DALI Alliance announce the opening of the 2026 Lighting Awards

The DALI Alliance, the global industry organisation for DALI – the internationally standardised protocol for digital communication between lighting control devices, is delighted to announce that entries are now open for the 2026 DALI Alliance Lighting Awards.

Submissions will be accepted until 19th December 2025. The annual awards remain free to enter and continue to be an excellent opportunity to be recognised for excellence and innovation in DALI-based lighting control solutions from across the global lighting industry. Awards will be given for both Application and Innovation categories.

The application categories for 2026 are as follows:

• Residential
• Commercial Interior
• Commercial Exterior
• Industrial
• Smart Cities and Infrastructure

Innovation-focused award categories include:

• Best Use of D4i – Celebrating innovative applications of DALI D4i technology, including enhanced data communication, energy management, and advanced control capabilities.
• Best Emergency Lighting Integration – Honouring designs that effectively incorporate emergency lighting to ensure safety, reliability, and standards compliance.
• Best Human-Centric Design – Recognising lighting projects that support health, comfort, and productivity through adaptive and dynamic lighting.
• Best Integration into Other Systems – Highlighting projects that successfully integrate lighting with systems such as HVAC, security, and energy management.
• Innovation in Lighting – Acknowledging cutting-edge technologies and advancements in lighting control.
• Sustainability and Energy Efficiency – Celebrating projects that demonstrate outstanding environmental performance and energy conservation.
• Best use of DALI+ or DALI Gateways (Parts 341 & 342) – Recognising expert application of DALI+ or DALI to wireless networks across various applications and environments.

Following last year’s success and feedback, participants will no longer be required to select a specific category when submitting their entries. Instead, the Awards judging panel will review each submission and assign it to the most appropriate primary category. Judges may also consider entries for additional categories where relevant, giving projects the opportunity to receive multiple forms of recognition.

Paul Drosihn, General Manager of the DALI Alliance, commented: “We are very excited to launch the 2026 DALI Alliance Lighting Awards. The simplified entry process that we adopted last year provides greater opportunities for organizations and their projects to be recognised.

The awards are already highly respected, and we anticipate that the 2026 edition will see a further increase in entrants showcasing the possibilities and benefits of DALI” 

Award winners will gain international exposure through promotion by the DALI Alliance, receiving strong visibility and association with the certified global lighting protocol standard.

For more information or to enter the awards, visit The DALI Alliance Lighting Awards 2026 webpage.