Former University of Otago voice professor Judy Bellingham said the prestigious 80-year-old, half-metre-tall shield was awarded annually to the winner of the senior vocal competition.
"We were last able to hold the senior vocal in 2019, and the person who won it then, gave it to a friend to return on his behalf at the end of the year.
"The friend didn’t do this, and thinks he threw it away on moving flats, and it is now lost.
"We’re trying to get in touch with someone like a landlord who’s got the trophy and doesn’t know what to do with it.
"It may even be hidden away in the top of a student wardrobe somewhere."
She said it was a "really gut-wrenching" situation because there was so much history attached to the shield.
"It was won by people like Martin Snell, Jonathan Lemalu, Sam Madden — all the great singers that have come out of this city, all their names are on that trophy.
"That’s what adds such prestige to the award.
"Anecdotally, within the competitions society, it was so big, we always called it the Ranfurly Shield because that’s sort of what it looks like."
She was horrified it might be being used as a coffee table or a cheese platter in a student flat.
Dunedin police were also helping with the search, she said.
The competition could not be held for the past two years because of Covid-19 restrictions, but it was hoped it could be again this August.
Miss Bellingham said it would be the 120th anniversary of the competition and New Zealand opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa would be one of the adjudicators of the event.
It would be great to have the shield back for this year’s competition, she said.
