PARIS — The Eiffel Tower shimmered in the distance as designers, manufacturers, educators, and industry leaders gathered aboard Yachts de Paris to celebrate a milestone for the lighting profession.
The occasion was the 10th anniversary of the LIT Lighting Design Awards. Held on the Seine in the heart of Paris, the event brought together more than 200 attendees representing 25 nationalities for an evening that celebrated both achievement and community.
The atmosphere felt more like a reunion than an awards ceremony. Colleagues who had collaborated across continents shared stories over cocktails. Emerging designers found themselves speaking with industry veterans. Conversations flowed from project challenges to new technologies as the Paris skyline slowly transitioned from daylight to evening illumination.
Ideas Before Awards
The celebration began well before the trophies were presented.
Earlier in the afternoon, winners from the 2024 and 2025 competitions shared the stories behind their projects. The presentations offered attendees a glimpse into the creative thinking, technical challenges, and design philosophies that shaped some of the industry’s most recognized work.
Gathered along the banks of the Seine, designers discussed everything from sustainability and controls to the emotional impact of light.The setting highlighted one of the profession’s greatest strengths. Lighting design brings together people from vastly different backgrounds through a shared passion for creating memorable experiences.
Honoring Excellence
When the awards ceremony began, the spotlight turned to the projects and individuals whose work stood out over the past year.
Among the 2025 winners, Mariana Novaes of Atiaîa Lighting Design received Architectural Design of the Year for Memorial Brumadinho. Martin Döller of One to One by Martin Döller earned Lighting Product Design of the Year for Amphora. James Tapscott of Studio JT Pty Ltd. received Entertainment Design of the Year for Arc ZERO: Eclipse.
The ceremony also highlighted emerging talent. The Deggendorf Institute of Technology team of Franziska Rieder, Sabine Wiesend, and Jannick Lippert earned Emerging Lighting Designer of the Year honors for Flight into Shadow. Yuxin Luo of ArtCenter College of Design received Emerging Lighting Product Designer of the Year recognition for CinderGlow.
One of the evening’s most memorable moments came when Suzan Tillotson, Founder and President of Tillotson Design Associates, received the Global Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor recognized a career that has influenced generations of designers. It also celebrated her role in elevating the importance of lighting design within architecture and the built environment.
A Global Community
The list of winners reflected the international character of the event.
Projects and firms from around the world took home honors, including work from Lichtvision Design, Brandston Partnership, L’Observatoire International, Light Directions, NEAL Lighting, Concepto, Light is More, Projetscénie, Hydrel, Expolight, and Maytoni. The breadth of winners demonstrated how lighting design continues to evolve across cultures, project types, and technologies.
For many attendees, that global perspective remains one of the LIT Awards’ greatest strengths. The program recognizes projects ranging from intimate installations to major public landmarks, while creating opportunities for designers from different regions to learn from one another.
Perhaps the evening’s most emotional moment came when Ukrainian lighting designer Mykola Kabluka of Expolight took the stage. As images of his award-winning projects filled the screen, he concluded his remarks with a simple appeal for peace, drawing one of the night’s longest and warmest ovations.
Looking Toward the Next Decade
As dinner concluded and guests stepped onto the decks overlooking the Seine, conversations naturally shifted from the past to the future.
The lighting industry has changed dramatically since the LIT Awards launched a decade ago. LEDs have transformed design possibilities. Controls have become increasingly sophisticated. Human-centric lighting, sustainability, and digital technologies now shape many design discussions.
Yet the evening served as a reminder that the profession’s core mission remains unchanged: using light to improve how people experience architecture, landscapes, performances, and public spaces.
Ten years after its founding, the LIT Lighting Design Awards continues to provide a global stage for that work. And on a warm Paris evening, surrounded by peers from around the world, the future of lighting design appeared brighter than ever.