LIT Lighting Design Awards

What LIT Lighting Design Awards does

LIT Lighting Design Awards is an international annual awards competition that recognizes excellence in lighting product design, architectural lighting design, and entertainment lighting design. Established in 2015 and operated by Three C Group GmbH, a Swiss-registered company headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, the program accepts entries from professional designers and students worldwide through a self-serve online submission portal. Submissions are evaluated by a jury panel of more than 100 academics, press members, and industry leaders, with winners receiving trophies, publicity packages, and inclusion in annual winner catalogs. The 2025 cycle awarded seven titles, including the Lifetime Achievement prize, the Spotlight Prize, and the two emerging designer categories, and was commemorated with a 10th-anniversary gala in Paris.

The business operates a hybrid revenue model anchored by per-entry submission fees (CHF 230 professional, CHF 100 student, with 50% off additional categories and a 10% late fee), supplemented by corporate sponsorships that grant brands visibility across the website, newsletter, catalogs, and ceremony, and by catalog sales through the official website and Amazon. Distribution is primarily digital and self-serve, with media amplification through 20+ design and architecture publications and a university partnership program spanning institutions in North America, Europe, South America, North Africa, and South Asia. A public Companies Ranking (900+ firms) and University Ranking layer a recurring prestige loop onto the annual cycle.

LIT sits within the 3C Awards portfolio alongside sibling programs BLT Built Design Awards, SIT Furniture Design Award, and LIV Hospitality Design Awards, all developed by Hossein Farmani and Astrid Hébert. The organization is privately held with no disclosed funding, a headcount of 1-10, and no public financial reporting.

Name

LIT Lighting Design Awards

Legal name

Three C Group GmbH

Website

https://litawards.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LIT Lighting Design Awards is an annual international competition recognizing lighting product, architectural, and entertainment lighting design, serving professional designers, students, universities, and corporate sponsors worldwide through entry fees, sponsorships, and catalogs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Design Awards & Recognition

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Virtual Awards Ceremonies & Competitions (Judging, Voting) (MPAGAOAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)

Keywords

• Lighting design awards
• Design competition platform
• Architectural lighting recognition
• Lighting product design
• Entertainment lighting awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Entry Submission Fees: Entry fees collected from professional and student designers submitting work for consideration. Professional entries are charged CHF 230 while student entries are charged CHF 100. Additional category submissions receive 50% discount.
2. Annual Winner Catalogue Sales: Annual winner catalogues showcasing award-winning projects are sold both on the official website and through Amazon. Catalogs feature exclusive interviews and winning projects.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Partnership with the LIT Lighting Design Awards enables brands to gain visibility through the website, e-newsletter, yearly winners' book, and social media. Includes networking opportunities at winner events and branding at ceremonies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

LIT Lighting Design Awards runs an annual international competition that recognizes exceptional achievements in lighting product design, architectural lighting design, and entertainment lighting design. Submissions are accepted online via a dedicated portal, evaluated by a jury of 100+ lighting and design experts, and winners receive trophies, publicity, and inclusion in the annual Winners Catalogue. The program also sells annual catalogues, offers corporate sponsorship packages, and partners with universities to drive emerging-talent participation.

Product overview

LIT Lighting Design Awards is an international awards competition platform that recognizes exceptional achievements in lighting product design, architectural lighting design, and entertainment lighting design. The core offering consists of an annual awards competition with seven winning titles per year, including professional categories (Lighting Product Design, Architectural Lighting Design, Entertainment Lighting Design, Lifetime Achievement, Spotlight) and student categories (Emerging Lighting Product Designer, Emerging Lighting Designer). The platform provides an online submission system where designers upload work (images and optional PDFs), a jury-based evaluation process, annual winners catalogs (currently in its 9th edition), and celebratory awards ceremonies. Additional services include corporate sponsorship opportunities, university partnership programs, and a public ranking system for companies and universities based on award wins. The company is operated by Three C Group GmbH under the 3C Awards umbrella, alongside sibling programs BLT Built Design Awards, SIT Furniture Design Award, and LIV Hospitality Design Awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LIT Lighting Design Awards Competition Annual international awards program recognizing exceptional work in lighting product design, architectural lighting design, and entertainment lighting design, judged by a panel of 100+ experts. Professional entries CHF 230; student entries CHF 100; winners receive trophies, publicity, and inclusion in the annual catalogue.
• Winners Catalogue Annual published catalogues (1st through 9th editions) showcasing award-winning lighting designs and products, featuring exclusive interviews with winning designers. Sold directly on the official LIT Awards website and through Amazon for international distribution.
• Corporate Sponsorship Program Partnership opportunity for brands to gain visibility through the LIT Awards website, e-newsletter, yearly winners' book, social media, networking at winner events, and branding at annual ceremonies.
• University / Design School Partnership Program Partnership program connecting universities and design schools with LIT Awards to promote student work, provide promotional codes for reduced entry fees, and offer scholarship opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Global recognition for winning designs through international publicity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DesignWantedcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing coverage of LIT Awards winners and activities through design-focused editorial content.
• D5 MagcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial media partner covering lighting design news and LIT Awards announcements.
• ArtLight MagazinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLighting industry magazine providing editorial coverage and visibility for LIT Awards.
• v2com newswireminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational newswire specializing in architecture and design press distribution.
• Parsons School of DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner providing student submissions and institutional promotion of the awards.
• Georgia Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner with multiple student entries in rankings; one of the most active institutional participants.
• Strate School of DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench design school partner providing student submissions and institutional recognition.
• ArtCenter College of DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign school home to Emerging Lighting Product Designer of the Year 2025 (Yuxin Luo/CinderGlow).
• University of HoustonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner offering design programs and student submissions.
• Western Washington UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner providing design student submissions.
• Universidad de los AndesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerColombian university partner in architecture and design.
• RUBIKAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign and digital agency partner.
• Collège LaSalle MarocminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoroccan design school partner.
• SADA at National University of Sciences and TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPakistani university partner in architecture and design.
• Farmani GroupcoreOthersSister company responsible for organizing other prestigious awards including IDA, Architecture Masterprize, Paris Design Awards, London International Creative Awards, Prix de la Photographie in Paris, and Annual Lucie Awards.
• 3C AwardscoreOthersParent organization (Three C Group GmbH) curating and promoting design across lighting, furniture, interior design, and architecture through multiple award programs.
• StirworldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArchitecture and design media publication covering LIT Awards content.
• Amazing ArchitectureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline architecture magazine featuring award-winning projects.
• Designing LightingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLighting industry publication covering design excellence.
• LightectureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLighting design publication and media partner.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Red Dot Design Award: Premium international product and design competition with paid submissions, expert juries, multi-tier awards, and large annual ceremonies. Operates a similar business model to LIT but at significantly larger scale across multiple design disciplines.
• A' Design Award: International annual design competition covering product, architecture, lighting and many other categories with paid entries and tiered winners. Directly comparable to LIT as a paid-entry global design awards platform serving professional and emerging designers.
• Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Awards: Established US-based professional society running lighting industry awards (Illumination Awards). Directly competes for the same lighting designer recognition economy with the added advantage of long-standing institutional heritage.
• iF Design Award: One of the world's longest-running and most prestigious international design competitions with paid entries, expert juries, and annual ceremony. Highly comparable to LIT's global competition model with much greater scale and brand recognition.
• Dezeen Awards: Design media-led global awards program with paid entries, expert juries, and high editorial reach through Dezeen's audience. Comparable to LIT's media-amplified competition model, though broader in category scope.
• D&AD Awards: Globally recognized creative and design awards judged by industry experts, with entry fees, multi-tier recognition, and an annual ceremony. Closely comparable to LIT in terms of prestige-driven, jury-evaluated competition format.
• International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) Awards: Industry-body-led lighting design awards program directly targeting the same architectural lighting designer audience as LIT. Operates as the most lighting-specific competitor, with deep member-driven credibility and complementary brand position.
• Architizer A+ Awards: Architecture and building-product focused global awards with paid entries, expert juries, and large annual ceremonies. Comparable as a paid-entry, jury-judged competition with overlapping architectural lighting design categories.
• DNA Paris Design Awards: International design competition operated within the Farmani/3C Group ecosystem (same parent/sister organization as LIT), sharing infrastructure and media partners. Highly comparable model and overlapping designer audience with LIT.

Broad incumbents

• Farmani Group (IDA, Paris Design Awards, Architecture Masterprize): Sister organization to LIT's parent (Three C Group GmbH) and the historical awards-platform operator behind IDA, Paris Design Awards, Architecture Masterprize, and others since 1985. Comparable as a broader design awards incumbent within the same corporate family.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=Ig0EKWS4Xak&list=PLYldeRR0HxjaNFlMo67SWq7sPtp5evQ5e&index=5
• Facebookfacebook.com/litdesignawards
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/18247067
• Instagraminstagram.com/litdesignawards
• Xx.com/LITDesignAwards

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LIT Lighting Design Awards