Welcome to the IES Illumination Awards Submission Site
The IES Illumination Awards (IA) program recognizes individuals for professionalism, ingenuity and originality in lighting design based on the individual merit of each entry. Judges are selected from a broad professional spectrum representing knowledge of lighting and design excellence. The judging system is entirely based on how well the lighting design meets the program criteria. The Illumination Awards program is not a competition. 2025 Marks the Illumination Awards 52nd year. We strongly recommend that applicants read through the eligibility/entry rules and FAQs before submitting to the program.
PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU ARE AN IES MEMBER, YOUR LOGIN INFORMATION IS SEPARATE FROM YOUR IES LOGIN. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A LOGIN FROM PREVIOUS YEARS, YOU MUST CREATE A NEW ONE.
Submissions open January 2, 2025
Submissions close February 21, 2025
Illumination Awards Submission Procedures and FAQs
New in 2025!
1. Impact Statement:
During the awards submission process, a new Impact Statement will be asked and included in judging of the project. Submitters will be asked to explain “How does this project positively enhance or impact the community it is serving?” in their submission. This additional scored question replaces the discretionary points judges could award to projects. The impact statement should highlight how the project makes a difference in the community where it is located. A few examples are ensuring the lighting for an outdoor project doesn’t negatively impact or shine into an adjacent community, designing with the understanding of local customs and abilities, using an equitable process of community engagement and collaboration, or building community through light. It can also be used to identify how your designed empowered spaces that serve historically under resourced, neglected, and/or marginal communities with quality lighting designs.
2. New Category:
The Illumination Award for Experiential Lighting Design, sponsored by ETC, Inc. recognizes those projects that use the design of lighting as art or for effect. The projects submitted in this category are themed or immersive environments, whether temporary, permanent, or seasonal. The Experiential Lighting Design award encompasses interior and exterior projects and permanent, temporary, or seasonal installations. This can be a park with interactive elements for visitors, a spectacular holiday display, or an amusement park ride, to name a few examples.
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The IES Illumination Awards are comprised of five parallel program categories:
The Illumination Award for Interior Lighting Design sponsored by Edwin F. Guth, the Illumination Award for Outdoor Lighting Design , the Control Innovation Award, Sponsored by LCA, a Council within NEMA, the Energy and Environmental Design Award, The Experiential Design Award , sponsored by ETC, Inc., are parallel programs created to recognize outstanding lighting design.
Projects receive levels of recognition attained by consensus judge scores. The award levels are Section Awards, Awards of Merit, Special Citation, Award of Excellence and Award of Distinction.
The highest level Society Award recipients will be honored at the Illumination Awards Gala.
*If you are interested in submitting a project for the IES New York City Section's Lumen Awards, you must use their separate portal. Click here to submit to the Lumen Awards. Submitting to the IA program will not enter your project in the Lumen Awards program.