A' Landscape Design Awards 2026 opens for entries

A' Design Award & Competition has opened entries for its 2026 landscape planning and garden design awards, with submissions due Sept. 30, 2026. The program targets landscape designers, urban planners and related professionals worldwide, and winners will be announced May 1, 2027.

Why it matters: - The competition is aimed at projects that shape public space, biodiversity and environmental quality. - The awards give landscape professionals a global platform, plus promotional support if they win. - Eligible work completed in the last 10 years can enter, widening the pool of possible submissions.

What happened: - A' Design Award & Competition opened its call for entries for the A' International Landscape Planning and Garden Design Awards on July 3, 2026. - The awards are open worldwide to landscape designers, urban planners, garden designers, municipalities, landscape design companies, horticulturists, botanical garden designers, park and recreation planners, ecological restoration specialists, landscape architects, environmental designers, public space designers, landscape contractors, landscape management companies, landscape design consultancies, landscape design innovation teams, and research and development companies. - The deadline for entries is Sept. 30, 2026. - Results will be announced on May 1, 2027.

The details: - The competition uses a two-phase process. - The first phase offers a complimentary preliminary evaluation. - Projects that pass the preliminaries can move to nomination. - A nominal fee applies for nomination. - Entries are evaluated anonymously by an international jury panel of more than 300 academics, journalists, design professionals, museum curators, investors and industry experts. - Example eligible projects include landscape designs, public parks, residential gardens, urban plazas, campus designs, green roofs, waterfront developments, eco-parks and botanical gardens. - Sub-category descriptions are available in the competition category listing. - Participants can register through the entry portal.

Between the lines: - The awards are framed as more than a design contest. The program links recognition to sustainability, healthier outdoor environments and public wellbeing. - The prize package is built to amplify winners through publicity, rankings and exhibitions, not just a trophy. - That approach suggests the competition is also trying to influence industry standards by rewarding visible, publishable work.

What's next: - Entrants can submit projects now and wait for preliminary scoring. - Projects that advance will proceed to nomination before the September deadline. - Winning professional-edition laureates will receive the A' Design Prize, which includes a Design Excellence Certificate, lifetime winner-logo use, a yearbook of best designs, exhibitions in Italy, an award trophy, gala-night invitation, translation of awarded works, and inclusion in World Design Rankings, Designer Rankings, Landscape Design Design Classifications and Design Legends platforms. - Winners will also receive an exclusive interview, a prepared press release and a press kit with images, logos and portfolio material. - The press kits will be distributed to thousands of accredited press members, and dozens of press partners are already set to publish selected winners. - Past winners are available at the winners gallery.

The bottom line: - A' Design Award & Competition is using the 2026 landscape awards to combine industry recognition with a built-in publicity pipeline for designers and organizations worldwide.