The Bates Smart Award for Architecture in the Media is Australia’s most prestigious media award for journalists, editors, producers and event organisers working in the field of architecture and design. In 2026, the Award will continue to encourage and recognise media discussion of architecture.

The Award is open to entries from electronic, print, specialist, popular and online media, as well as specialist architectural and design-focused public events. This year we will be accepting entries from 2025. Submissions should have been broadcast, published, circulated, or have occurred in Victoria within the 12 months prior to 31 December 2025.

Established in 1986, the Award has become an integral part of the Australian Institute of Architects annual Awards Night in Victoria with Bates Smart sponsoring the Award since its inception. The Bates Smart Award for Architecture in the Media is designed to increase public engagement and media exposure of the profession, as well as encourage high-quality debate about architecture in Australia.

The Award recognises the role and contribution of people who:

1. bring architecture to the attention of the general public
2. create awareness of architectural practice
3. generate quality public debate about architectural issues
4. provide information for relevant professionals and specialists in the areas of architecture, interior design and environmental design

ENTRIES CLOSE: Friday, 6 March 2026

ENTRY SUBMISSION

Along with the submission of this form, entrants may submit the following material prior to close of entries:

1. Four hard copies of the entered work, labelled with your entry name and author name, and delivered to Bates Smart, 1 Nicholson St, East Melbourne VIC 3002.
2. Hard copies will not be accepted after close of entries date. It is the entrant’s responsibility to ensure any delivery, postage or courier arrives before close of entries. No extensions.
3. This year, the submission fee for entry is free.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible, submissions need to have been:

1. written or produced by a resident of Victoria, or
2. circulated, or occurred in Victoria, or
3. about an architectural topic relevant to Victoria

PRIZE CRITERIA

1. The submission should provoke active discussion, incite informed responses and challenge public perception about the work of architects, interior designers, urban and environmental designers, both in the built and unbuilt environment.
2. The submission should reflect an intelligent, balanced yet critical, well-reasoned and evocative view of the subject under discussion.
3. This may include the author/organiser’s passionate expression or opinion, but this should be clearly differentiated.
4. The submission should demonstrate the author/organiser’s awareness of architecture’s social and educational context.
5. Where visual images are part of the submission, they should be highly competent and support the communication of the messages intended. Coherence of visual, written or spoken commentary is essential.
6. The submission must reflect standards of excellence expected of the participating media. It should be well designed and well written in plain English to easily communicate with economy, imagination and coherence.

PRIZE DISTRIBUTION

The Award is now structured into three parts – State, National and Advocacy. There does not have to be a winner in each category.

The State Award needs to have been:

1. written or produced by a resident of Victoria, and
2. about an architectural topic relevant to Victoria

The National Award must:

1. written or produced by a resident of Victoria, and
2. have appeared in a national publication or production

The Advocacy Award:

1. does not need to be given out if no projects meet the criteria
2. is judged more on the advocacy and results rather than the piece of media

TERMS: The Jury may decide, entirely at its discretion, to offer one or more awards that recognise excellence. They may also choose not to award in any year.

For further information, please contact the Awards team on awards@architecture.com.au.