6 Design awards you can still join in 2024
Catch a list of reputable design competitions you can jump into this year
Summer’s coming to an end, but not the flux of design competitions you can participate in. Here’s a curated list of 6 design awards with their eligibility info, deadlines, and top-notch benefits: trophies, PR campaigns, certificates of excellence, and networking events.
Please note that it’s always best to check the award websites for crucial details before applying.
European Design Awards
Every year, seasoned publishers, journalists, and editors evaluate and acknowledge the best creative works across branding, illustration, typography, packaging, and even mobile application categories in Europe. The award helps participants showcase their work to a broader audience through the website and catalog and gives them an opportunity to network during the festival and the awards ceremony, which is held in a different European city every year.
Who can enter: All designers living or working within Europe. Designers based outside Europe can also participate, but only with work created for the European market.
Entry fee: Yes, from 40 to 169€.
What you can submit: The European Design Awards accept only work published during the previous calendar year and up to the day of the current deadline.
What you’ll get: There are three winning tiers, namely Gold, Silver and Bronze. The Gold winners receive a trophy during the Award Ceremony, and the Silver and Bronze winners get a certificate. Also, all winners and finalists are published in the ED-Awards catalog and on the ED-Awards website—a reputable source in the design community.
Submission period 2024: Submissions open on December 15, 2024.
Communication Arts
Established in 1959, Communication Arts is considered the most prestigious juried competitions in visual communications. The award has six competitions judged by a nationally representative panel of distinguished aces, who have included Saul Bass, Milton Glaser, Paula Scher, and others. The award covers the entire field of visual communications: Typography, Interactive, Illustration, Photography, Advertising, and Design.
Who can enter: Art and creative directors, graphic designers, web designers, copywriters, photographers, and illustrators from all over the world.
Entry fee: Yes, from $30 to $180, depending on the medium.
What you can submit: In the Typography category, only projects first published or produced from September 2023 through September 2024 are eligible. Due to the rapidly changing nature of interactive media, there is no eligibility period for the Interactive category.
What you’ll get: Each winning entrant will receive a personalized Award of Excellence milled from solid aluminum. All winning entries are also featured in the Communication Arts Annual, both online and in print, and on the commarts.com website, which showcases the works to a huge audience.
Submission period 2024: While the Design competition submissions are already closed, you can still enter the Typography competition before September 13, 2024 and the Interactive competition before October 11, 2024.
Indigo Awards
This young but already-established award celebrates uncommon artistry in digital design and branding, with a separate category for projects for social change. It also emphasizes the spotlighting and networking opportunities it gives to designers at any stage of their careers.
Who can enter: Freelancers, studios, and students worldwide.
Entry fee: Yes, $100 for students, $150 for freelancers and $250 for studios.
What can you submit: Any work created no later than five years before the date of submission is eligible.
What you’ll get: The designer of the year nominee will receive an additional main trophy, while the other winners’ works will be published in the Indigo Interactive Digital Book Of Design and promoted across a network of design media. Every Award culminates in a gala event to which all winners are invited.
Submission period 2024: Enter as an early bird before September 30, 2024.
Readymag Websites of the Year
Readymag Websites of the Year has been run by Readymag for more than 10 years, highlighting the outstanding designs that set the bar for the web. The upcoming 2024 award is designed to celebrate the extravaganza of emerging and existing creators, approaches, and design directions in all their variety and in dialogue. There will be 5 winners: one taking first place, two taking second, and two taking third.
Who can enter: Any Readymag user worldwide, including teams and agencies.
Entry fee: No
What you can submit: One or several websites designed with Readymag and published from October 27, 2023 to October 13, 2024, 23:59 CET.
What you’ll get: the title of the best website, peer respect, networking opportunities, and a bunch of valuable prizes. The latter is an annual Advanced Readymag subscription, tickets to the INTL conference, credits for the Brand Identity store, Grilli Type foundry, Draw Down Books, and a gift card to viction:ary online shop.
Submission period 2024: September to October 2024, 23:59 CET.
A’ Design Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Award
The A’ Graphics, Illustration, and Visual Communication Design Award is a major competition open to graphic designers, agencies, companies, and brands. It offers a chance to showcase creativity to a vast professional network, earn global recognition, and trailblaze future design trends.
Who can enter: Designers, students, companies, and institutions from all over the world.
Entry fee: Yes. The price depends on multiple factors, but you can calculate your entry fee using the awards’ calculator.
What can you submit? Works designed in the last 10 years, including ones previously published elsewhere.
What you’ll get: The top three standout benefits include the A’ Graphic Design Award Winner Logo symbolizing excellence in graphic design, a PR campaign and media exposure, and inclusion in design networks and rankings. Pro-Edition winners will get a winner’s kit, which includes the award trophy, a printed and framed certificate of excellence, and an annual yearbook.
Submission period 2024: Regular deadline September 30, 2024.
World Brand Design Awards
The World Brand Design Society is an independent and prestigious awards program that recognizes creatives and creative businesses across a massive pool of categories—Packaging, Graphic design, Advertising, Product design, Digital design, and Typography are only half of them.
Who can enter: Its “Creative Design Awards” section caters to individual creatives, freelancers, and small teams of no more than four.
Entry fee: Yes, from £95 to £185, depending on the deadline.
What can you submit? The work you’re sending must be quite fresh—no longer than three years on the market.
What you’ll get: Winners get distinction certificates, trophies, and a featured publication on the World Brand Design Society’s platforms.
Submission period 2024: The regular deadline is September 2 to October 1, 2024, but there’s time to enter before December 1, 2024.