Athens, Greece
Global Design News and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design proudly announce the winners of the Prize Designs for Modern Furniture + Lighting 2026, celebrating outstanding contemporary furniture, lighting, and product design from around the world.
Originally established by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 1949, the historic Prize Designs programme was created to recognize exceptional contemporary design and encourage manufacturers to bring innovative products into wider use.
Seven decades later, Global Design News and The Chicago Athenaeum have revived this important platform for a new generation of designers and manufacturers.
For the 2026 edition, the programme received a strong international response, with submissions from leading manufacturers and design firms representing numerous countries.
The winning designs reflect the continuing evolution of contemporary design through new materials, technologies, craftsmanship, and approaches to everyday living.
The 2026 jury brought together internationally recognized designers and industry professionals: Alain Gilles, Filippo Mambretti, Jan Goderis, Katia Kolovea, Stefano Borella, and Taras Yoom. Together, they selected the projects that demonstrated exceptional innovation, originality, functionality, aesthetics, and design quality.
2026 Winners
The 2026 Prize Designs winners represent an international group of designers and manufacturers, including:
Designers:
Nikola Lajic, Robin Delaere, David De Schryver, Arne Malfait, Carl Gustav Magnusson, Cameron Smith, Maruan Attia, Jeremy Goodman, Massimo Iosa Ghini, Maxim Kashin, Wolfgang Deisig, Marius Deisig, Niels van der Wansem, Pepijn Stoffels, Ricardo Lovato, Tapio Anttila, Paolo Trevisan, Francisco Barboza, Isaac Drickhamer, Alexis Dimaguila, Szymon Hanczar, Lauren Rottet, James Cull, Tomaso Lisca, Luca Argenton, Peter Gronych, Yvonne Dollega, Vladislav Bek-Bulatov, Kati Meyer-Brühl, Minji Kim, Mikayla Liang, J He, and Omer Arbel.
Manufacturers and studios:
Foundry of Dragan Ljubisavljevic, Pebl, Skyard Furniture Co., Ltd., Goebel & Co. Furniture, CGM Design LLC, FurnitureSmith, AttiaDesign, Industrial Makerspace, Erfurt eMobility GmbH, ONgineer GmbH, Blur Workshop LLC, Aran World Srl., UltimaGroupPro, HON Company LLC, Nielsmaakt, Tapio Anttila Collection Ltd., Green House Móveis SNC, Hanczar Studio, Turri Srl., Rottet Collection, gronych + dollega architekten GbR, VFORM, Brühl & Sippold GmbH, Hwayoung Lighting, Unlit Design, and Bocci Design & Manufacturing Inc.
Exhibition and Award Presentation in Athens
On Friday, October 23, 2026, Global Design News and The Chicago Athenaeum will open the exhibition New Modern Furniture + Lighting 2026 at the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies in Athens, Greece. The exhibition will continue through November 20, 2026.
That same evening, the winners will be honored during a formal award presentation at Thea Terrace Bar & Restaurant, located on the rooftop of Central Athens Hotel, offering panoramic views of the Acropolis and the historic city centre.
All winning designs will be presented through the Prize Designs programme and featured in the forthcoming publication New Modern Furniture + Lighting 2026, published by Metropolitan Arts Press.
The complete list of winners is available at Prize Designs and Global Design News.
The deadline for Prize Designs for Modern Furniture + Lighting 2027 is March 15, 2027.
