International Architecture & Design Awards 2026

Frequently Asked Questions​

1. Registration

Who can participate in the IAD Awards?

Anyone aged 18 or older from any country can participate. Both individuals and companies with a valid tax number are eligible.

Fill out the registration form and complete your payment. Once the payment is successful, you will receive a registration key for project submission. The invoice will be sent to you within two working days.

Check your spam folder. If the email is missing, contact us at [email protected].

You can retrieve your key using the restore form or contact us directly.

Don’t worry. We extend the submission deadline to give late registrants time to finalize their projects. Every entry matters to us.

Yes. Anyone involved in a project is allowed to submit it, as long as accurate author information is provided and the submitter has the author’s consent for publication.

2. Project Submission

Go to the submission page and enter your Registration key. You can also use the link provided in the Registration key email.

  • Include a project brief.

  • A square cover image (minimum 1080 × 1080 px, JPEG).

  • Up to 8 additional JPEG images. Project materials such as text, diagrams, sketches, renders, etc. These are optional and may be submitted instead of images if preferred.

  • No author-identifying marks.

  • Provide your Registration key.

The cover image must be in a 1:1 square format. You can crop it directly in the submission form.

No, once submitted, changes are not possible. Please ensure everything is accurate. For serious errors, contact us to request project deletion and resubmission.

One registration key is issued per project, regardless of how many categories it’s entered into. You’ll submit one set of materials that will be presented identically in each category. If you want to submit different materials in each category (e.g., architecture photos in one, interior images in another), you must register the project separately for each category to receive separate registration keys.

No, this is not required. Just upload images of your project in the correct format as outlined on the submission page.

Yes. You can submit multiple projects. Each must be registered and paid for separately.

A nomination is a competition category. You may enter the same project in multiple nominations to improve your chances of winning. Additional nominations are offered at a discounted fee.

Yes, but they should be submitted under the Concept Category.

Projects must not be older than seven years from the date of registration.

Yes. A project can be submitted again, even if it was a winner in a previous edition of the awards.

Your project may be excluded. However, in some cases, organizers may use publicly available sources (e.g., your website or social media) to complete the submission. If your project wins, you’ll have a chance to update it later.

3. Winners & Evaluation

Each jury member evaluates projects on Innovation & Originality, Design & Aesthetic Quality, and Functionality & Spatial Integration. Scores from 1.0 to 10.0 (including decimals) are averaged. The highest-ranked projects receive Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Bronze awards.

No. Contacting jury members to influence results is strictly prohibited and may result in disqualification.

Winners will be published on 24 April 2026 at https://ad-c.org/winners/.

4. Trophy & Delivery

Winners receive an email with a link to the trophy order page. Orders must be placed within 30 days of the announcement. The current price is shown on the order page.

Production and delivery take approximately 7–14 weeks. All orders are sent to production in one batch after the order deadline.

No hidden fees. All customs duties and import taxes must be paid by the recipient upon delivery. Redelivery fees may apply if the shipment is returned.

Yes, you can order an unlimited number of trophies. Each trophy can include custom inscriptions, which is useful if you would like to present them to your partners or collaborators.