Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Lumen Prize celebrates the very best art created with technology through a global competition. Since its launch in 2012, it has awarded more than $150,000 in prize money and created opportunities worldwide for the artists selected as finalists or winners. As a non-profit organization, we fundraise year round to cover prize awards and operating expenses.

  • The 2026 prize pool totals $30,000, distributed as follows:

    Three category prizes: $5,000 each ($15,000 total)

    Gold Award: $15,000 - awarded to the highest-scoring artwork across all categories based on combined ISC and Jury scores.

  • Entries open on January 26th, 2026. The entry fee is $45 per artwork.

    Early Bird discount
    Submit between January 26 – February 17 for a reduced fee of $35 per artwork.

  • The Lumen Prize welcomes submissions from creators across disciplines:

    • Individual Artists

    • Artist Collectives

    • Creative Studios/Practitioners

    • Artist-Designers

    • Academic Researchers/Creative Teams

  • The Lumen Prize recognizes that groundbreaking creative work often emerges from commercial environments. We welcome innovative work developed within commercial contexts, provided it meets these criteria:

    Must Be:

    • Created by identified individual artists/designers/collectives

    • Conceptually driven rather than marketing-focused

    • Experimental or groundbreaking in approach

    • Independent of direct commercial objectives

    Eligible Examples:

    • Creative technology experiments

    • Research & development projects

    • Brand-commissioned artworks (with named creators)

    • Innovative design prototypes

    • Experimental fashion collections

    • Architectural concepts/speculative designs

    Not Eligible:

    • Standard advertising campaigns

    • Corporate marketing materials

    • Regular product designs

    • Company-attributed work without named creators

    • Standard commercial services


  • Yes, you may submit works in progress or conceptual works, provided you accurately represent the current state of development in your submission.

  • There are three categories you may enter, each with a $5,000 prize fund.

    • Legacy Futures ($5,000)
      For works engaging time as a material - past, present, and future - to examine technology, memory, culture, and possibility.

    • Systems & Structures ($5,000)
      For works that examine, build, or critique systems - technological, ecological, cultural, or social.

    • Experiential Innovation ($5,000)
      For works that prioritise how art is encountered - through presence, participation, sensation, or activation.

  • Yes, each entry must be submitted to one of the three categories.

  • Yes, if the work meets each category's parameters.

  • Yes, you can submit multiple works to the same category, so long as each work meets the parameters of the category.

  • No, there is no time restriction on when the work was created.

    • Artistic concept description (250 words max)

    • Technical details including equipment/software used

    • Dimensions/specifications if applicable

    • Supporting documentation

    • Primary image or video that best represents your work

    • Up to three additional supporting images

    • Videos must be hosted on YouTube or Vimeo

    • Additional documentation as needed for interactive/experiential works

    1. International Selectors Committee (ISC) reviews all entries and makes their finalist selections

    2. Jury Panel selects category winners and Gold Award winner from finalists

    3. Winners announced between October/November 2026.

  • The Lumen Prize evaluates submissions across three key dimensions:

    Category Alignment:
    Our judges carefully assess how well a work embodies its chosen category.

    Technical & Artistic Merit:

    • Innovative use of digital technologies and media

    • Technical proficiency and execution

    • Overall artistic quality and creative vision

    Conceptual Strength:

    • Clarity and depth of artistic concept

    • Originality of creative approach

    • Broader impact and emotional resonance of the work

    • Finalists announced in the fall.

    • Winners announced towards the end of the year.