About
The World Landscape Architecture (WLA) Awards are a prestigious global awards program celebrating excellence, innovation and sustainability in landscape architecture. Organised annually, the awards showcase outstanding projects demonstrating exceptional creativity, sustainability, and environmental impact. The WLA awards highlight the diverse range of landscapes, from urban parks and public spaces to residential gardens and ecological restoration projects, fostering a sense of community and connection with nature.
Timeline
- 2017 – First WLA Awards with Professional and Student Awards
- 2021 – Separate Professional and Student Awards at different times of the year
- 2022 – Categories expanded to include several built and conceptual categories
- 2025 – Professional Categories expanded to fifteen categories to provide more opportunities for designers to enter
- 2026 – Professional and Student Awards back together
Category Lists
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS
Built
- Built – Commercial Residential Landscapes
- Built – Private Residential Landscape
- Built – Institutional/Campus
- Built – Hospitality & Tourism
- Built – Commercial
- Built – Small Public Space
- Built – Large Public Space
- Built – Masterplanning & Urban Design
- Built – Sustainability and Resilience
Conceptual
- Concept – Analysis & Planning
- Concept – Residential
- Concept – Private Space
- Concept – Public Space
- Concept – Masterplanning & Urban Design
- Cultural Landscape – Design Excellence & Innovation
- Cultural Landscape – Planning & Research
- Conceptual Design
- Graduate Design
- University Studio
Jurors
Eligibility
Professional Awards
Landscape architects, urban design and architecture Firms, and Individual landscape architects can enter the Professional Awards.
Organisations and companies (non-profit, non-government, government, charities) may enter landscape architecture projects on behalf of the designer. Organisations and companies (non-profit, non-government, government, charities) may enter landscape architecture projects on behalf of the designer.
Student Awards
Concept Design Award – Students should be currently enrolled in a landscape architecture or landscape design program at a university or college.
Graduate – Students who have graduated in the past 2 years (2024-2025) or who are graduating in the class of 2026.
All Awards
Projects must be a concept or built project completed during 2021-2026. A concept project should not include any built images.
Any previous entries (projects) that won an Award in the WLA Awards (2017-2025) are not eligible to enter the 2026 Professional Awards.
Any previously finalist (shortlisted) entries (2021-2025) are eligible in this year’s WLA Awards if they meet the eligibility criteria.
Any winners in any other awards or competitions (such as ASLA, IFLA, CSLA, AILA, Landscape Institute, HKILA, SILA, Dezeen, Architizer, etc) are eligible to be entered in the WLA Awards if they meet the other eligibility criteria.
Awards Recognition
Professional Awards
Built and Conceptual categories
- Award of Excellence (1 per category) – WLA Award Trophy, Featured Project on WLA during 2026.
- Outstanding Award (up to 2 per category) – WLA Award Certificate, Feature Project on WLA during 2026.
- Honourable Mention (up to 2 per category) – WLA Award Certificate, Feature Project on WLA during 2026.
- WLA Award Trophy, Feature Project on WLA during 2026.
- Award of Excellence (1 per category) – WLA Award Trophy, Featured Project on WLA during 2026.
- Outstanding Award (up to 2 per category) – WLA Award Certificate, Feature Project on WLA during 2026.
- Honourable Mention (up to 2 per category) – WLA Award Certificate, Feature Project on WLA during 2026.
Publication
All entrants are eligible to be published on the WLA website during 2026-27. The Editor has discretion on the publication of submissions.
Registration Fees
Professional Entry Registration Fees
Non WLA Member – $300AUD (approx. 215USD, €182, £158 1500CNY) per entry
Partner Member – $270AUD (approx. 193USD, €163, £143 1350CNY) per entry
Sponsor Member – $240AUD (approx. 172USD, €145, £127 1200CNY) per entry
Student Awards Registration Fees
Student Awards (Design & Concept) – $25AUD (approx. 17USD, €15, 120CNY) per entry
University Studio Award – $150AUD (approx. 107USD, €90, 735CNY) per entry
Deadlines
Registrations and Submissions closed for 2026 WLA Awards at 11:59 pm Honolulu time on May 8, 2026.
Submission
Requirements
The Awards submission (Entry Submission PDF file) should include the following:
- A maximum of five (5) pages (A3 format – landscape orientation) using the WLA Awards template will only be accepted (which is supplied as a download link via email after purchasing an entry registration)
- The Project Description Page is the first page, which is one (1) page of text with a word limit of 500 words maximum. University Studio Award submissions have a word limit of 1000 words. No Images on Project Description Page
- The Images Pages are the following four (4) pages with project images (multiple images can be placed on each image page).
- A plan is required to be included with each submission to help jurors understand the scale and spatial design.
- Captions – Each image can include a caption of up to 25 words. The captions are optional.
- Complete the page footer, which must include the Project Name (the name of the project), Category and the Entry Number.
- The entry number (this is the same as the order number provided via email) and project name shall be shown in the locations as per the template. Your entry number is 6-digits and should not include the #.
- Do not change the font, font style or font size in the template for any text, including the footer
- Do not include company or designer’s names or recognisable graphics/logos within the Entry Submission text or images.
- Awards submission shall be less than 15Mb in PDF format. The PDF file only needs to be at a screen resolution (96 dpi) for juries to review.
Submissions Checklist
- Entry Submission PDF file (less than 15Mb)
- One (1) Hero/Feature project image in jpg format
- Every File (Submission and Hero/Feature Image) has been named with the Entry Number, Entry Name (only 15 characters), etc. (see above).
- You have all the information required for the submission, including the design company, collaborators, and photographer.
- You can agree to the WLA Awards Declaration and Image Permission when entering the 2026 WLA Awards.