Entries are open for the 2026 Australian Good Design Awards, a program that celebrates projects and people shaping industries, influencing systems and improving lives through purposeful, impactful design.
This year’s awards are guided by the theme “Design that Leads,” recognising projects that do more than simply respond to change.
“Design leadership isn’t about size, scale or budget,” said managing director of Good Design Australia Rachel Wye. “It’s about clarity of purpose and the courage to act. The projects we see each year demonstrate that design has the power to influence behaviour, drive innovation, strengthen communities and create measurable commercial and social value.”
The program has been running for more than six decades, championing excellence across design, architecture, engineering, digital innovation, service design, social impact and strategy.
Previous years have seen several architectural projects win top prizes along with Best in Class accolades. Last year, these included First Building – Bradfield City Centre by the Bradfield Development Authority, NSW Public Works, Hassell and Djinjama, which was named winner of the Australian Good Design Award for Sustainability and selected among the best in class for the Built Environment Architectural Design category; Footprints on Gadigal Nura – Mili Mili at Waterloo Station in Sydney, designed by Mili Mili, Nicole Monks, AG Public Art and other collaborators, which won the Indigenous Design Award, Powerhouse Design Award and was also named the best in class for the Built Environment Place Design category.
“Australian design continues to set benchmarks globally,” Wye said. “What unites award-winning work is impact – the ability to influence systems, improve experiences and respond responsibly to the challenges of our time. The Australian Good Design Awards exist to recognise and elevate that leadership.”
The program includes 31 award subcategories encompassed within 13 overarching design discipline categories. These overarching categories include Built Environment; Communication Design; Concept Design; Design Research; Design Strategy; Digital Design; Engineering Design; Fashion Impact; Next Gen (Under 30s); Policy Design; Product Design; Service Design; and Social Impact.
Within the Built Environment category are four subcategories, including:
- Architectural Design: Open to commercial architecture, public architecture and residential architecture projects
- Installation Design: Including exhibition design, temporary installation design and experiential design projects
- Interior Design: This subcategory encompasses commercial interior, public interior and residential interior projects
- Place Design: Open to urban design, landscape architecture, public spaces, precinct design and city planning projects.
The deadline for entries is 24 April 2026. Judging will take place between May and July, followed by an awards ceremony on 9 October at ICC Sydney. To find out more about the program, visit the Australian Good Design Awards website.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
