Submit Your
Entry
The Design Authority Awards are open to every studio, practice, and independent creative worldwide. What matters is the work — not the name behind it.
A Straightforward Process
We have kept the submission process as simple as possible. No lengthy nomination forms, no mandatory printed materials, no agency intermediaries. Just your work, presented directly to the public.
Choose Your Category
Select the award category that best represents your project. Each project may only be entered into one category per submission.
Complete the Entry Form
Provide your studio details, a project name, a description of up to 300 words, and a link to your portfolio. Write for a thoughtful public audience.
Pay the Entry Fee
Entry fees are tiered by submission window. Submit early to secure the lowest rate. Payment details are sent upon acceptance.
Public Voting Opens
From 10 August your entry goes live on the voting page. Share it with your clients and community — the project with the most votes wins.
Winners Announced
Winners are announced 1 October 2026. Each winner receives an editorial profile, digital emblem, and listing in the Winners Directory.
Find Your Category
Twelve categories spanning every discipline in the built and designed environment. Each is judged independently — enter the one where your work speaks loudest.
Architecture
For architectural practices whose built work demonstrates exceptional vision, spatial intelligence, and enduring quality.
View Category →Interior Design
Recognising interiors that transform how people experience the spaces they live and work in.
View Category →Landscape & Urban
Honouring outdoor environments and urban interventions that enrich public life and connect people to place.
View Category →Residential Design
For homes — from compact urban apartments to expansive private residences — where design elevates everyday living.
View Category →Retail & Hospitality
Celebrating commercial environments where design creates atmosphere, drives experience, and builds brand.
View Category →Renovation & Restoration
Recognising projects that breathe new life into existing structures with intelligence, sensitivity, and craft.
View Category →Lighting Design
For lighting practitioners who use light as a primary design material — shaping mood, form, and human experience.
View Category →Sustainable Design
Honouring projects that demonstrate a serious, integrated commitment to environmental responsibility.
View Category →Workplace Design
Recognising work environments designed to support productivity, wellbeing, and a meaningful culture.
View Category →Public & Civic
For public buildings, civic infrastructure, and community spaces designed with rigour and genuine public purpose.
View Category →Emerging Practice
A category dedicated to studios in their first five years — recognising early-career talent of uncommon promise.
View Category →Studio of the Year
The pinnacle award — for the practice whose body of work across 2025–2026 represents the highest standard of design globally.
View Category →Submit Early, Save More
One entry type. Four pricing windows. Submit early and save — the fee increases as the deadline approaches.
No hidden charges. Entry fees are non-refundable once accepted.
The 2026 Timeline
Why Studios Enter
The public voting model changes everything. Our clients voted for us — and that connection between the work and the people it was made for is something no jury award can replicate.
We are a small firm. We do not have a PR team or an awards consultant. The DA Awards process was straightforward enough that we could handle it ourselves — and the recognition opened doors we had not expected.
Writing the project description forced us to articulate what we actually believe about design. That clarity has since shaped how we pitch, how we present, and how we talk about our work with clients.
Frequently Asked
Begin Your Submission
Fill in the short form and our team will review your entry within 10 business days. Payment details will be sent upon acceptance.
No hidden charges. Entry fees are non-refundable once accepted.