August 25, 2025
2025 IES Illumination Awards Highlight Design Excellence
Above, left to right: Sam Hewett, Michael Lindsey, and Teal Brogden of HLB Lighting Design, recipients of the Award of Distinction for their work on the Seattle Convention Center – Summit Building.
Eleven global projects honored, including six standout winners from North America
The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) announced the recipients of the 52nd Annual Illumination Awards on August 22 during its IES25 conference in Anaheim, California. The awards recognized 11 lighting projects, including one Special Citation, six Awards of Excellence, and four Awards of Distinction — the program’s highest honor.
The 2025 IES Illumination Awards recognized 11 projects across six countries, with the United States leading the tally with five awarded projects. Saudi Arabia followed with two, while China, Canada, Taiwan, and Australia each received one award, reflecting the program’s continued international reach and influence in professional lighting design.
Four Awards of Distinction:
The projects honored with Awards of Distinction include the Luce Memorial Chapel in Taichung City by CosmoC Lighting, Ltd.; the Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition in Riyadh by Lightemotion and Agence NC; the Seattle Convention Center – Summit Building by HLB Lighting Design; and Sydney Metro Martin Place – Pedestrian Link Tunnel by Electrolight.
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Interior Lighting Design
Special Citation for Use of Color
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Yale – 100 College Street
New Haven, CT USA
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SmithGroup
Paige Donnell
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Control Innovation
Award of Excellence
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Wireless Light – Free Chase
Suzhou, China
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Huanguzhidao (HG) Lighting Technology Co., Ltd;
TP Technology Co., Ltd.;
TD Illumination
Chenggu Kang, Jie Tian, Keke Shi;
Weigang Xu;
Haisheng Xu, Jieqiong Fan
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Interior Lighting Design
Award of Excellence
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The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
St. Louis, MO USA
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Reed Burkett Lighting Design
Randy Burkett, Susan Jennings, Ron Kurtz, Steve Rohde, Carly Hofstetter
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Experiential Lighting Design
Award of Excellence
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At-Turaif
Diriyah, Saudi Arabia
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Speirs Major Light Architecture
Keith Bradshaw, Iain Ruxton, Adrien Flouraud, James Fuentes McGreevy
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Experiential Lighting Design
Sponsored by ETC, Inc.
Award of Excellence
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Cook Children's Medical Center – Garage Drop-Off Area
Fort Worth, TX USA
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Essential Light Design Studio
Jill Klores, Diana Nino, Andy Keller
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Experiential Lighting Design
Sponsored by ETC, Inc.
Award of Excellence
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Enchanted Forest of Light 2024
La Cañada Flintridge, CA USA
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Lightswitch
Chris Medvitz
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Outdoor Lighting Design
Award of Excellence
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BMO Convention Centre – Exterior Canopy and Pavilion
Calgary, AB Canada
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Eos Lightmedia; Stantec
Luke Ellis, Beau Cooper, Patrick Smith, Regan Janzen, Vanessa Tang, Scott Hendrickson; Shannon Glover
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Experiential Lighting Design
Sponsored by ETC, Inc.
Award of Distinction
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Luce Memorial Chapel
Taichung City, Taiwan
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CosmoC Lighting, Ltd.
Ching-Yu Lin
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Interior Lighting Design
Sponsored by Edwin Guth
Award of Distinction
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Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Lightemotion; Agence NC
Francois Roupinian and Maricar Bustamante; Nathalie Crinière
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Interior Lighting Design
Sponsored by Edwin Guth
Award of Distinction
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Seattle Convention Center – Summit Building
Seattle, WA USA
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HLB Lighting Design
Michael Lindsey, E. Teal Brogden, and Sam Hewett
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Interior Lighting Design
Sponsored by Edwin Guth
Award of Distinction
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Sydney Metro Martin Place– Pedestrian Link Tunnel
Sydney, NSW Australia
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Electrolight
Donn Salisbury, Nick Lee, and Rosa Arcaya
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A Program Shift: New Impact Statement and Category
Two changes to the Illumination Awards process distinguish the 2025 program from previous years. For the first time, project submissions required an Impact Statement, in which designers were asked to explain how their project positively affects the community it serves. This response replaced the discretionary points judges previously had the option to assign. The goal, according to IES officials, is to ground award decisions in both design merit and tangible community benefit.
The 2025 awards also introduced a new program category: the Experiential Design Award. The category recognizes projects that use lighting for artistic effect in immersive or themed environments. It joins the program’s four existing categories: the Edwin F. Guth Award for Interior Lighting Design, the Outdoor Lighting Design Award, the Control Innovation Award, and the Energy and Environmental Design Award.
Award Criteria and Selection Process
The IES emphasizes that the Illumination Awards are not a competition; each entry is evaluated on its own merits against established criteria. Projects are judged anonymously by a panel with broad expertise in lighting and design. According to IES, the judging process focuses on professionalism, originality, and the extent to which a project meets the goals of the lighting design brief—not on size, budget, or visibility.
Awards of Distinction are reserved for projects demonstrating extraordinary achievement in lighting design. Awards of Excellence recognize exceptional contributions to the art and science of lighting, while Special Citations are granted to commend outstanding individual elements of a project.
