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This sounds pretty similar to a situation I was in a while ago. In fact, is really similar, almost strange.

Tournament, like yours, I did well, ended up facing a knights unbound DA/fortification cheese list. Dude had 100% unpainted proxy (which wasn't supposed to be allowed) using dreamforge models. In second to last round I have to face him, I lose by 1vp and get bumped out of the final match. I end up taking 3rd because my last opponent got voted best painted, which gave him more overall points.

MFW First place and second place were the only prizes. And proxy knight dude got first, he tabled his final opponent, bumping him down to 4th.

I was salty, and a bit frustrated, but after a week I stopped giving a gak. I knew that I did well, and that is what mattered to me. Plus I chatted with the judge a week or so later, and he agreed the knight player should have been disqualified, but didn't want to cause a fuss.

My friend as soon as you start posting that you have "personal feelings, anger and the tournament meant a lot to you personally" then I think you are taking this tournament way too seriously. It is a game, however magnified into a tournament setting and players run the risk of being a sore-loser if they don't get their way. Please re-think your attitude and try to think about the good side of losing a tournament such as:

1. Did I make any new friends?
2. Did I find anything noteworthy in painting or converting ideas, that I can share with my fellow dakka pals?
3. Did I find any new ways to play the game or did someone show me something I never thought of before?

I think painting points can be granted in a tournament setting, but to have one not granted because your doubles teammate had an un-painted army that is unfair to me.

To be angry that there was no prize beyond first place is childish. To have nothing in the way of door-prizes, and other prizes is kinda lame tournament design in my opinion. (A bag of candy is a great door prize by the way).

I think players who specialize in net lists are challenging to beat. For myself I enjoy playing against them, and look for cracks in their armor. That in-itself is fun enough for me. Otherwise I suggest fighting cheese vs. cheese.

The single fact that this tournament included a painting score in the game result rating shows that this tournament is about as serious as your average street magician.

I'm all for getting points toward the overall for having a fully painted army- but not based on how well its painted; that should be a separate contest.

I'm ok with it, building, painting, playing and list building is all part of the hobby. I like that reflected in the score.

in a tournament painting should never be added as bonus points, sure have a separate award for aesthetics but in a competitive game setting, painting beyond TT standard should be irrelevant for end game scores.

One thing that strikes me as odd in the OP is the prize support split. (1 knight and nothing else.)

Suggest to the TO to split the prize support up to make the end of the tournament a bit more enjoyable for more people. The best tournament I've ever been to, the Iron Halo GT in Oklahoma, had their prize support split up so that 1st 2nd and 3rd all got significant prizes, best painted got something, best sport got something, best of faction certificates, some random drawing prizes were given out, and there were even prizes for players at the 1/3 and 2/3 marks of the rankings, as well as a last place trinket. Plenty of people left happy or feeling that they at least had a reasonable chance of going home with something material.

Making an event "all about dat numbah 1 spot" leads to less stellar results as far as happiness is concerned, I believe.