The DALI Alliance announces the winners of the DALI Lighting Awards 2026, revealed on March 9, 2026 during Light + Building in Frankfurt. The awards recognise projects around the world that demonstrate innovative use of DALI-based lighting control systems across a wide range of applications.
The international competition sees record participation this year, with the number of submitted projects almost tripling compared with 2025. Entries arrive from Europe, Asia, America, Oceania and Africa, highlighting the growing adoption of the open DALI lighting protocol across global building projects.
The awards celebrate the advantages of the open, standardised DALI protocol in real-world installations, including interoperability, energy efficiency, installation flexibility and advanced digital lighting control.
Jeremy Ludyjan, Global Marketing Manager, DALI Alliance, says, “This development shows how rapidly DALI is spreading worldwide and how important open, interoperable lighting control systems have become for modern buildings and infrastructures.”
At Light + Building 2026 in Frankfurt, 16 award winners were honored for special lighting projects using DALI-based digital lighting control: Paul Drosihn, General Manager (left), and Jeremy Ludyjan, Global Marketing Manager, both from the DALI Alliance.
Application Awards highlight real-world projects
The Application Awards recognise completed installations that demonstrate the practical value of DALI lighting control in a variety of environments.
In the residential category, Zhuhai Ltech Technology wins with the Estoril Court luxury residence in Hong Kong. In the commercial interior design category, Litelab is recognised for the Hindustan Unilever workplace project in Mumbai, which combines DALI lighting control, daylight utilisation and building management to create an energy-efficient working environment.
A special prize goes to Delta Greentech for the lighting design at Dishuiyun Hall in China, praised for its flexible lighting scenarios and integration of architecture and digital control.
BEGA receives recognition for exterior lighting at Akershus Fortress in Oslo, while B.E.G. wins for the Bosch Research and Development Facility, demonstrating the scalability of DALI systems in large industrial environments.
Signify wins the Smart Cities & Infrastructure category with its lighting design for Ezhou Huahu Airport in China. Helvar receives a Special Award for the Lublin Metropolitan Railway Station project, which combines adaptive lighting control, energy efficiency and user comfort.
One manufacturer secures two awards this year. Tridonic wins for digital emergency lighting at the American University in Cairo and for the AlUla Film Residence project, which uses intelligent lighting control strategies to improve energy efficiency.
Tridonic took home two awards for its innovative implementation of projects with DALI-based lighting systems. From left: Philipp Heindl, Vice President Business Development at Tridonic, Paul Drosihn, General Manager DALI Alliance, und Luis Javier Carracedo Cordovilla, Head of Department Business Innovation at Tridonic.
Innovation Awards recognise technical progress
The Innovation Awards focus on new technologies and applications that advance DALI lighting control.
Crown House Technologies wins for the best use of the D4i standard with the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities in Oxford, where D4i data is used to optimise building management systems. The jury also recognises Zencontrol for its implementation of DALI+ at 500 Bourke Street in Melbourne.
In the Human Centric Lighting category, Elekon receives the award for the Acibadem Kartal Hospital in Istanbul, where dynamic lighting systems support both patient wellbeing and staff performance.
Flashnet is recognised for the Washington D.C. Connected Street Lighting project, which integrates DALI technology into a wider smart city platform.
Inventronics receives a special award for energy-efficient lighting at the Baotou Aluminium plant in northern China, while Bluebottle PTY LTD wins for the Gate 8 project in Jolimont, Australia.
The jury also highlights the lighting control system at Battersea Power Station, home to Apple’s UK headquarters, as an outstanding integration of architecture, design and technology. The project earns recognition for Foster + Partners and Delmatic.
Paul Drosihn, General Manager, DALI Alliance, says, “We congratulate all the winners and the highly commended projects. The quality and diversity of the submissions are exceptional this year and reflect the continued growth of DALI as the foundation for intelligent, interoperable lighting systems worldwide.”
The judging panel includes international experts from across the lighting and control sectors, including designers, engineers, researchers and industry leaders.
Looking ahead to the DALI Lighting Awards 2027
The DALI Alliance confirms that the submission phase for the DALI Lighting Awards 2027 will open shortly. The organisation says companies, designers and developers worldwide are encouraged to submit projects that showcase the innovation and diversity of the expanding DALI ecosystem.