The Illumination Awards program recognizes individuals for professionalism, ingenuity, and originality in lighting design based on individual merit of each entry.
Submissions for 2023 open Jan 4, 2023.
The IES Illumination Awards (IA) program recognizes individuals for professionalism, ingenuity and originality in lighting design based on the individual merit of each entry. Judges are selected from a broad professional spectrum representing knowledge of lighting and design excellence. The judging system is entirely based on how well the lighting design meets the program criteria. The Illumination Awards program is not a competition. The IES Illumination Awards will be presented as the opening session to kick-off the 2023 Annual Conference.
Check out the Illumination Awards webpage for more information.
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 4th – 31st 11:59PM EST (Fee: $200)
- Regular Submission: February 1st -17th 11:59PM EST (Fee: $250)
- 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 reason.
Previous Winners
The IES Section Service Award is presented by a Section to a member in recognition of outstanding service to the Section, principally of a non-technical nature, that has significantly furthered the purpose of the Society continuously over a number of years in various programs and activities.
2022 IES Illumination Awards
- 1300 WILSON BOULEVARD
Designers: George S. Sexton III, Tina Sarawgi, Natalie Anderson – George Sexton Associates, LLC - 399 NEMA
Designers: Angelica Santana, Ashley Mandich, David Ghatan – CM Kling + Associates - 699 14TH STREET – EXTERIOR
Designers: Frank Feist, Maureen Moran, Sarah Wujcik – MCLA - CONRAD HOTEL – WASHINGTON D.C.
Designers: Scott Guenther, Kate Fuller, Maureen Moran – MCLA; Dominique Alary – Lumid - LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER
Designers: David Ghatan, Angelica Santana, Ashley Mandich – CM Kling + Associates - NARBO VIA
Designers: George S. Sexton III, Joseph J. Geitner – George Sexton Associates, LLC
2021 IES Illumination Awards
- BETHESDA CORPORATE OFFICE
Designers: Sarah Boyer, Katy Moser, Andrea Hartranft – Hartranft Lighting Design - BROOKHAVEN SERVICE CENTER
Designers: Gavin Gui – CEG Solutions LLC; Vincent Minni – Envocore - CME CENTER – 10 & 30 SOUTH WACKER
Designers: George S. Sexton, III, Rosemarie Seeland, Olga Stroubos – George Sexton Associates, LLC - FINNEGAN HENDERSON RESTON
Designers: Frank Feist, Maureen Moran – MCLA - HOTEL RIGGS
Designers: Scott Guenther, Maureen Moran – MCLA - MARRIOTT OCEANFRONT VIRGINIA BEACH
Designers: David Ghatan, Angelica Santana – CM Kling + Associates - REVEL – 1600 BELLE VIEW RENOVATION
Designer: Andres Regens – HGA - RIO LAKEFRONT
Designers: Sarah Boyer, Andrea Hartranft – Hartranft Lighting Design - ROTHKO CHAPEL
Designers: George S. Sexton, III, Owen Brady – George Sexton Associates, LLC - WASHINGTON METRO TRAIN ROOM LIGHTING RENOVATION
Designers: Claude R. Engle, IV, Alexandra Steimel – Claude Engle Lighting - WESTWOOD HILLS NATURE CENTER
Designer: Andres Regens – HGA
2020 IES Illumination Awards
- BELL HELICOPTER, CRYSTAL CITY
Designer: Frank Feist
Company: MCLA - BICENTENNIAL HALL
Designer: Christopher V. Stroik
Company: Stroik Lighting Design - CAPITAL ONE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
Designer: Sarah Wujcik
Company: MCLA - CAPITAL ONE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS – ART
Designer: MCLA Team
Company: MCLA - CONFIDENTIAL GOVERNMENT WORKPLACE
Designer: Christopher V. Stroik
Company: Stroik Lighting Design - CONVENE – TERRELL PLACE – OFFICE RENOVATION
Designer: Jay Kline
Company: CFR Engineering - CRANES DC
Designer: David Ghatan
Company: CM Kling + Associates Inc - GREATER ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ENTRY CANOPY
Designer: Andrea Hartranft
Company: Hartranft Lighting Design, LLC - MIDTOWN CENTER LOBBY
Designer: Frank Feist
Company: MCLA - RADIANT ECHO
Designer: Glenn Shrum
Company: Flux Studio - RSM US, SAN DIEGO OFFICES
Designer: Lisa M. Lamp
Company: Interplan
2019 IES Illumination Awards
- SQUARE 37
Designer: David Ghatan
Company: CM Kling + Associates Inc. - PARALLAX GAP
Designer: David Ghatan
Company: Pixelumen Lab - SNF PARKWAY
Designer: Glenn Shrum
Company: Flux Studio - RAIN – M STREET UNDERPASS ART PARK
Designer: Osman Sarioglu
Company: MC Dean, Inc.
2018 IES Illumination Awards
- 2U
Designer: David Ghatan
Company: CM KLING + ASSOCIATES - E9 – BEIJING INTERIOR
Designer: Maureen Moran
Company: MCLA - M.C. DEAN CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
Designer: Adam Kristanc
Company: M.C. Dean
2017 IES Illumination Awards
- CITY CENTER D.C. OFFICE LOBBY
Designer: Claude R. Engle, Sr.
Company: Claude R. Engle Lighting Consultants - 5333 CONNECTICUT AVENUE
Designer: Maureen Moran
Company: MCLA - NOBLIS HEADQUARTERS
Designer: Patrice Mulhern
Company: SmithGroupJJR - SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM’S RENWICK GALLERY
Designer: Scott Rosenfeld
Company: DLR Group|Westlake Reed Leskosky - ARNOLD & PORTER LLP
Designer: Sara Demel
Company: SBLD Studio - TOYOTA GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OFFICE
Designer: Erin Werner
Company: SBLD Studio
2016 IES Illumination Awards
- THE RITZ-CARLTON DC – LOBBY BAR RENOVATION
Designer: Angelica Santana
Company: CM KLING + ASSOCIATES - MARRIOTT NEWPORT
Designer: David Ghatan
Company: CM KLING + ASSOCIATES - MEMBER CENTER – THE ADVISORY BOARD COMPANY
Designer: Sven Shockey
Company: SmithGroupJJR - BOSTON PARK PLAZA HOTEL
Designer: David Ghatan
Company: CM KLING + ASSOCIATES - AVALON AT ARLINGTON SQUARE
Designer: Ryan Smith
Company: CM KLING + ASSOCIATES - NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE (NMR) RESEARCH LAB
Designer: Nick Kutchi
Company: CFR Engineering