CCC Emerging Design Awards 2026
The Canadian Creators Collective (CCC) is proud to announce the launch of a new
award for young designers in Canada.
The early years of practice are a critical period in the development of design careers.
With this Award, the CCC aims to provide meaningful opportunities for young
designers: to present their work to the wider design community, showcase their
projects, connect with the industry, expand their professional networks, and, most
importantly, receive industry-recognized validation of their talent and work quality
through a qualified jury. The CCC sees this Award as a first stepping stone to
success for young designers.
Submission Deadline
Submissions will be accepted until 11:59 PM (Pacific Time), 07 July 2026
Submission Categories
Form-giving
Material creations/ objects
Bringing material things to life: building, sculpting, molding or cutting away.
Creating objects that inhabit our spaces and our imagination. Pushing boundaries,
imbuing objects with meaning and value, and enhancing the human experience
through form.
Spatiality
Spaces/ urban/ interiors
Giving meaning to the world around you. Changing the world through arranging,
organizing, and creating. This category encompasses much of what is considered
‘traditional' design practice, but we hope to see projects that challenge expectations
and direct the built world toward something more sustainable, more human,
and more beautiful.
In the Ether
Virtual/ digital/ service/ system design
Whether we are consciously dematerializing to become more sustainable, or simply
innovating in non-material spaces like the internet, virtual reality, and the metaverse,
more and more design now takes place in digital spaces. In this category, we want to
see projects that leverage new technologies, digital spaces, and the non-built
environment (including systems design, reuse strategies, and other approaches to
dematerializing objects and reshaping lifestyles).
Future-building
Research projects/ new materials/ speculative design/ new technologies/ ideas
For the designers of tomorrow. This is where we want to discover all the ways in which
design can be speculative, transformative, and exploratory. This category is open to
critical design, futures thinking in design, design research, cutting-edge design, and
beyond.
Meet our Jury
We are very pleased to announce that the inaugural CCC Emerging Design Awards Jury comprises a highly respected group of professionals from the international design industry.
London-based British-Canadian Philippe Malouin, a Design Academy Eindhoven alumnus, founded his studio in 2008. His diverse portfolio for brands like Flos, Zanotta, Iittala, and Flos earned him Wallpaper*’s 'Designer of the Year.' Malouin is represented by Salon 94 Design gallery in New York City as well as The Breeder gallery in Athens.
French-Italian publicist Anna Caradeuc, Managing Director at The Last Agency, specializes in brand strategy and storytelling for design talents. Based in NYC and Paris, she advises clients like USM, Eames Office, and Byredo. Anna also founded CONTRIBUTIONS Design, a nonprofit promoting unique perspectives on collectible design and architecture.
South Korean designer and artist Kwangho Lee manipulates industrial materials like wire and PVC through repetitive knitting and "Chilbo" enameling. Inspired by his grandparents’ self-sufficiency, his craft-based process transforms cold matter into organic entities. Lee’s labor-intensive work explores materiality and vitality, reinterpreting traditional techniques through a contemporary formal language.
Milan-based journalist Laura May Todd is the Milan editor of Wallpaper* and author of Italian Interiors. A contributor to The New York Times and Architectural Digest, she explores global design movements and culture. Laura also moderates international design fairs and serves on prestigious industry juries.
Mexico City-based designer Manuel Bañó, co-founder of EWE Studio, creates minimalist functional sculptures from copper, brass, and steel. His work emphasizes handcraft and material imperfections. Born in Spain, Bañó is represented by global galleries, including MASA and Collectional, focusing on the artisanal nature of metal.
Frequently Asked Questions
The CCC Emerging Design Award recognizes the country’s top design talents. We will be reviewing multiple pieces of work, as well as written purpose statements, to evaluate process, ingenuity, execution, and professionalism. The winning designer or team will be awarded for their practice as a body of work.
The jury will select one category winner, one student winner, and runners-up in each category. Only one designer or team will be the overall winner, the Emerging Designer of the Year.
Contest entry fees are CAD $125 per submission (regardless of whether it is a single designer or a team). A reduced rate of CAD$75 is applied to all student entries.
The Award celebrates the designer or designers, not individual pieces of work, so we do not recommend submitting more than one entry.
There aren’t any surprise fees. We do not charge for trophies, certificates or for the right to use the CCC Emerging Design Award name. Some prizes do have additional costs (e.g., to take advantage of a free booth at Studio North, it will be necessary to transport items, print signage, etc.), but that is up to the winners.
The intention of this Award is to celebrate a designer or design team’s skill and professionalism. We encourage you to submit your best existing work and not dedicate time to creating new work.
Click on 'Submission' button above to get started! You will be asked for samples of your work (up to 12 images of three projects and your CV) and to fill out a questionnaire. In addition to this, we will be collecting a photo and bio of the designer or team to be used for promotional purposes.
The submission portal accepts applications in both English and French; we do not accept submissions in any other language. If you are viewing this in English but would prefer to see it in French, just change the language on the top right corner.
All applicants will receive a year membership as a CCC Friend, entitling them receive insider invitations to public CCC events, access to the CCC Member Newsletter (so that you can keep up to date on CCC Member activities, opportunities and access our curated industry news). The Grand Prize winner will have the right to call themselves the Emerging Designer of 2026. They will receive a unique CCC Emerging Design trophy and a winner’s badge to be used for digital applications. The Form-Giving category winner will receive a booth at Studio North during IDS 2027 (Toronto). All winners will be promoted throughout Canada through the CCC’s network of media partners and receive a gift certificate to show their projects on the v2com newswire.
In the Form-Giving category it is not permitted to submit renders or AI generated images of any kind. All images must be photos of objects that exist. In all the other categories, both renders and AI generated images are accepted, however all AI images must be declared. Submissions with undeclared AI images will be disqualified.
Who Can Enter
The competition is open to emerging designers based in Canada, including both
students and early-career professionals.
General Eligibility
Entrants must be based in Canada. Canadian citizens whose practice is primarily
conducted outside of Canada (e.g., those living abroad with a business registered
outside Canada) are not eligible.
Entrants must have no more than six (6) years of professional practice experience.
Student Eligibility
Entrants submitting to the Student category must be currently enrolled in a
university-level program in architecture, design, or a related discipline at the time
of submission. Applicants graduating in 2026 are eligible.
Individual and Team Submissions
The competition is open to both individual entrants and design teams (studios). In
the case of team submissions, all members must meet the eligibility requirements
outlined above. Teams must designate one member as the primary contact for
communication and the administration of the submission.
Contest Rules/ Terms and Conditions
For the full Content Rules as well as Terms and Conditions of application, please visit
the event page: https://www.cccollective.org/en/eda-2026
Brought to you by
Our Partners
The CCC is pleased to work closely with partners across the country to provide opportunities to a whole new generation of Canadian designers.
Location
À travers le pays/ Countrywide
Canada
Dates
Submission period:
May 1, 2026 - 8:00 AM PDT - July 7, 2026 - 11:59 PM PDT
Contact us
If you have any questions, please contact info@cccollective.org
