ADA Award: vivid Emerging Designer Awards 2026, Entries Open
The Authentic Design Alliance is proud to partner with the 2026 Vivid Emerging Designer Awards for the 11th year. Australia’s longest-running design competition for early-career furniture, lighting, and object designers, and one of the most respected springboards in the industry.
If you are a designer or designer-maker in your first five years of practice, or a current tertiary student, this is your opportunity to exhibit your work alongside the best emerging talent in the country.
Entries close Sunday, 12 April 2026. Submit your entry now
About vivid
Curated by Daniel Dalla Riva of Latitude Group, Vivid has been advancing early-career Australian designers for over two decades. Alumni include Nicole Monks, Edward Linacre, Adam Markowitz, Dale Hardiman, Dean Norton, and Marta Figueiredo.
All finalists will have their work showcased in a dedicated feature installation at Decor+Design at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, 15 to 17 July 2026.
Awards are judged across Furniture, Lighting, Object, Concept, Colour, Student Design, and Judges’ Choice categories, plus the Authentic Design Alliance Award of Merit.
Entries are open to professional designers who have been practising for fewer than five years, and to current students at Australian tertiary institutions.
FOLDING CHAIR by Jacon de Dassel
Authentic Design Alliance Award of Merit
The ADA is proud to present the Authentic Design Alliance Award of Merit, which encourages originality, innovation, and authentic design practice among emerging designers.
The 2026 recipient receives:
- A listing in the ADA Award Winners directory
- A two-year ADA Foundation Membership (valued at $990 for studios of three or fewer team members). Join the ADA network for access to mentoring programs, networking opportunities, and early access to ADA events.
- A one-on-one mentoring session with ADA Director Anne-Maree Sargeant
BALLAST by Jess Humpston
Past ADA Award of Merit recipients
The Award has recognised outstanding early-career work across furniture, lighting, and object design. Here are some recent recipients:
2025: Jacob de Dassel, Folding Chair, winner of both the Furniture Design category and the ADA Award of Merit. A considered, elegant reinterpretation of a classic form, balancing precision, user experience, and environmental responsibility.
2024: Jess Humpston, Ballast and A Table For One, winner of both the Furniture Design category and the ADA Award of Merit. A dual-project recognition for a body of work showing strong design resolution and material thoughtfulness.
2023: Melvin Josy, Vallam Seat, recognised for exquisite craftsmanship and a confident contemporary interpretation of culturally inspired design.
2023 (joint recognition): Billie Civello, The Bare Back Stool and Georgia Weitenberg, Bent Wood Chair. Two distinct approaches to materiality and form: Civello’s functional steel object blending modernist and organic sensibilities, and Weitenberg’s salvaged-timber riff on the much-copied Bentwood chair.
Read more about past winners
- 2025 Vivid winners and the ADA 2025 winners round-up
- 2024 Vivid winners
- Jess Humpston at Vivid
- Melvin Josy at Vivid
- Billie Civello at Vivid
- Georgia Weitenberg at Vivid
Follow @vividdesigncomp on Instagram for finalist and winner updates.
FAQ
Who can enter the vivid Emerging Designer Awards? The competition is open to professional designers who have been practising for fewer than five years, and to current students at Australian tertiary institutions.
What is the ADA Award of Merit? The Authentic Design Alliance Award of Merit is presented annually to recognise originality, innovation, and authentic design practice. The 2026 recipient receives a two-year ADA Foundation Membership, a listing in the ADA Award Winners directory, and a mentoring session with ADA Director Anne-Maree Sargeant.
When do entries close? Entries close Sunday, 12 April 2026.
Where is the exhibition? All finalists exhibit their work at Decor + Design, Melbourne Exhibition Centre, 15 to 17 July 2026.
Enter before Sunday, 12 April 2026
Submit your entry here. For full entry information and the entry kit, visit decordesignshow.com.au/vivid-emerging-designer-awards.
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