Gain international exposure and recognition for your design work.
Recognizing Design Excellence That Sparks the Future
Inspired by the story of Kira and the return of the Tokyo Spark, the Tokyo Design Awards honors outstanding design, visionary ideas, and the brilliant individuals behind them. This international design competition celebrates creativity across key disciplines — from Architectural Design, Interior Design, and Product Design to innovative fields like Character & Pop Design and other emerging creative categories.
We invite designers, studios, and creative professionals from around the world to submit work that redefines how we live, move, and experience the world through design. From breakthrough concepts to legacy-defining achievements, this is where exceptional design — and the minds behind it — are seen, evaluated, and celebrated.
Submit your most exceptional work to the Tokyo Design Awards — and ignite the beginning of your creative legacy.
Every breakthrough begins with a spark—an idea that dares to challenge convention and reimagine possibility. “Ignite the Beginning. Design the Future.” is about celebrating that very spark, the power of design to initiate change and to craft experiences, spaces, and products that move humanity forward. It is not just about where design starts, but about how it creates lasting impact for the world to come.
This year, we invite participants to showcase works that embody bold beginnings and visionary futures. Whether through architecture, interiors, products, or emerging creative disciplines, let your designs ignite conversations, inspire communities, and light the way for what lies ahead. Submit your entry today and take your place on Tokyo’s global stage of design excellence.
The Tokyo Design Awards offers a clear, professional entry process built for designers, studios, and creative professionals worldwide.
The Tokyo Design Awards welcomes entries from a diverse range of global talent — including architects, interior designers, product designers, packaging designers, lighting designers, furniture designers, and transportation designers. Submissions are also open to creative agencies, brands, freelancers, emerging creators, and independent professionals from any country or background.
This international design competition accepts entries from individuals, teams, companies, manufacturers, and students, across all levels of experience. Whether you're submitting a professional project or nominating a visionary in categories such as Honorary Designer or Emerging Designer, your work is eligible for entry.
To qualify, all submitted work must have been produced, launched, or released on or after January 1, 2022.
The Tokyo Design Awards competition is designed for the convenience of all entrants through fully online submissions.
Entry Brief:
Provide a clear and concise project description of approximately 350 words. The brief should outline the purpose, concept, execution, and impact of the design.
For individual categories, highlight personal contributions, achievements, or relevant milestones. Non-English entries should include an English translation or summary for jury evaluation.
Image Submission:
Video / Audio Submission (if applicable)
For works involving video, animation, or audio:
Optional (if applicable):
To complete your submission to the Tokyo Design Awards, please ensure the following materials are prepared according to the guidelines below. All entries must be submitted through the official online portal.
The Tokyo Design Awards honors outstanding creative work and professional achievements through FIVE (5) levels of recognition.
Design of the Year
Only ONE highest scoring entry from each main category will be recognized as the Architectural / Interior / Packaging / Product / Furniture / Lighting / Transportation / Landscape / Conceptual / Character & Pop Design of the Year.
Honorary Designer of the Year
Awarded to the most exceptional individual recognized under this category.
Platinum Winner (85-100 points)
Gold Winner (70-84 points)
Silver Winner (50-69 points)
The number of awards presented by Tokyo Design Awards is determined by the number of submissions in a given category, the scoring range, and the number of tie scores.
Judges are senior-level, and experienced in their field/industry, including creative designers and art directors from international agencies, architects, interior designers, product designers, lighting designers, and industry professionals. Judges are selected based on experience, credibility, and availability.
Judging is blind. All entrant information is removed from entries to prevent bias/conflict of interest. Judges score on a scale of 1-100, based on the below criteria:
Judges also assess on a scale from 1 – 100, for the following criteria for Honorary Designer categories:
The Tokyo Design Awards offers a credible, internationally recognized platform for designers, agencies, and creatives to achieve meaningful recognition across global markets. Organized by International Awards Associate (IAA), the competition emphasizes merit-based evaluation, category inclusivity, and accessible entry fees—making professional acknowledgment available to both established and emerging talents.
All submissions are completed online, and there are no acceptance fees for winners. The program is structured to ensure that design quality, not budget, determines success, with an impartial jury panel that upholds high standards across all disciplines.
The Tokyo Design Awards accepts submissions for completed projects, conceptual works, or designs in progress—highlighting innovation at every stage. All entries are judged individually, with awards granted based on the merit of each submission, not on a full portfolio or body of work.
To keep the process fair and accessible, the Tokyo Design Awards charges a one-time annual administrative fee of $30 instead of per-entry fees. This fee supports essential operations such as processing, platform maintenance, and documentation—allowing designers to submit multiple works without additional financial burden.
|
2026 Entry Period |
EARLY BIRD
(Oct 23 - Nov 26, 2025) |
REGULAR
(Nov 27, 2025 - Jan 7, 2026) |
FINAL
(Jan 8 - Feb 11, 2026) |
FINAL EXTENSION
(Feb 12 - Mar 12, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional 1st Entry |
$209 | $219 | $239 | $249 |
| Professional Additional Entry |
$209 | $219 | $239 | $249 |
| Professional Additional Category* |
$149 | $159 | $179 | $189 |
| Individual Achievements 1st Entry |
$295 | $355 | $395 | $415 |
| Individual Achievements Additional Entry |
$295 | $355 | $395 | $415 |
| Individual Achievements Additional Category* |
$205 | $265 | $305 | $325 |
| Results Announcement: May 8, 2026 | ||||
* Multi-Category Entries:
You may submit the same entry to multiple categories. The first category will follow the standard entry fee. Additional categories will incur a reduced fee per category.
* Refund Policy:
All fees are non-refundable. Withdrawn entries—whether initiated by the entrant or disqualified due to non-compliance with entry rules—are not eligible for refunds under any circumstances.
* Project Eligibility:
All submitted work must have been created within the last five (5) years to ensure relevance and industry alignment.
| Benefits / Winning Level | Designs of The Year |
Designer of The Year |
Platinum Winner |
Gold Winner |
Silver Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statuette | - | - | - | ||
| Appearance on Winners Highlight Page | - | - | - | ||
| Featured in Winner Press Release | - | - | - | ||
| Featured in Tokyo Design Awards e-Newsletter | - | - | |||
| Featured in Media Partner Website - Muse.World | - | - | |||
| Dedicated Social Media Post | - | ||||
| Winner’s Interview | |||||
| Dedicated Winner’s Profile / Page | |||||
| Eligible to Purchase Tokyo Design Statuette | |||||
| Press Release Template | |||||
| Winner Certificate | |||||
| Winner Badge |
Exclusive to the Honorary Designer category, the Tokyo Designer of the Year title honors individuals whose creative leadership, body of work, and influence have made a defining impact on the international design industry. This prestigious honor recognizes designers showcasing excellence through innovation in materials, cultural impact, clear aesthetics, or visionary leadership within the global design community.
The Tokyo Design of the Year title is awarded to the highest-scoring submission in each main category. This recognition honors a project that demonstrates outstanding creativity, execution, and impact, setting a new benchmark for excellence within its discipline and contributing meaningfully to the global design landscape.
The Tokyo Design Awards offers a global platform that recognizes exceptional design work and the professionals behind it. With dedicated categories across architecture, interior, product, furniture, packaging, lighting, and more, the program honors creative excellence across multiple design disciplines.
Judged by an esteemed international panel, each entry is evaluated solely on merit—ensuring a fair, industry-relevant benchmark for professional recognition. Whether you're an independent designer, a creative studio, or a global brand, the Tokyo Design Awards is committed to elevate your work and position it among today’s most influential contributions to design worldwide.
Gain international exposure and recognition for your design work.
Enhance your professional reputation by showcasing your expertise to a global audience.
Showcase your work to international clients, collaborators, and design communities.
Be featured with a personalized winner profile highlighting your work and creative journey.
Get featured in an exclusive winner’s interview on Muse.World, our official media partner’s platform.
Enhance your portfolio with award-winning projects, making you more attractive to clients and employers.
Elevate your brand credibility with an internationally respected mark of excellence.
Your winning work will remain archived and accessible on our platform for five years.
Winning designers receive a digital certificate and official winner badge to enhance your website, portfolio, and marketing.
Receive a one-of-a-kind award trophy crafted to represent your outstanding achievement.
Feature your success in winner announcements, and coverage by third-party media partners like Muse.World.
Connect with award-winning creatives, studios, and decision-makers around the world.
Have your work evaluated impartially by a panel of esteemed industry experts and design leaders.
Use your win as a powerful tool to attract new business, clients, and opportunities.
Enjoy a fair, transparent process without any additional acceptance charges.
Celebrate and inspire your team with recognition that validates their creative efforts.
Stand out in a competitive market by showcasing your award-winning designs.
Be part of a movement that elevates and celebrates the artistry of creative professionals worldwide.