The LIT Design Awards ™ was created to recognize the efforts of talented international lighting product designers and lighting implementers. We believe that lighting is both an art and a science, and it is one of the most important elements of design. The LIT Awards was envisioned to celebrate creativity and innovation in the fields of lighting products and applications.
Lighting designers use light to create atmosphere and mood, to shape and define space, to reveal form, and to draw attention to specific elements of a performance or event. Like other forms of art, lighting design requires the designer to have a deep understanding of the medium they are working with, in this case, light and its properties, as well as the ability to express themselves in a way that resonates with the audience.
The Entertainment Lighting Design of the Year Award celebrates visionaries and experts who elevate the world of entertainment through their outstanding lighting designs. Spanning diverse roles like lighting directors, lighting designers, set designers, stage managers, lighting technicians, sound engineers, producers and directors, scenic designers, cinematographers, gaffers and visual effects artists, these professionals craft the mood and ambiance of spaces with great precision. The LIT Awards shines a spotlight on their essential contributions to the entertainment industry across various categories.
The Entertainment Lighting Design of the Year recipient will receive the coveted LIT Awards Trophy, the project will be showcased to a global audience, be featured in the LIT Awards annual Book of Design, and be given the opportunity to share more of their vision and project in winner’s interviews. Additionally, the winning lighting design implementer will be promoted in a newsletter to 100,000 lighting and design professionals and potential clients worldwide, receive coverage on our website throughout the year, and critical acclaim by our distinguished panel of judges. Other benefits included:
Entries can be submitted as conceptual designs, in progress, or as completed projects. The only restriction is that entries or completed projects must be no more than 5 years old. The Entertainment Lighting Design of the Year is open to professionals only.
Winners are chosen based on a single project – not for a body of work.
Download our LIT Awards Entry Guide 2025, and read all about the registration process and benefits of joining the LIT Lighting Design Awards.
The LIT Design Awards competition is open to anyone aged 18+ residing anywhere in the world. Professional entries will be judged against other professionals and student entries against other students.
For more information please check the FAQ page.
The evaluation process for entries to the LIT Lighting Design Awards is based on various judging criteria that are constantly adapted to new technical, social, economic, and ecological requirements. These criteria are not comprehensive and not all criteria apply to each product. They simply provide an orientation framework and basis for judging, which is complemented by each juror’s expertise and socio-cultural background.
Each member of the Jury is passionately committed to providing a fair evaluation. Jury members are assigned categories based on their specific backgrounds and expertise. All projects are viewed and judged randomly and anonymously to ensure unbiased and fair judging.
The judging criteria include the following:
The LIT Lighting Design Awards use a Scoring System between 10-100 points.
No Further Fees: Unlike some other design awards and competitions, there are no further fees for winning the award and everything listed in the winner’s benefits will be provided free of charge.
All entries are voted on by a grand jury panel composed of experienced and prominent academics, professionals, press members, entrepreneurs and key people from the lighting design industry.
Die Ärzte Stadium Festival design 2022 – Bertil Mark Lighting Design, Photo by Ralph Larmann – Paul Gärtner
LIT Lighting Design Awards is the sibling Award of SIT Furniture Design Award (SIT), FIT Sport Design Awards (FIT), all focusing on Product Esthetic, Concepts & Enhancement, which have emerged as some of the most well-known Design Awards today.
The LIT Design Award is a program under the 3C Awards, a leading organization curating and promoting design across the globe. The company represents today’s diversity and innovation in Lighting Design, Furniture Design, Sport Design, Interior Design, and Architecture. Each brand is a symbol of design excellence around the world, showcasing Professional and Emerging designers’ work to over 100 expert jury members.
Developed by Hossein Farmani and Astrid Hébert, 3C Awards is part of a larger organization 3C GROUP based in Switzerland and specialized in Awards, Marketing, Media, and Events. 3C Group is a sister company to Farmani Group, founded by Hossein Farmani. Farmani Group is a leading organization curating and promoting photography, design, and architecture across the globe since 1985.
3C awards is part of Three C Group GmbH, a Swiss-registered company based in Grabenstrasse 15a, 6340 Baar, Switzerland. More information is available on: www.3Cawards.com
