AZ Awards 2027: Architecture and Design Competition

The AZ Awards are an international architecture and design competition founded in 2011 by AZURE, the Toronto-based design magazine. Now in their 17th year, they recognise the best projects, products and ideas in architecture, interiors, landscape, urban design, product design and experiential graphic design, with special awards for emerging firms and student work. Submissions open on 9 November 2026, the early-bird deadline is 11 December 2026, and entries close on 26 February 2027.

Winners receive the AZ Awards trophy and are published by AZURE in print and online.

Categories

The awards are grouped into built work, products, ideas and special awards. Recent categories include:

• Architecture: buildings over and under 1,000 m², single-family houses, multi-unit residential buildings and adaptive re-use
• Interiors: residential, commercial and institutional, and retail and hospitality interiors
• Landscape and urbanism: landscape architecture and built and unbuilt urban design
• Products: single-piece furniture, furniture systems and collections, lighting fixtures, housewares and tech products, interior and architectural products
• Ideas: ideas, prototypes and unbuilt projects
• Graphics and installations: experiential graphic design, temporary and experiential installations, lighting installations
• Special awards: emerging architecture, interiors and design firms, environmental leadership, and the A+ Award for Student Work

Check the official site for the exact 2027 list when submissions open.

Who Can Enter the AZ Awards?

Architects, designers, firms, manufacturers and students from anywhere in the world. It suits:

• Furniture, lighting and product designers
• Studios working on signage, wayfinding and experiential graphics
• Young practices, through the emerging firm awards
• Design and architecture students, through the A+ Award

Fees

Fees depend on the category and the entry period, and they are lower before the early-bird deadline of 11 December 2026. The full fee list is published on the awards website when submissions open.

Prizes

Winners receive the AZ Awards trophy, publication in AZURE in print and online, and international exposure. The A+ Award for Student Work comes with a $5,000 CAD cash prize.

Tips for Entering

Enter during the early-bird window to save on fees. Use professional photographs and short, clear texts explaining the problem, the design response and its impact. For products, show the object in use as well as on a plain background. Student entries should present a strong concept with clear drawings or prototypes.

Preparing Your Entry

Read the category descriptions carefully before you enter, as projects are judged against others of the same type and scale. For built work, use professional photographs that show the project in use and in its context, and add plans or drawings that explain the idea. For products, include the object in use, details of materials and construction, and a short note on how it is made. Explain in plain language what problem the project solves and why the solution is better than what came before. Graphic and wayfinding projects should be shown in place, not only as flat artwork.

About AZURE

AZURE is a Toronto-based magazine about architecture and design, published in print and online. The awards grew out of the magazine, and winners are featured in its pages and on its website.

Things to Consider

• Fees per entry; early-bird rate until 11 December.
• Architecture-heavy categories, with strong product and graphics sections.
• Student cash prize.
• Deadline: 26 February 2027.

Enter the Competition

Ready to put your work on the global stage?

Enter the AZ Awards 2027

Categories, fees and the entry portal are on the AZ Awards website.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: November 3, 2026