If you are a reader or follower of AZURE, you know that every new year AZURE presents a new edition of the AZ Awards, a unique opportunity for architecture and design professionals and students to showcase their work to the world and receive global recognition.

This year is no different, however it promises to be more exciting than ever with the introduction of the all-new Tech Products category – wearables, gadgets, smart-home, and other technological design products – and the return of the much anticipated AZ Awards Gala!

AZURE’s annual awards program continues to grow in size, scope, and momentum, and is internationally recognized for its influence in the global design and architecture spheres. In 2021, the new category of Urban Design was added, encouraging developers to submit their projects; in 2022, a spectacular infrastructural project – the Tintagel Castle Footbridge in Cornwall, U.K., by Ney & Partners and William Matthews Associates – graced the cover of the July/August issue, the AZ Awards-dedicated edition. It was but one of 24 winners from around the world, including the Kornets Huts learning centre in Denmark by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter, Stacklab’s Stackabl furniture collection, and two standout projects by Omar Gandhi – the Peggy’s Cove promenade and his very own home in Halifax. Past winners and shortlisted projects can be viewed here, by year and by category.

The AZ Awards jury of internationally renowned practitioners in the areas of product design, architecture, landscape architecture, and interiors will convene in March to evaluate all entries. Past jurors have included Alison Brooks, Ma Yansong, Nader Tehrani, Nina-Marie Lister, Philippe Malouin, Marion Weiss, Róisín Lafferty, Craig Dykers, Sou Fujimoto, and Patricia Urquiola. Stay tuned to find out more about this year's jurors!

Winners and finalists will be celebrated at the AZ Awards Gala in Toronto in June in the company of local and international industry professionals, and will be published online and in the print and digital editions of the July/August issue of AZURE – the AZ Awards Annual.

Winners receive the AZ Awards trophy, recreated annually by a prominent designer – in past years such luminaries as Luca Nichetto, Michael Anastassiades, Matt Carr, Philippe Malouin, Karim Rashid, and Ini Archibong have designed trophies for the AZ Awards. Look for announcements later this year about the 2023 AZ Awards trophy designer.

Azure and its partners encourage design and architecture professionals, developers, urban planners, students, and manufacturers to submit their work to the AZ Awards for an opportunity to step into the global spotlight, elevate their profile, and raise public awareness for their firm and their clients. Projects, products, and concepts can be submitted here.

Submissions close Friday, February 24, 2023

Early-bird deadline is January 31.

Online entry portal and more information at awards.azuremagazine.com 

The categories

• Architecture: Residential buildings; commercial and institutional buildings over 1,000 square metres; commercial and institutional buildings under 1,000 square metres; temporary and demonstration projects; adaptive re-use
• Landscape Architecture: Public and private landscapes
• Urban Design: Built and unbuilt multi-building development projects (commercial, residential, or mixed-use); infrastructure; urban interventions
• Interiors: Residential spaces; commercial and institutional spaces
• Design: Single-piece furniture; furniture systems and collections; lighting fixtures; lighting schemes; interior products; architectural products; NEW: tech products
• Experiential Graphic Design: Wayfinding; sign programs; information and map design; experiential brand identity
• Concepts: Unbuilt competition entries and proposals; concepts/prototypes
• A+ Award: Projects developed by a student enrolled in a post-secondary design or architecture program in 2022. The winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize

All entries may be considered for the Social Good Award and/or the Environmental Leadership Award by election. A winner in each of these two categories will be selected. Projects may be entered in one or both categories:

• For the Social Good Award, projects must advance social equity and have a positive impact on the collective realm.
• For the Environmental Leadership Award, projects must show sensitivity and respect for the use and management of natural resources throughout their lifecycle, especially with respect to materials and energy use.

The 2023 AZ Awards is presented by Caesarstone, Keilhauer, and Landscape Forms, and is sponsored by Colombo Design America. Gala sponsors are George Brown College’s Brookfield Sustainability Institute and Scavolini.

Media Partners

Archello, ArchDaily, Archilovers, Archinect, Archiproducts, The Architect’s Newspaper, Architonic, Bustler, Design Week Mexico, INDEX Design, Kollectif, v2com newswire, and World-Architects.

2023 Key Dates

January 3
Competition opens 

January 31
Early bird deadline 

February 24
Competition closes 

April 20
Finalists announced 

May 19
People’s Choice voting closes 

June 23