[d]arc awards 2026

The [d]arc awards are an international lighting design competition organized by [d]arc media in collaboration with creative consultants Light Collective. The awards leverage the reputation of arc and darc magazines as widely read lighting design publications, and are unique in that they use a truly peer-to-peer voting system — once a shortlist is chosen by an international jury of lighting designers, independent designers, architects, and product designers vote on their favorite projects and products. The [d]arc awards is a unique concept utilizing arc and darc magazines' reputation as the most widely read and respected lighting design publications in the world The [d]arc awards 2026 edition covers lighting projects, light art installations, events, and products completed or launched after January 1, 2025, with winners announced at the [d]arc night awards party on April 30, 2026, at the Fireworks Factory ​/​ Woolwich Works in London. The event drew just over 500 attendees and saw 1,518 independent designers. German lighting design studio Licht Kunst Licht took home two top accolades for the Cologne Cathedral project, winning both the Spaces category and the prestigious Best of the Best award. The project team, led by designers Philipp Schmitz and Stephan Thiele, successfully minimized light pollution while maximizing the architectural integrity of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.