WLA Awards 2026
Competition Brief
The WLA Awards 2026 is the annual international landscape architecture awards programme organised by World Landscape Architecture, an Australian-based online publication and professional platform founded and edited by Damian Holmes. Now running for several years with consistent international participation, the 2025 edition drew over 300 entries from 30 countries. The awards recognise outstanding built and conceptual work in landscape architecture globally, covering a wide range of project types from large-scale masterplanning and urban design to residential gardens, research projects, and student work.
Participation is open to landscape architecture practices, university studios, and students worldwide. Entries are accepted across professional, university studio, and student tiers with separate fee structures for each.
Intent
The awards aim to honour innovation, sustainability, and transformative spatial design within landscape architecture practice. The programme spans built work across multiple typologies alongside conceptual projects, research, and academic studio work. An Editor’s Award selected by Damian Holmes recognises exceptional work not selected by the jury that he considers deserving of recognition. A partnership with The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) produces a separate set of Cultural Landscape Awards recognising the planning, design, and stewardship of landscapes that integrate historic, cultural, and ecological dimensions.
Purpose
Winning and shortlisted projects are published on the World Landscape Architecture website and in the annual WLA eBook, giving selected works significant online visibility within the professional landscape architecture community. The awards function primarily as a platform for professional recognition and publication rather than a competition with cash prizes. Jurors and editors may reassign entries to a more appropriate category if deemed necessary.
Categories
The professional categories cover: Built Commercial Landscape Design; Built Hospitality and Tourism; Built Institutional and Campus; Built Large Public Space; Built Masterplanning and Urban Design; Built Private Garden and Residence; Built Sustainability and Resilience; Built Streetscape and Infrastructure; Concept Masterplan and Urban Design; Concept Design; Research; University Studio; and Student. The WLA Editor’s Award and TCLF Cultural Landscape Awards are additional recognition tracks outside the main jury process.
Jury
The jury composition for 2026 has not yet been published. The 2025 jury included six members drawn from leading international practices and institutions: Anya Domlesky (Director of Research, SWA Group), Philip Dugdale (Associate Principal, Sasaki), Jon Hazelwood (Principal and Public Realm Sector Lead, Hassell), Yan Peng (General Manager, Wide Horizon Landscape Center), Steven Petit (Creative Director, OMGEVING), and Ming Zhang (Chief Architect Landscape Architecture, Tongji Architectural Design Group), with Charles A. Birnbaum (President and CEO, The Cultural Landscape Foundation) serving as Special Juror. The 2026 jury is expected to follow a similar international composition of senior practitioners.
Registration Fees
| Entry Type | Fee (AUD) | Approximate USD |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Entry | $300 AUD | ~$190 USD |
| University Studio Entry | $150 AUD | ~$95 USD |
| Student Entry | $25 AUD | ~$16 USD |
All fees are in Australian dollars. Approximate USD values are indicative only and subject to exchange rate fluctuation. No cash prizes are awarded; the award is a recognition and publication programme.
Prizes and Rewards
| Award Level | Recognition |
|---|---|
| Award of Excellence | Highest jury recognition per category + publication on WLA website and annual eBook |
| Outstanding Award | High commendation + publication on WLA website and annual eBook |
| Honourable Mention | Recognition + publication on WLA website and annual eBook |
| WLA Editor’s Award | Selected by editor from shortlisted entries not receiving a jury award |
| TCLF Cultural Landscape Awards | Separate recognition in partnership with The Cultural Landscape Foundation |
There are no cash prizes at any award level. The primary benefit is international professional publication and visibility within the landscape architecture community.
Key Dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Submission deadline | 24 April 2026 |
| Shortlist announced | 7 July 2026 |
| Winners announced | 21 July 2026 |
✦ ArchUp Competition Review
The WLA Awards is one of the most credible and internationally diverse recognition programmes specifically dedicated to landscape architecture. Its track record, consistent jury quality drawn from senior practitioners at firms including SWA, Sasaki, Hassell, and OMGEVING, and genuinely global participation base of 30 countries distinguish it from more generalist design awards. The category structure is well-considered, covering the full range of landscape practice from built public space to research and student work. The student entry fee of $25 AUD is exceptionally low and removes any financial barrier for emerging practitioners. The professional fee of $300 AUD is reasonable for the visibility offered, though it should be noted that all prizes are recognition-based with no cash component, which makes the cost-benefit analysis entirely dependent on the value a practice places on publication and professional peer visibility. The Editor’s Award and TCLF partnership add meaningful depth beyond the standard jury process. The 2026 jury has not yet been published, which limits advance assessment of panel composition.
Final Thoughts
The WLA Awards 2026 is the most focused and professionally credible international awards programme available specifically to landscape architecture practitioners, university studios, and students.
Registration Deadline
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