Judge of the competition, sculpture expert and art academic Dr Robin Woodward praised Godwin's "down-to-Earth Kiwi-ness".
Godwin entered her piece The No.8 Wire Lettering System: Fences vs Walls, inspired by a casual conversation with her father Julian Godwin, who died of cancer in February.
Their conversation manifested into the message: "In NZ we don't need walls, only fences," moulded from No.8 wire against a grassy background.
She was advised throughout the process by her sculptor friend and colleague Tim Elliot.
Godwin said her dad had mentioned that New Zealand, as an island, had no need for a wall.
"It was just a very practical statement," Godwin said.
"I became more and more excited with the idea as it evolved."
An American couple told her it was a message the world needed to hear, while a psychologist said it also alluded to personal boundaries.
"I didn't anticipate this one," Godwin said.
"If you have boundaries they need to be transparent and they need to be self-respecting boundaries, respectful of others and of yourself," she said.
Woodward said that the piece tells the world what New Zealand is about as a society.
"We need No.8 wire for all sorts of things. Not least of all is a fence. But in New Zealand we don't need a wall."
Godwin said while her father was unwell she involved him in her work's progress as much as she could, even bringing the letters into the hospital.
"He was very inventive...he taught me a lot," Godwin said.
Godwin said her father's creativity was a life-long source of inspiration for her and that the competition had sparked a renewed love of creating art.
"This work took me on an unexpected, almost unplanned journey," she said.
Hamilton's Gaye Jurisich was awarded second place for her sculpture For Suzette and John Mulholland placed third with It's a Bloody Lifesaver.
Jurisich, a multi-media artist who manages an antique store in Claudelands, said her sculpture of a giant wire necklace was inspired by someone who came past her shop.
"There's a lot of women in society who find themselves caught in dilemmas, in relationships and in decisions they make when they're young," Jurisich said.
They drag that psychological burden around with them forever...and that's what it's really about," she said.
"No-one would actually wear a necklace that size but sometimes the weight of problems around your neck are very heavy."
The event, partnered by Farmlands and Waikato Museum, was the first Fielday event of the year.
The artwork of the 28 finalists will be exhibited at Waikato Museum's ArtsPost until May 22, with free entry.
An exhibition featuring all 28 of the Fieldays No8 Wire National Art Award finalists is on at Hamilton's ArtsPost until May 22.
Visitors to the exhibition can vote for the People's Choice Award. Selected artworks will also be on display at Fieldays from 14 June to 17 June at Mystery Creek.