LIT Lighting Design Awards 2024 Winners Revealed and Theater Lighting Icon Allen Lee Hughes Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award.
This year’s awards celebrate the creative brilliance of designers who have pushed the boundaries of lighting design, transforming spaces and performances with their visionary work. In addition to recognizing these exceptional projects, the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Allen Lee Hughes, a pioneering figure in lighting design whose five-decade career has influenced the worlds of theatre, opera, and dance. Hughes’ work has set a global standard for lighting design, and this recognition highlights his enduring impact on the industry.
The LIT Lighting Design Awards announced the winners of their 8th edition, celebrating outstanding achievements in lighting design across diverse categories. With over 800 submissions from 58 countries, the awards showcased groundbreaking innovation, creativity, and sustainability. A jury of 35 esteemed professionals, including architects, interior designers, academics, and media representatives, evaluated the entries, recognizing exceptional contributions to the field.
Studio ZNA, led by Zerlina Hughes, received the top honor in Architectural Lighting Design for Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The lighting design mirrored themes of time and texture, enhancing the exhibit’s narrative. Takahiro Matsuo of Lucent was awarded in Entertainment Lighting Design for The Creation, a dazzling installation featuring 20,000 suspended acrylic spheres illuminated to evoke the origins of the universe. In Lighting Product Design, Evgenii Vetlugin and Eduard Bochanov of Pipe Lighting GmbH were recognized for an innovative, eco-friendly LED system designed for film sets, combining portability with high efficiency.
In the Emerging Designer categories, Vaida Atkocaityte-Dalisanskiene from Vilnius Academy of Arts won in Lighting Product Design with MOOD, a modular lamp that allows users to create light compositions reflective of emotions and daily rhythms crafted with sustainable materials. David Yang and Margo Majewska from the California College of the Arts stood out in Lighting Design with Light in Motion, a gallery installation inspired by Southwest canyons, blending dramatic contrasts and ambient effects to immerse visitors in a naturalistic lightscape. Both Emerging Designers will be awarded a cash prize of CHF 1,000 and a 6-month mentorship through the Silhouette Awards program.
Astrid Hébert, Director of the LIT Lighting Design Awards, said, “With over 800 submissions this year and our 10th anniversary coming up, it’s exciting to see how lighting design continues to transform spaces and inspire change. Honoring Allen Lee Hughes for his exceptional career is a celebration of his immense influence and the lasting impact he’s had on the industry.”
Other standout projects included Nebula by Patrizia Volpato Srl, an exquisite artisan glass-blown hanging light, and Whiz 2.0 Bi-directional by Meteor Lighting, a sophisticated asymmetric indirect floodlight. CMA Lighting Design‘s Silk Court Apartment and Kabluka Light & Digital Sculptures’ lighting installation “The Soul” also gained recognition. L’Observatoire International’s Coqodaq demonstrated excellence in bar and restaurant lighting, while China Pavilion of 2023 Venice Biennale by Brandston Partnership Inc. was one of the winners in the “Visitor Experience & Museum Exhibition” category. Licht Kunst Licht AG was honored for their work on Casals Forum – Music Quarter, Kronberg, blending cultural heritage with modern lighting techniques. dpa Lighting Consultants transformed Masala Zone, Piccadilly Circus, London with innovative bar and restaurant lighting and Eleftheria Deko & Associates Lighting Design brought history to life with Temple of Poseidon, Sounion, a masterpiece in cultural and heritage lighting, amongst others.
Each year, the LIT Lighting Design Awards honor a visionary lighting designer with the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2024, this prestigious accolade will be awarded to Allen Lee Hughes, a pioneer whose five-decade career has profoundly influenced lighting design in theatre, opera, and dance. His artistry and technical expertise have set a gold standard, inspiring generations of designers and elevating the field’s global reputation.
Hughes’ remarkable career spans Broadway, off-Broadway, and world-renowned performing arts companies. He has designed lighting for twelve Broadway productions, earning four Tony Award nominations, including for Once on This Island (1990), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (2012), and A Soldier’s Play (2020). His work seamlessly combines technical precision with emotional depth, enhancing the storytelling without overshadowing the performers.
In addition to his Broadway success, Hughes has worked with companies like the American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and the National Ballet of Canada. He also serves as an Associate Arts Professor in Design for Stage & Film at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where he shares his expertise and mentors the next generation of lighting designers. Hughes has received numerous awards, including the USITT Distinguished Achievement Award (2003) and the Michael Merritt Award (1997). His legacy also includes the Allen Lee Hughes Fellowship, which promotes diversity in the theatre industry. The LIT Lighting Design Awards Lifetime Achievement Award is a fitting recognition of his exceptional contributions to lighting design.
Allen Lee Hughes commented on receiving the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award, saying, “Thank you so much for this LIT Awards lifetime achievement award. It is great to have recognition for some fifty-six years of professional work. The award means a great deal to me and all of my many collaborators. Over the years, I have attempted to help tell hundreds of stories through my work as a lighting designer. There is a glorious feeling when we are rewarded with an audience that reaps pleasure and knowledge from our work. I appreciate you giving the efforts public attention.”
To discover the full list of LIT Lighting Design Awards 2024 winners and learn more about their outstanding work, please visit litawards.com/winners. These exceptional designers are shaping the future of lighting and continue to inspire innovation across the globe.
