Welcome to the IES Illumination Awards Submission Site

    Honoring creativity, technical excellence, and professionalism in lighting design for 53 years.

Welcome to the IES Illumination Awards (IA) submission portal — the global platform celebrating excellence in lighting design. Each project is evaluated individually using a detailed score sheet; projects are not judged against one another. The process is
anonymous, focused solely on how effectively your design meets the program criteria. We encourage all participants to carefully review the entry rules and FAQs before submitting their projects. Whether you’re an IES member or a lighting professional anywhere in the world, we invite you to submit your best work and join a tradition that recognizes design innovation, thoughtful execution, and impact on the built environment.

Program Overview
The IES Illumination Awards are comprised of five parallel program categories,
recognizing outstanding work across the lighting industry:

• Illumination Award for Interior Lighting Design, sponsored by Edwin F. Guth
• Illumination Award for Outdoor Lighting Design
• Illumination Award for Control Innovation, sponsored by the Lighting Controls Academy, a NEMA Coalition (LCA)
• Illumination Award for Energy and Environmental Design
• Illumination Award for Experiential Lighting Design, sponsored by ETC, Inc.

Projects receive recognition levels based on consensus judge scores. Award distinctions
include:

• Awards of Merit
• Special Citations
• Awards of Excellence
• Awards of Distinction.

The highest-level award recipients will be honored at the IES Illumination Awards Gala.

2026 Program Timeline

• Early Bird Entry: December 1, 2025 – January 7, 2026
• Regular Entry: January 8 – February 12, 2026
• Section Processing Ends: February 24, 2026
• Merit Judging: March 4 – April 5, 2026
• Final Judging: Mid-April 2026

Submission Fees

• Entrant Type Early Bird Regular
  • IES Members $265 $320
  • Non-Members $365 $420

Before You Begin
Please review the entry rules and FAQs before starting your submission to ensure your
project meets all requirements. Here are a few key reminders:

• Each project may include up to 10 images total (each photo, rendering, or chart counts toward that limit, even if grouped on one slide).
• No identifying information — such as designer names, firms, or manufacturers — may appear anywhere in your summary, images, or video. Violations will result in disqualification.
• The Impact Statement should be included as part of your 300-word project summary, describing how your design positively impacts the community it serves.
• Image narratives (up to 25 words per image) are there to help judges understand what they are seeing.
• Avoid images that use fill light, flash, or digital manipulation.
• Carefully review your submission before finalizing — no edits or substitutions can be made after payment.

Account Access
If you are an IES member, please note that your Illumination Awards submission portal login is separate from your IES member login.
If you have not used this submission system before, you’ll need to create a new account before beginning your entry.

Additional Notes
If you are interested in submitting to the IES New York City Section’s Lumen Awards, please use their separate portal. Submitting through this site will not enter your project into the Lumen Awards program. Please click here for more information on the Lumen Awards.

Get Started
Submit Your Project
FAQs
Score Sheet
Eligibility and Entry Requirements