The $30,000 Jann Medlicott Award for Contemporary Art has been established through the generous bequest of Jann Medlicott NZOM (pictured) and will be awarded biennially to an ascending artist who has made a significant contribution to contemporary art practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. It will be judged by a panel of industry experts who will base their decision on the contribution of the artist over the two years leading up to the award. The inaugural recipient will be announced in early 2026 and their exhibition will be presented in the Gallery later that year.

Jann passed away in 2022 leaving a significant legacy to the arts, including the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Jann worked at Tauranga Hospital as Clinical Director of Radiology and then co-founded two private radiology practices in Tauranga, where she worked until 2011. Retirement allowed Jann to pursue her love for art and literature. She was recognised in the 2021 Queen's New Year's Honours, becoming a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to philanthropy, the creative arts and radiology.