Application Launch! The 11th Asian Lighting Design Awards 2026

The Asian Lighting Design Awards (Asian Lighting Design Awards), initiated in 2015 and organized by AALD, were established against the backdrop of the 2015 United Nations "International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies" and received support from the International Year of Light Committee. It is one of the most authoritative and influential awards in the field of lighting design in Asia. It primarily rewards design practice achievements in the lighting industry across Asia that demonstrate outstanding innovative concepts, exceptional technological R&D, and efficient energy-saving explorations, and have received high praise from users. It is an honorary award that recognizes outstanding achievements in innovation and practice among Asian lighting designers. The awards are divided into four categories: Light of Asia (the highest award), Light of Extraordinary, Light of Excellence, and Special Light.

Eligibility for Application

Completion Time: Projects completed between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2025, that meet one of the following geographical/designer qualification requirements:

1）The project is located in Asia;

2）The project is located in other regions, but the core designer is of Asian nationality or a member of the Asian Association of Lighting Designers (AALD).

Project Quality: The project should demonstrate outstanding performance in creative expression, technical application, and lighting effects in lighting design, and has received high recognition from end-users and a good reputation within the industry.

Competition Categories

Category A: Lighting design for individual buildings (non-temporary structures)/neighborhoods

Category B: Lighting design for temporary buildings (e.g., sales offices, temporary exhibition halls, etc.)

Category C: Lighting design for roads, bridges, parks, and squares

Category D: Lighting design for various indoor spaces

Category E: Lighting design for cultural tourism

Category F: Light and shadow artworks (light installation artworks, new media artworks, etc., created using natural or artificial light)

Application Methods

Application methods include nomination applications, AALD member applications, and regular applications. Nomination applications refer to projects nominated by specific nominated experts. The list of nominated experts for 2026 is continuously being updated.

Application Timeline

1）Application Deadline

Application Closing Date: March 31, 2026

First Batch of Applications: December 31, 2025 - February 14, 2026

Second Batch of Applications: February 15, 2026 - March 31, 2026

2）Evaluation and Award Process

Evaluation Meeting: April-May 2026

Announcement of Winners: May 2026

Award Ceremony: June 8, 2026

Application Materials Fee

Application Recommendations

When mentioning the application considerations for the 2026 Asian Lighting Design Awards, Professor/Doctoral Supervisor Yan Yonghong, Chair of AALD and Professor at the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chongqing University, emphasized the following two points:

1. The types of participating projects are similar, which inadvertently increases the difficulty of competition. It is recommended that when applying for projects, attention should be paid to selecting projects with differences to reduce the homogenization of project types in applications.

2. Applicant organizations should pay attention to the quality of project photos for the competition. Project photos are an important window for judges to understand the project, and high-quality photos that can accurately showcase the project's characteristics and highlights are crucial.

Click here to link to the registration page.