2026 Illumination Awards Program
| Submissions | December 1 - January 30 |
| Section IA Chair Processing | February 4 - February 18 |
| Online Merit Judging | March 4 - April 15 |
| Final Live Judging | Mid April |
Illumination Award Levels
| Section Awards | Awarded at the local section level judging. Projects scoring adequately at the section move up for additional judging in the global judging, eligible for the awards noted below. |
| Awards of Merit | Recognizes meritorious contribution to lighting design |
| Special Citation | Awarded for superior elements of an outstanding lighting design, or in some instances, the use of lighting as an art form. |
| Award of Excellence | Awarded for an exceptional contribution to the art and science of light |
| Award of Distinction | Awarded for extraordinary achievement in lighting design |