Wallpaper* Design Awards 2026 shortlist

(Image credit: Future)

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Designer of the Year
Best Launch
City of the Year
Life-Enhancer of the Year

published 10 December 2025

The annual Wallpaper* Design Awards returns in 2026 – and we can officially reveal the first shortlisted nominees.

The Wallpaper* Design Awards features an honour roll of outstanding places, products and people, in a celebration of the power of design to lift spirits and improve lives. As well as brigning you the best in architecture, art, design, interiors, entertaining, fashion, tech and travel, we will also reveal the winners of four special categories, listed below, selected by our team of experts.

From inspiring designers and innovative launches to creative hubs and life-enhancing objects, these Wallpaper* favourites are sure to become yours, too.

Designer of the Year

01. Max Lamb, UK

02. Nifemi Marcus-Bello, Nigeria

03. Willo Perron, Canada

04. Gabriel Tan, Singapore/Portugal

05. Faye Toogood, UK

06. Garance Vallée, France

Read more about each of our Designer of the Year nominees

Best Launch

01. Guest suite at Geoffrey Bawa's Number 11, Sri Lanka

02. Orient Express luxury train and hotel brand, by Accor

03. Skin Fetish: Glass 001 Artistry Mask, by Pat McGrath Labs

04. V&A East Storehouse, UK, by DS&R

05. Voce Triennale music venue, Milan, by Luca Cipelletti

06. Yinka Ilori Foundation, by Yinka Ilori

Read more about these innovative launches.

City of the Year

01. Accra, Ghana

02. Busan, South Korea

03. Delhi, India

04. Detroit, US

05. Helsinki, Finland

06. São Paulo, Brazil

Read more about each of the nominated cities

Life-Enhancer of the Year

01. Continent of Play playground blueprint, by 21st Europe and Spacon

02. Ottagono Wellness Gym by Cassina, Technogym and Giulia Foscari

03. Paper Pro Move paper tablet, by reMarkable

04. PuuSauna, by Jaakko Torvinen

05. 'Wake' bedside lamp, by Heatherwick Studio and Tala

06. Rollator walker, by Zeal

Read more about the Life Enhancer shortlist

Look out for the winners of our four landmark awards and lots more in the February issue of Wallpaper* and online from early January.

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Léa Teuscher is a Sub-Editor at Wallpaper*. A former travel writer and production editor, she joined the magazine over a decade ago, and has been sprucing up copy and attempting to write clever headlines ever since. Having spent her childhood hopping between continents and cultures, she’s a fan of all things travel, art and architecture. She has written three Wallpaper* City Guides on Geneva, Strasbourg and Basel.