AZURE’s 14th annual competition is accepting entries into its eight major categories, from architecture, landscapes, and urban design, to interiors, graphic design, product design, concepts, and the A+ Award for Student Work.

Over its 14 years, the AZ Awards has grown in impact and stature to become an international measure of excellence, attracting entries from some of the most innovative firms around the world. In 2023, the competition received entries from 53 countries – an achievement that solidified the AZ Awards’ growing reputation.

Last year’s edition celebrated more winners than ever before — including MVRDV’s striking Valley mixed-use complex in Amsterdam, and Shim-Sutcliffe’s exquisitely refined Ace Hotel Toronto. Gracing the cover of the July/August issue of AZURE – the AZ Awards annual issue – Dorte Mandrup’s Kangiata Illorsua/Ilulissat Icefjord Centre meets Greenland’s spectacular northern lights. Taken together, the 26 winners represent the world’s best in design at all scales and disciplines.

The jury of internationally renowned practitioners in the areas of product design, architecture, landscape architecture, and interiors will convene virtually in March to evaluate all entries. Past jurors have included Alison Brooks, Lawrence Scarpa, Ma Yansong, Nader Tehrani, Nina-Marie Lister, Pascale Sablan, Marion Weiss, Róisín Lafferty, Craig Dykers, Sou Fujimoto, and Patricia Urquiola. Stay tuned for the reveal of the 2024 AZ Awards Jury!

Winners will be published in print and online, will receive a complimentary press kit distribution on v2com newswire, and will take home the AZ Awards trophy, reimagined each year by a prominent designer. In past years, such luminaries as Marie-Christine Dorner, Luca Nichetto, Michael Anastassiades, Philippe Malouin, Karim Rashid, and Ini Archibong have designed trophies for the AZ Awards. See our previous trophies here and look for announcements later this year about the 2024 AZ Awards trophy designer.

AZURE and its partners encourage design and architecture professionals, developers, urban planners, students, and manufacturers to submit their work to the AZ Awards for an opportunity to step into the global spotlight, elevate their profile, and raise public awareness for their firm and their clients.

Submissions close Friday, February 23, 2024 (the early-bird deadline is January 31, 2024).

Online entry portal and more information at awards.azuremagazine.com 

The 2024 AZ Awards is presented by Cosentino and Keilhauer and sponsored by Colombo Design America and Technogym. Gala sponsors are Dark Tools, George Brown College’s Brookfield Sustainability Institute, Vogt, Landscape Forms, and Scavolini.

Media Partners: Archello, ArchDaily, Archilovers, Archinect, Archiproducts, Designboom, The Architect’s Newspaper, Architonic, Bustler, Design Week Mexico, v2com newswire, and World-Architects.

Important Dates

January 2
Competition opens 

January 31
Early bird deadline 

February 23
Competition closes 

April 18
Finalists were announced and People’s Choice voting launched

May 17
People’s Choice voting closes 

June 21
Winners revealed – Winners and finalists are celebrated at the AZ Awards Gala in Toronto and get published online and in print in the AZ Awards Annual – AZURE’s July/August issue.

Eligibility

The 2024 AZ Awards is open to:

• Designers and design firms from all disciplines
• Architects, landscape architects, and architectural firms
• Developers
• Post-secondary students enrolled in design and architecture programs in 2023
• Clients and manufacturers
• Projects must be completed on or before December 31, 2023
• Products must be prototyped or in production

The Categories:

Architecture: Residential buildings; commercial and institutional buildings over 1,000 square metres; commercial and institutional buildings under 1,000 square metres; temporary and demonstration projects; adaptive re-use

Landscape Architecture: Public and private landscapes

Urban Design: Built and unbuilt multi-building development projects (commercial, residential, or mixed-use); infrastructure; urban interventions

Interiors: Residential spaces; commercial and institutional spaces

Design: Single-piece furniture; furniture systems and collections; lighting fixtures; lighting schemes; interior products; architectural products?; *tech products (new!)

Experiential Graphic Design: Wayfinding; sign programs; information and map design; experiential brand identity

Concepts: Unbuilt competition entries and proposals; product concepts/prototypes

A+ Award for Student Work: Projects developed by a student enrolled in a post-secondary design or architecture program in 2023. The winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize.

Social Good and Environmental Leadership Awards: All entries may be considered for the Social Good Award and/or the Environmental Leadership Award by election. A winner in each of these two categories will be selected. Entries may be submitted in one or both categories. For the Social Good Award, projects/products must advance social equity and have a positive impact on the collective realm.

For the Environmental Leadership Award, projects/products must show sensitivity and respect for the use and management of natural resources throughout their lifecycle, especially concerning materials and energy use.