2021 CALL FOR ENTRIES

It’s that time of year to get a head start on your 2021 Lumen Awards entries!
Which projects would you like to showcase to the lighting community next year?
You can enter more than one project!

We want to see your most innovative, inspiring and exceptional lighting designs!

DEADLINE: Friday, January 8th, 2021

Eligible projects must be designed by a New York City* based designer(s) for a project located anywhere in the world.
OR
The project must be located in New York City* regardless of the location of the designer(s).

* Within the five boroughs of NYC and counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester

2021 IESNYC Lumen Awards Submission Requirements

Design projects must be completed within two years’ time of the submission deadline.

Each project entry must include:

1. Project Information: Provide “Lighting Designer’s” contact information credited for the design of the lighting, and the projects general information (such as name, location, type, and completion date).

2. Project Summary: 100-word limit. This summary will be read to the judges and your images will be shown during the first round of judging. Your summary should introduce your project to the Judges and inspire them to accelerate your project to the second round. DOWNLOAD EXAMPLE

3. Image Narratives: 300-word limit. The image narratives will be read to the judges during the second round of judging should your project move to a second round. The image narratives should be cued to each image (such as, Image1, Image2, Image3, etc.), and should describe or support the visual content of each image. DOWNLOAD EXAMPLE

NOTE: Your Project Summary will be read again during the second round of judging. There is no need to repeat info in your image narratives what’s already in your Project Summary.

4. Digital Images: Up to 10 high-resolution JPEG images (at least 1024px and 768px at 300dpi). Each digital file will be counted as a single image. Digital files with multiple pictures or views or illustrations will be counted as multiple images towards a maximum of 10 images. (Example: one file with two side-by-side views will be counted as 2 images, one file with a picture, a detail, and a section will counted as 3 images, etc.)

5. Video Submission (optional): You may submit an optional digital video file.
• Acceptable files: MOV, M4V or MP4 format
• No Audio allowed
• Digital videos should only be used to demonstrate kinetic, transitional, or animated lighting effects key to the lighting design concept.
• Still images as a slide show are not accepted as a video and will be disqualified.
• Videos must be a maximum of one minute in length. Those that are over one minute will be terminated after one minute of play

6. Entry Fee: Submission fee is $140 per project submission. Fees are not refundable and there is no guarantee of receiving an award or publicity

2021 IESNYC Lumen Awards General Rules

1. Project(s) Submission Deadline is Friday, January 8, 2021

2. The Lumen Awards are open to any interior or exterior architectural lighting design project completed within two years’ time of the submission deadline. Projects may be re-submitted during the years a project is eligible.

3. Projects are judged anonymously. Therefore, the project summary and cued written image narratives must not include the name of the project, designer names or firms, manufacturer’s name, or branding of commercial products. A project’s location may be included in the submission narrative.

4. Identifying marks on digital images or optional video: The project name or company logo on digital images must be kept to a minimum or be discreet, and when possible, must be blurred or covered. Photographer’s name or copyright labels in images are not allowed. Descriptions or text in videos are allowed, but consider instead, including a “written video narrative” in the project summary or cued written image narrative.

5. It is the responsibility of the submitter to provide accurate information and obtain approval from the project owner, and authorization from the photographer/photo agency to submit the project for competition and publicity purposes.

6. Fill light is prohibited. Images modified or digitally enhanced are prohibited.

7. Award winners grant the IESNYC and Lumen Committee the rights to use narratives, images, and videos for competition and publicity purposes in all media.

8. Digital images, project summary, image narratives, and title of winning entries will be chosen or edited at the discretion of the judges. Overall presentation of winning projects for the Lumen Awards Gala may be edited or revised by the Lumen Committee. Whenever possible, the Committee will inform recipients of revisions.

About the Lumen Awards

The IESNYC Lumen Awards program was conceived and managed by the New York City Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society in 1968. It was developed to publicly recognize lighting design members whose exceptional professionalism, ingenuity and originality in lighting design has culminated in some of the world’s most innovative lighting projects.



Awards are presented in the following categories:

Lumen Award of Excellence
The highest level of recognition for permanent architectural application.

Lumen Award of Merit
Meritorious recognition for permanent architectural application.

Lumen Citation
Special recognition for an art installation, technical detail, portion of a single project, temporary installation or other work.