The Silhouette Awards is preparing to launch its sixth season, building on five years of mentorship, international connections and support for emerging talent across the architectural lighting design community.
The 2026–2027 programme will be officially unveiled during a special virtual event on Monday 14th September at 3.00 PM UK time. Open to everyone, the event will celebrate the achievements and mentorship journeys of the milestone fifth year, before looking ahead to the next chapter of the global programme and introducing the new Season 6 mentors.
Founded by Katia Kolovea and Eve Gaut, the Silhouette Awards was established to identify, celebrate and support emerging talent within architectural lighting design. Each year, 20 successful mentees are paired with established senior professionals from across the world for a tailored six-month mentorship journey.
The programme gives mentees access to knowledge, guidance and professional insight shaped around their individual ambitions. While every mentorship is different, the shared aim is to create an environment in which emerging designers can build confidence, explore new ideas, strengthen their skills and take meaningful steps forward in their careers.
Season 5 represented an important milestone for the Silhouette Awards. By the close of its fifth year, the programme has already created 100 mentor and mentee partnerships, connecting professionals across countries, cultures and disciplines through a shared commitment to the future of lighting design.
The virtual launch event will provide an opportunity to reflect on some of the relationships and experiences that have shaped the fifth season. Mentors and mentees will share insights from their time together, celebrating not only the professional development achieved through the programme, but also the conversations, connections and exchange of ideas that continue beyond the formal six-month journey.
The event will then turn its attention to Season 6, revealing a new international group of 20 mentors who will each support one emerging designer during the 2026–2027 programme.
- Alessandra Bertolini | Associate, Xavio Design Limited
- Alvaro Nieva Montes de Oca | Senior Lighting Designer, Nieva Iluminación
- Andrea Mantello | Principal/Director, DERA.LIGHTING
- Annie Eng | Principal/Director, Light Collab LLP
- Daniel Green | Associate, INTO Lighting/Bloqdigital
- Elham Souri | Project Manager and Educator, ibb Burrer & Deuring Ingenieurbüro GmbH
- Glenn Shrum | Principal/Associate Professor, FLux Studio/Parsons School of Design
- Gopu Avinash Reddy | Senior Lighting Designer, Studio Lumen Lighting Design & Consultancy
- Jari Vuorinen | Principal/Director, Lighting Design Collective
- Leah Xandora | Principal/Director, L’Observatoire International
- Marco Miglioli | Principal/Director, Marco Miglioli ArchiLight Studio
- Maria Güell Ordis | Senior Lighting Designer, La Invisible
- Mariana Novaes | Principal/Director, Atiaîa Lighting Design
- Midory Esquer | OCS Lighting and Controls
- Mohamed Medani | Principal/Director, Delta Lighting Design
- Noha Kotb | Founder and Lead Lighting Designer, IntoLighting
- Regina Santos | Principal/Director, Light Fusion
- Sergei Kovalenko | Senior Lighting Designer, QPRO
- Stephan Horn | Principal/Director, o-pium GmbH
- Stephanie Harris | Associate Director/Head of Lighting, CBG Light Perception
Together, the mentors bring experience from practices, studios and educational institutions across the international lighting community. Their varied career paths and perspectives will allow each mentorship to be shaped around the needs, interests and aspirations of the selected mentee.
Katia Kolovea, Co-Founder of the Silhouette Awards, said, “The Silhouette Awards has grown into a truly international community, bringing together people who may be separated by geography but are connected by a shared passion for lighting design and its future.
Our fifth season has once again shown that mentorship is not about following one set path. It is about creating space for honest conversations, fresh thinking and individual growth. We look forward to celebrating those journeys during the virtual event and sharing what comes next as we open the door to Season 6.”
Eve Gaut, Co-Founder of the Silhouette Awards, added, “Reaching the end of a season always gives us a valuable opportunity to pause and recognise what has been created through the programme. One hundred mentor and mentee partnerships is an achievement we are incredibly proud of, but the real impact can be found within the individual journeys, conversations and relationships formed along the way.
As we start to launch Season 6, we are excited to welcome another exceptional group of mentors who share our belief in supporting emerging talent. Their generosity, experience and enthusiasm will help a new group of designers gain the confidence and guidance to take the next steps in their careers.”
The Silhouette Awards is a collaboration between Archifos and Parrot PR & Marketing. Since its inception, the programme has become a celebrated platform for discovering and raising the profile of up-and-coming designers and strengthening the bonds within the global lighting community.
To find out more about the Silhouette Awards, including the sponsors, supporters or the virtual event, visithttps://silhouetteawards.com/ or contact > info@silhouetteawards.com.
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