The 40th Dulux Colour Awards have crowned a wide-ranging set of winners, with projects spanning housing, retail, hospitality, public art and student work across Australia and New Zealand. Celebrated at Bennelong in the Sydney Opera House on 27 May 2026, the milestone program recognised projects that pushed colour beyond decoration.
Dulux colour and design manager Lauren Treloar said the anniversary year attracted a record number of entries and showcased the most ambitious work the awards have seen. She said the winners stepped away from “traditional or stereotypical palettes” to reveal what is possible when colour is treated as a foundational design element.
Among the standout results, the Australian Grand Prix went to Youssofzay Hart for Lynda Draper: Glimmer, a restrained installation at Campbelltown Arts Centre, while the New Zealand Grand Prix went to Pac Studio for Waka Huia, a richly layered residential renovation in Auckland. Judge Simone Haag said the winning projects reflected the “in-depth client collaboration, painstaking consideration and leap of faith” required to achieve such chromatic impact. The judges also praised the breadth of the student entries, with Ben Peake noting their breadth, sensitivity and optimism.
The winning projects are:
Australian Grand Prix
Youssofzay Hart – Lynda Draper: Glimmer.
New Zealand Grand Prix
Pac Studio – Waka Huia.
Residential Interior
Studio Shields – The View.
Commendation
Pac Studio – Waka Huia.
Single Residential Exterior
Studio Prineas – Nithsdale.
Commercial Interior – Workplace & Retail
Pattern Studio – Above The Clouds.
Commendation
Nickolas Gurtler Office – Lost Profile Gallery.
Commercial Interior – Public & Hospitality
Alexander &CO and SA Studio – Billy’s Ayrburn.
Commendation
Flack Studio – Hannah St Hotel.
Commercial and Multi-Residential Exterior
Moving Colour Studio – Linewide Graphic Trail.
Commendation
Kāinga Maha – Te Pākau Maru.
Temporary or Installation Design
Youssofzay Hart – Lynda Draper: Glimmer.
Student AU
Jasmine Duong and Minji Kwon, University of Sydney – 402 Telopea – Ordinary Luxury.
Student NZ
Hudson Ross, Otago Polytechnic – hot & cold.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
