Eligibility
GRAY Awards are open to each of the following:
Projects must be less than two years old (completed after June 2022) to qualify. Due to the timeline necessary for landscape projects to mature, landscape design projects may be up to four years old (completed after June 2020).
Unless otherwise noted, projects must be fully realized (completed/built/fabricated)-- conceptual projects are not allowed.
Students must be enrolled in a design program in 2024 or a 2024 graduate of a design program.
A single project can be entered into any or all categories they are eligible for including judges categories and breakout categories.
You may submit projects that have been entered in past GRAY Awards providing they still meet eligibility requirements.
Judging criteria
We are looking for the following:
Aesthetic quality
Exceptional style
Overall creativity
Function
Innovation
Minimum requirements
Must be eligible (see Eligibility above).
Entries must be submitted and received via the online entry system.
Full payment must be received by the entry deadline or the submission will not be eligible for judging. Payment is only accepted online through the submission portal.
Images: You may submit up to 15 images and/or drawings/renderings per entry. You may also include a video or a link to a YouTube video as one of the 15 images. Entries with images that do not meet the following specs will be disqualified.
.jpg format, min. 300 dpi
Horizontal images: at least 17” wide x 11" tall
Vertical images: at least 8.5" wide x 11" tall
Do not include firm name, logo, watermark, or any other overlay on images
Single images only. Images submitted as collages will not be considered
Name image files: “Project Name_Photographer Name_Image Number.” If it is a rendering and does not require attribution, name it “Project Name_Rendering_Image Number.”
You may include video in .mov or .mp4 as part of your image bank
See FAQs for more about photography
Project Description: Please fill out the entry form with details about the “who, what, where, and why” of your project. NOTE: Do not reveal the designer/firm name in the project description as it is a blind review (you will have a separate area to provide this info). Share information about the process, materials, design challenges, innovative solutions, and the project's significance in the broader context of design. Try to help our judges understand what sets this project apart from others and why it deserves an award and editorial coverage.
Firm/designer description and collaborators: Please provide as much detail as possible, including any other firms or sources that should be credited, as this is the only source of information that GRAY will refer to for editorial coverage.
Fees
Prices shown in US dollars.
STANDARD ENTRY June 7 – Sept. 30, 2024: $370 first entry, $270 ea add’l
LATE ENTRY extended to Nov. 15, 2024: $500 first entry, $450 ea add’l
STUDENTS June 7 – Nov. 15, 2024: $104 per entry
LEGACY Nominations accepted through Sept. 30, 2024: Free
DESIGN FOR GOOD Nominations accepted through Sept. 30, 2024: Free
NOTE: If you are submitting multiple entries (either in one category or in multiple categories), you must enter the project's information and pay entry fees each time you complete a submission. Please contact info@graymag.com if you would like to submit more than five standard entries in one category.
Terms + Conditions
No refund policy. Due to the complexity and hard costs to GRAY, we do not refund entries for any reason under any circumstances. Please review eligibility, requirements, and terms + conditions carefully before paying for your entry.
Only complete entries will be considered. Incomplete or ineligible entries will be disqualified without notice or return of payment.
By entering, the submitter authorizes GRAY Media, LLC to publish the project online, in print, across our social media platforms, and with any media and/or industry partners affiliated with the GRAY Awards, with photographer attribution. The entry may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for editorial and promotional purposes. Photography fees and publication rights are transferred via the submitter only, and GRAY will not be held responsible for obtaining photography usage rights by any means. For residential or private projects, owners must be willing to authorize GRAY to publish their home (unless directed otherwise, GRAY will keep clients/residents anonymous).
GRAY Awards judges reserve the right to not award a winner in a category and/or to reassign an entry to a different category as they deem necessary without notice or return of payment.
What you win
Our most prestigious honor: The Judges' Categories (trophy categories)
Up to 5 finalists will be named per judges category, with just one winner named in each of the 10 categories. Judges review and score on a scale of 0-10, winners are determined by tallied scores. Finalists are announced on a rolling basis between November and March 2024; Winners are announced in March 2025.
Winners receive
Video clip: One of the esteemed GRAY Awards judges names you as a winner on video and calls out a particular design merit that made your project award-winning. You will receive a link to the video to share with unlimited use.
The hardware: You will receive a GRAY Awards trophy, custom-designed by renowned glass artist John Hogan.
Editorial: Your winning project will be featured in the online edition of GRAY magazine.
Editorial: Opportunity to be an invited guest on In the Design Lounge podcast
Press release: You will be named in a press release listing the GRAY Awards winners.
Social media: Instagram Reel of project on GRAY's channel
Digital badge: "Winner"
Finalists receive:
Online roster: Finalists will be listed on the GRAY's website.
Social media: A list of finalists will be posted on social media.
Potential editorial: select finalists may be featured online.
Digital badge: "Finalist"
People's Choice opportunity: Once all finalists are named, GRAY gathers online votes for People's Choice. The winners receive a digital badge and are named in the press release listing GRAY Awards winners.
Breakout categories
Winners receive:
Editorial: Your winning project will be featured in the online edition of GRAY magazine.
Editorial: Opportunity to be an invited guest on In the Design Lounge podcast
Press release: You will be named in a press release listing the GRAY Awards winners.
Social media: Exposure across GRAY’s digital channels.
Digital badge: "Winner"
Finalists receive:
Online roster: Finalists will be listed on the GRAY's website.
Social media: A list of finalists will be posted on social media.
Potential editorial: select finalists may be featured online.
Digital badge: "Finalist"
People's Choice opportunity: Once all finalists are named, GRAY gathers online votes for People's Choice. The winners receive a digital badge and are named in the press release listing GRAY Awards winners.
FAQs
If I entered last year do I need to create a new login?
Nope! The good news is that your login info is saved via Submittable (entry portal). If you don’t remember your login info, retrieve it via the recovery process inside of Submittable.
How do I know what the entry form will ask?
By clicking the ENTER button on this site’s ENTER page, you will be taken to the submission portal, powered by Submittable. Once there, click on a category. After creating a free account, you will be taken to the entry form where you'll be able to see the questions. The entry fee won’t be collected until you’ve completed the entry form.
If I entered last year and didn’t win, can I enter the same project again?
Yes! As long as it is still less than two years old (four if a landscape entry).
If I enter a project for the awards, can I also send it to GRAY for regular editorial consideration?
Yes, but it isn't necessary. If you pitch a project to GRAY editors and enter it in GRAY Awards, be sure to let the editors know -- they will hold off until they know the results of GRAY Awards. That said, editors carefully review all entries post-Awards winner announcement for editorial consideration and will reach out to you if they find there is a good fit for an upcoming editorial opportunity.
Is a product collection counted as one entry?
If the collection is a group of products that are variations of the same design (i.e. chair design in multiple finishes, or the same design is also available as an extended bench) it can count as one entry. If a wallpaper design, for example, comes in multiple colors, you may include images of all the different color ways, and that is still counted as one entry. Collections that have multiple types of products, such as a rug and a chair and a table, or are the same product but not of the same design (such as all rugs with different patterns) do not count as one entry.
Where will I receive communication about the GRAY Awards?
You will receive key updates from info@graymag.com
and general updates via our enewsletter. Sign up here: https://www.graymag.com/enewsletter-subscription
What if I realize after entering that I’ve made a mistake on the entry form?
We have activated “Request to Edit” in Submittable, so please send us a request and we will grant it up to one week in advance of the final entry deadline.
How do I name photographs or renderings in my entry if there’s not a photographer to name or attribution needed?
If your entry images do not have or require attribution, name this image file :
“Project Name_No Photographer_Image Number”
This ensures that attribution wasn’t left out inadvertently.
How do I know if my image will work?
See requirements above. We prefer that you include a mix of vertical and horizontal images. They need to be RGB, .jpeg image files. Images may not contain watermarks, logos, or text overlays. A good rule of thumb is when in doubt about image size, bigger is better.
Video files are accepted, just be sure to also include a good selection of still images.
Got any more image tips?
You may wish to include floor plans or schematics for clarity during the judging process, note that these are less likely to be published if the project wins. We recommend utilizing your 15 uploads for professional photography of the project. Imagine that your project has won—GRAY selects only from what was included in your entry to be published, so make sure the photography is high-quality and editorial-ready.
My project or product was designed more than two years ago, but we’ve made an addition, or my old design now comes in a new color. Does this count as being under two years old?
We require that projects/products be less than two years old (from June 2022; or 2020 if a landscape entry). If a project has phases over many years (for example, it was started more than two years ago and is only now completed), it meets our requirements. For new additions to old projects, only the new part will be considered for the award. If you have an old design that now comes in a new color or finish, that does not meet the requirement. Ask yourself: does this truly update the existing project/product in a way that it can be considered a new design?
My product uses eco-friendly materials. Can I skip the entry fee for Product Design and enter into Design For Good?
We consider eco-friendly design a basic consideration for any new design, and therefore merely being eco-friendly will not get you a Design For Good award. If you have created an entirely new eco-friendly material that’s never been seen or utilized before but has the potential for becoming widely used in the design/building industry, that would qualify. The most successful submission will likely have many layers to the concept of “design for good,” such as a charitable cause or providing help to an underserved community.
What do I do if I think one of the finalists misrepresented their entry?
It is up to the submitter, and the submitter alone, to verify that all the information detailed in their entry is correct and truthful. It is up to the submitter, and the submitter alone, to include co-designers, collaborators, team members, etc. The entry process asks for this information, and GRAY is not responsible for doing further research into entries, and will only work with the information that is provided by the submitter. If you have definitive proof of misrepresentation, reach out to us at info@graymag.com and we will determine the course of action.