton Rogers, was immortalised as Clint on a Row of Jars.

In 2007, the competition gained more publicity with the entry of artwork with the title By the Banksea. The painting bears a striking resemblance to work by the famous Bristol graffiti artist Banksy, and its origins are likewise a closely guarded secret. By the Banksea portrays a seaside Aunt Sally in the form of a stencil of the Mona Lisa, but in true Banksy-style, Mona Lisa is depicted holding a rocket launcher firing a turnip over the wreckage of a seaside pier and an emergency exit sign. Competition organiser Trevor Prideaux commented: "It does seem to be in Banksy's style. But someone has thought too much about this one and tried too hard. So for that reason it's not likely to win." The piece was duly disqualified for "too much effort, and not shit enough." The 2007 competition was won by Bracey Vermin with Tea P, a group of used tea bags in the shape of a letter P.

Competition entries for 2010 included "Ivor Crush"'s clothes hanger linking the letter U in "Crush", entitled "Hung up on You", and an entry by Banksy, which focused on the recent student protests of the day.

Entries for 2011 included a piece of cheese carved into the letter E, entitled CheeseE, a fish full of dollars. Exhibit of an Action Man toy – called "First Class Mail" – with a carefully placed stamp and a coloured rock called "Half a Stone Lighter". This year's prize featured on the BBC's Have I Got News For You for two weeks running.

2012 - 87 entries

Also featured in The Boston Globe and BBC World Service - Russia

2013 - 69 entries, which included entries from Ireland, Italy, Paris and the USA

2014 - 69 entries, which included entries from Canada, USA, Germany and Italy

2015 - 69 entries, which included entries from France, Czech Republic, Norway and Macedonia plus Breakfast TV, Wright Stuff, and ITV

2016 - 99 entries, which included entries from Brisbane, Australia (delivered by hand), Scotland, Northern Ireland and Lundyhttp://livemendips.co.uk/news/plumsky-wins-pole-position-in-turnip-prize-2016/https://www.flickr.com/photos/salsgallery/30649999303/http://www.cornwalllive.com/rubbish-artwork-pole-dark-mocks-cornwall-s-beloved-poldark-to-win-turnip-prize-spoof-of-turner-prize/story-29966368-detail/story.htmlhttp://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/poldark_announced_as_winner_of_coveted_turnip_prize_1_4811160http://www.thebreeze.com/somerset/news/local-news/trestt/http://www.inweston.co.uk/poldark-announced-as-winner-of-coverted-turnip-prize/http://www.burnhamandhighbridgeweeklynews.co.uk/news/somersetnews/14948802.__39_Pole_Dark__39__scoops_this_year__39_s_coveted_Turnip_Prize/https://www.thesun.co.uk/?s=the+turnip+prizehttp://www.somersetlive.co.uk/search/search.html?searchType=&searchPhrase=the+turnip+prize&where= Chat Magazine https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16194937_10154922003899417_7489711826235180234_n.jpg?oh=c48fba14d17a14b3d9834108f661fbd5&oe=591A86DE and ITN 5pm News, ITV Westcountry, London Live, BBC Radio Somerset, Bristol and Cornwall, Glastonbury FM, Points West, GMTV, Heart FM, The Wright Stuff, Metro, Have I Got News For You 9.12.16 shown 12.12.16

Winners and shortlisted artists

This list is nearly complete

Other competitions

Many independent "Turnip Prize" competitions are now held around the world, with differing rules made up by those who are running the competitions. Competitions generally aspire to concept, "We know it's rubbish, but is it art?" and competitors submit entries made from junk with titles that are nonsensical or puns. Marks are awarded for amusement and lack of effort, and competitors are frequently disqualified for applying too much effort. In 2001, The Sun tabloid newspaper featured its own Turnip Prize.

In 2002 "The Turnip Award" was opened annually for students at Edinburgh College of Art to "carve or design something out of the humble vegetable". The 2005 prize was a mountain bike. In 2005 a Turnip Prize was staged at St Paul's Gallery in Tower Hamlets, London for local residents.

The term was previously used in 1998 by YBA Jake Chapman of the Chapman Brothers (2003 Turner Prize nominees): "We thought if we couldn't get the Turner Prize we should get the Turnip Prize."