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Cooper Hewitt Announces 2026 National Design Award Winners

By Alexandria Sillo
Outdoor patio with wooden tables, chairs, and potted plants under shade sails, surrounded by trees and greenery.
Mattaforma, The Nursery at Public Records is a community space that celebrates the spontaneous. Photo: Ill Gander

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum has announced this year’s recipients of its National Design Awards, which celebrate excellence and leadership in individual designers and organizations across ten categories. The honorees are selected by a six-person jury chaired by Aric Chen, Director of the Zaha Hadid Foundation.

“At Cooper Hewitt, we celebrate design not only for its impact and innovation, but also for its role as a civic force—one that reflects shared values rooted in the common good, fuels creativity and shapes everyday life,” says Maria Nicanor, Director of Cooper Hewitt.”

Art gallery interior with colorful textiles, abstract patterns, and installations displayed against white walls and purple accents.
Robert Earl Paige, Installation view of United Colors of Robert Earl Paige, on view at Hyde Park Art Center. Photo: Tom van Eynde
Six brooms hanging in a row with wavy wooden handles on a wooden rod against a white background.
Berea College Student Craft, Squibble Broom. Photo: Sean Hall; Evy Medley

This year’s recipients are Robert Earl Paige for Design Visionary, Estudio Teddy Cruz + Fonna Forma for Climate Action, Mattaforma for Emerging Designer, Frida Escobedo Studio for Architecture, Thought Matter for Communication Design, Laura Kurgan for Digital Design, Josh Tafoya for Fashion Design, Charlap Hyman & Herrero for Interior Design, Ten Eyck Landscape Architects for Landscape Architecture, and Berea College Student Craft for Product Design.

Modern elevated house in tropical forest surrounded by lush greenery and palm trees.
Frida Escobedo Studio, Boca de Agua.

“The National Design Awards demonstrate the potential and possibilities of American design, shining a spotlight on the designers and communities whose talent and creativity speak of the pluralistic richness of America at its best,” says Chen, of the initiative that was launched in 2000.

The winners will be honored at the Smithsonian National Design Awards Gala on May 19 in New York City.

Aerial view of large crowd gathering at an outdoor event with tents and a building in the background.
Estudio Teddy Cruz + Fonna Forman, UCSD-Alacrán Community Station. Photo: Paúl Moscoso Riofrío
Group of smiling children in colorful clothing standing under a banner that reads "She Builds Power" with decorative flags.
Thought Matter, She Builds Power, Earth Island Institute. Photo: Courtesy of Thought Matter
Exhibition room with large circular diagram, timeline on wall, and wooden tables displaying various scientific materials.
Laura Kurgan, Two Sides of the Same Coin uses data visualization to draw a parallel between the changing ecology of the Earth and the shrinking diversity of microbial life within human bodies (Triennale Milano, Milan, May–November 2025). Photo: © Alessandro Salettae Piercarlo Quecchia – DSL Studio, Courtesy of Triennale Milano
Dining area with a marble table, vintage chairs, and framed art on a partition wall. Elegant decor with pendant lighting.
Charlap Hyman & Herrero, SoHo Loft.
Person wearing an elaborate orange outfit made of fringed fabric standing against a dark textured backdrop.
Josh Tafoya, Ranchero La Bruja.
Beautiful landscape with green grass, winding paths, wooden structure, and a modern building under a partly cloudy sky.
Ten Eyck Landscape Architects, Holdsworth Center. Photo: Kristian Alveo