Starting 1989 as regional award, it is put out for tender worldwide since 1993, and has become one of the most prestigious awards in the field of ceramic art in the German speaking European countries.
[1] The Salzburg Ceramics Awards are restricted to artists born or living in Austria, concentrating on working with clay or other ceramic materials.
[2] Two main prizes were awarded until 2007: One by the federal state government of Salzburg state (still valid, endowed now with 6000 Euro), and a second one by the Arts department of the Federal Chancellery (Austria) (ending 2010, formerly endowed with 3000 Euro).
Additionally acknowledgements and grants (now endowed with 2500 Euro) are awarded.
Works by the award-winning artists and of the finalists were shown regularly in an exhibition at the gallery Trakl-Haus[3] in the city of Salzburg,[4] and sometimes in additional exhibitions in Austria.