2025 Illumination Award Submittal Procedures
Eligibility and Entry Rules
Projects previously submitted to the IES Illumination Awards are not eligible.
- Anyone (except manufacturers); IES members or nonmembers (with the exclusion of IES staff and IES Board of Directors), may enter a project for an Illumination Award. Agents may also submit.
- Registration fees are non-refundable.
- Early Submission: January 2-24 11:59PM EST (Fee: Members $265/Non-Members $365)
- Regular Submission: January 25 - February 21 11:59PM EST (Fee: Members $320/Non-Members $420)
- The installation must have been completed during the 24 months preceding the January program date listed.
- Projects may be entered only once using the IA portal. If there is no active IES section in your area, your project will still be accepted and entered for judging. All judging is conducted ‘blind’ or anonymously; judges do not know any project details at any stage of judging. The nominator must check with all parties to eliminate duplicate entries. All entries previously judged will be rejected.
- Different areas of the same project may be submitted as separate lighting or controls project entries. Each of these entries must have its own distinguishable title and additional entry fee. Each of these entries will be judged separately.
- Lead Lighting Designer must inform the owner and all others involved or associated in the project design, of participation in the program and that the entry may be published in LD+A. The owner’s name and location may be withheld for privacy reasons.
Prepare your submittals. Each project entry must include:
- Project Summary
Up to a three hundred (300) word maximum narrative is allowed to present a project. PLEASE NOTE: The names of the designers, the name of the design firm, equipment manufacturers or specific brands is not allowed anywhere in the narrative. Any reference or endorsement of a commercial product is not allowed. Submittals with this information will be disqualified. However, proper names of places (i.e., Waldorf Astoria, Verizon, Target) in the narrative is admissible.
TIP–it’s beneficial to address criteria from the specified category award score sheet. For example, address Energy and Budget if this was a significant challenge or accomplishment. Commenting on these and other factors can help you present a compelling project
- Images
Up to 10 high-resolution images (photos, sketches or renderings) per entry will be accepted. Multiple images per slide are allowed, but each image will count towards the maximum allotment of 10. Digital renderings that are identified as such are acceptable—if they are accompanied by a photograph of the actual installation, to demonstrate the actual design and installed results. Each rendering and accompanying photographs will be counted individually. Images must be in JPEG format and at least 1024px wide and 768px high.
PLEASE NOTE: Fill light is prohibited. Images modified or digitally enhanced are prohibited.
TIP–Don’t include 10 images if they don’t help tell a compelling project story; sometimes less is more.
TIP–Photos taken during daylight hours may not adequately present the lighting design.
- Image Narratives
Each image can be described in a 25-word narrative that explains that particular image. This narrative is in addition to the introductory summary for each project.
TIP–Use this to tell the judges what they are seeing. An image without a narrative is difficult to judge.
- OPTIONAL: Video Submission
Video submission must NOT contain any narrative (written, spoken or music). Total video length allowed is a maximum of one (1) minute. Video must be a mov, m4v or mp4 format. Still images as a slide show are not accepted as a video and will be disqualified. You may describe the video in up to 25 words in the video narrative.
TIP–Watch for flicker in your video, which could jeopardize your chance of receiving an award. A video of simple color-changing lighting can appear pretty amateur if it appears more like ‘chase’ lights.
All entry materials, including photos and narratives, can be used without restriction by LD+A, the magazine of the IES. LD+A will have reproduction privileges of photographs and scripts without charge to the Society. IES may use the projects submitted to promote the Society’s programs and services.