AWARDS SEASON: 8 Residential Design Awards to Put on Your PR Calendar + Competition Tips

In addition to continuing to celebrate WRJ Design’s remarkable fifth Mountain Living Home of the Year honor, we’ve been busy preparing submissions for several other clients entering residential design awards competitions – that seem to have similar October/November deadlines. That makes fall a particularly busy season, but the best time to prepare for awards submissions is well before the entry forms become available.

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of these opportunities – and a few of the competitions/deadlines to get you started.

Keep awards on your PR calendar. Track when your favorite competitions typically open, along with early-bird and final deadlines. This gives you time to select projects, gather materials and develop thoughtful entries rather than rushing at the last minute.

Check eligibility requirements. Some competitions limit by project location, and most require projects to have been completed within a specified timeframe.

Get your materials in order. As with any design pitching, strong photography is essential. Also important: Confirm photo usage rights, obtain homeowner permission, and note entry fees (many have early-bird, regular and late-entry pricing, and different pricing for multiple submissions).

Awards worth watching

We keep an eye on a variety of awards programs, from regional competitions to national opportunities that can put exceptional residential work in front of a broader audience. Here are eight worth considering.

• LUXE Interiors + Design RED Awards (RED = Residential Excellence in Design): Currently accepting entries! Winners appear in the May/June issue. Call for entries is typically September; this year’s late-entry deadline is November 13, 2026. Visit the RED Awards.
• Colorado Homes & Lifestyles Home of the Year: Winner appears in the July/August issue. Check their GET PUBLISHED page for opening of entries and deadline (not yet announced for 2027).
• Mountain Living Home of the Year: Winner appears in the November/December issue. 2027 deadline is May 6 (note the change from July deadline in past years, and the change to digital rather than printed photos and a fee for non-advertisers for 2027). Visit the ML Home of the Year.
• Sunset Western Home & Design Awards: Currently accepting entries! Winners appear in the April/May issue. Call for entries is typically September; this year’s late-entry deadline is November 6, 2026. Visit Western Home & Design Awards.
• Colorado/New Mexico ASID Crystal Awards (ASID = American Society of Interior Designers): Winners announced at July gala awards ceremony. Don’t have to be ASID member to enter. Call for entries is typically March with mid-May deadline. Visit ASID Crystal Awards.
• NKBA Awards (NKBA = National Kitchen and Bath Association): Entry deadline October 28, 2026! Cash prize money and tickets to February awards in Las Vegas for Best Overall Kitchen and Best Overall Bath winners. Media coverage in Kitchen & Bath Business magazine and Business of Home. Call for entries typically September with October deadline. Visit NKBA Awards.
• Homes & Gardens Design Awards: Winners appear in January issue. Call for entries typically June with August deadline. Visit “sign up to be notified” when entries open.
• Utah Design Awards: Entry deadline extended to October 30! Winners appear in Summer awards issue of Utah Style & Design. 2026 is first year for these awards. Call for entries typically September with October deadline. Visit Utah Design Awards Entry Packet.

Make awards part of your PR strategy!

Awards are most valuable when they’re part of a broader PR effort that includes ongoing outreach to editors, compelling project pitches and consistent communication about your firm’s expertise.

At Word PR + Marketing, we help our clients identify the right opportunities, develop submissions and make the most of the recognition their work receives. Because exceptional design deserves exceptional editorial recognition.