The Surface Design Awards 2027 are officially open for entries, inviting architects, designers, manufacturers and emerging talent from around the world to showcase projects and products that are pushing the boundaries of surface design, material innovation and sustainability.
A key feature of Surface Design Show (2-4 February 2027), the Surface Design Awards will celebrate its 15th anniversary in 2027, reinforcing its position as one of the industry's leading platforms for recognising outstanding achievement in surface design. The awards ceremony will take place at 6 pm on 3rd February 2027 at London's Business Design Centre, bringing together leading figures from across architecture, interiors, materials and design to celebrate the year's most innovative work.
Over the past 15 years, the awards have established a reputation for identifying projects and products that demonstrate creativity, innovation and a progressive approach to materials and surfaces. Previous winners have gone on to use their awards as a mark of distinction with clients, collaborators and the wider design community, while the 2027 shortlist will be showcased to thousands of architects and designers attending Surface Design Show.
A leading industry judging panel
Entries will be assessed by an international panel of respected industry experts, bringing together expertise spanning architecture, sustainability, circularity, colour and design.
The 2027 judging panel is led by head judges Stacey McGonigal, Senior Manager of Sustainable Design & Circular Systems at CHANEL; and Fanis Volentis, Associate at Gensler, with panel comprising of Oliver Hall, Head of Innovation and Sustainability at Make Architects; Ana-Rita Martins, Sustainability Lead at MCM; Laura Perryman, colour designer and forecaster; Angela Bardino, Senior Associate Director | Cities & Places at Jacobs; Craig Jones, Founder of Jones+Partners, Dyfed Price,Creative Director at Morph Interior.
The breadth of the judging panel reflects the increasingly multidisciplinary nature of surface design, with judges bringing different perspectives to what makes a project, material or product truly exceptional.
Celebrating innovation with purpose
The importance of innovation, sustainability and circular thinking was demonstrated by last year's Supreme Winner, Agri-Fruit-Bag by Liza C Design. The project impressed the judging panel and received multiple accolades, including the Regenerative Design award in the Project Category, alongside both the Innovation and Sustainability awards in the Product Category.
Agri-Fruit-Bag presents a visionary approach to circular regeneration, transforming agricultural by-products such as tomato leaves into a functional, biodegradable biofilm. Designed as an alternative to traditional plastic packaging, the semi-translucent material protects fruit from pests and sunburn while enabling farmers to monitor growth.
2027 Award Categories
For 2027, entries will be divided into Project and Product categories, with additional awards recognising emerging and new talent.
Project Categories
- Best Architecture Project – New-build projects judged on the building as a whole, including form, structure, spatial organisation and material palette.
- Best Interior Design Project – Interior transformations judged on layout, surfaces, colour, lighting, furniture and material choices.
- Best Adaptive Reuse & Restoration Project – Sensitive transformations of existing buildings or spaces, considering the relationship between old and new and the reuse of materials.
- Best Colour Innovation – Projects, products or installations where colour is central to the design concept rather than simply decorative.
- Best Use of Natural Materials – Projects where materials such as timber, stone, clay, cork, wool or leather play a central role in the design.
Product Categories
- Best Product – A product, material or finish that makes a significant contribution to a space or building, either as a standalone design or as part of a wider project.
- Best Surface Material – Material innovation spanning areas such as bio-based materials, composites, coatings, digital fabrication and recycled materials.
Other Awards
- Emerging Talent – An invite-only, free-to-enter category celebrating rising designers, studios and student work, with the winner determined through the shortlist and public vote.
- Supreme Award – Selected by the judging panel from the category winners and not open for direct entry.
- New Talent – An invite-only award presented to one of the New Talent exhibitors.
Deadline for entries
Entries for the Surface Design Awards 2027 close on 23rd October 2026, with judging taking place in November 2026. Winners will be announced at a champagne reception at the Business Design Centre in London on 3 February 2027 at 6pm.
