Awards

Awards and competitions for creatives, by sector, in Belgium and abroad. Pick one or more sectors at the top, or show only what's open now. A name opens the award's website.

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Sector:

Where:

Performing arts

Theatre, dance and performance.

1 award

Roel Verniers Prijs
Belgium

TheaterFestival prize for young performing artists with an idea: €10,000 towards the co-production, a slot at the next festival and mentoring.

Closed for now

Entries
2026 edition: until 14 June 2026 (closed). A new call has not been announced yet.

Ceremony
2026 edition: 8 September 2026 in Brussels. The 2027 festival takes place in Antwerp.

Music

Awards and competitions for artists, bands and makers.

2 awards

De MIA’s (Music Industry Awards)
Flanders

The big Flemish music awards: a jury of music professionals picks the nominees, then the public and the industry vote. Eleven public awards and six industry awards.

No entries

Entries
No entries. A jury picks five nominees per category; those for Musician and Songwriter come from the members of PlayRight and Sabam.

Ceremony
2026 edition: 4 February 2026 at the ING Arena in Brussels. Last year the nominees were announced at the end of November.
Humo’s Rock Rally
Flanders

Competition for new Flemish bands, with a final as the closing concert.

Dates to follow

Entries
Held every two years; the last final was in 2024. We couldn't confirm the dates of the next edition.

Ceremony
See the website.

Visual arts

Prizes for emerging and established visual artists.

1 award

Prix Bernard de Launoit
Belgium

Production grant for emerging artists and makers aged 18 to 35. Previous editions gave up to €25,000 for a project. The link goes to a third-party overview.

Closed for now

Entries
2026 edition: until 15 January 2026 (closed). For Belgians, or citizens of an EU country, Switzerland or the UK who have lived in Belgium for two years.

Ceremony
2026 edition: 23 March 2026. The project must be finished within 12 to 24 months.

Film, animation and photography

From the Flemish film awards to major international photography competitions.

4 awards

Sony World Photography Awards
International (United Kingdom)

Major international photography competition in four parts: Series (5 to 10 images), Single Image, Student and Youth (under 19).

Open for entries

Entries
Student until 27 November 2026, Single Image and Youth until 5 January 2027, Series until 12 January 2027. These are the dates as the organiser lists them; check them on the site.

Ceremony
Date not published.
De Ensors
Flanders

The awards of the Flemish audiovisual sector, chosen by the members of the Ensor Academy.

Dates to follow

Entries
We couldn't confirm the conditions and deadline for the next edition. See ensors.be.

Ceremony
The 2026 edition has taken place; the winners are on the website.
World Press Photo Contest
International (Netherlands)

The best-known competition for photojournalism and documentary photography of the past year.

Dates to follow

Entries
We couldn't confirm the dates of the 2027 contest.

Ceremony
See the website.
Annecy Festival (animatiefilm)
International (France)

The biggest animation film festival, with competitions for short and feature films and for television.

Dates to follow

Entries
We couldn't confirm the submission dates; see the sections for professionals on the site.

Ceremony
Every year in June, in Annecy.

Design and communication

Graphic and digital design, advertising and brands.

4 awards

Henry van de Velde Awards
Flanders

Flemish design awards in nine categories, from graphic and digital design to spatial, service and social design. Free entry for Flemish designers and companies.

Under way

Entries
Entries were open from 20 April to 31 May 2026 and are closed.

Ceremony
Winners announced on 12 November 2026, public vote until 18 December 2026. Ceremony on 26 January 2027 at Bozar, Brussels (date and venue to be confirmed).
Cannes Lions
International (France)

The largest international festival of creativity in advertising and communication.

Dates to follow

Entries
2026 edition: 15 January to 9 April 2026. The 2027 dates have not been published yet.

Ceremony
2026 edition: 22 to 26 June 2026.
D&AD Awards
International (United Kingdom)

British awards for design and advertising: 46 categories across eight disciplines (2026 edition).

Dates to follow

Entries
2026 edition: open from 26 November 2025, final deadline 31 March 2026. The 2027 dates have not been published yet.

Ceremony
2026 edition: shortlist on 19 and 20 May 2026, ceremony on 24 September 2026.
Dutch Design Awards
International (Netherlands)

Dutch design award. In 2026 it's all about new talent: established designers nominate emerging names.

Dates to follow

Entries
2026 edition: nominations since 31 March 2026, finalists known since 9 July 2026. The main page doesn't say whether Belgians can take part: ask them.

Ceremony
Date not confirmed.

Games, digital and XR

Games, media art and immersive experiences, in Belgium and abroad.

5 awards

Belgian Game Awards
Belgium

The Belgian game awards for studios and makers in Belgium, including Best XR Game, Best Applied Game, Best Narrative and Student Game of the Year.

Open for entries

Entries
Until 14 December 2026 (midnight). The game must have been released between 8 November 2025 and 31 December 2026; up to three categories per game. Attendance at the ceremony is required.

Ceremony
Voting from 17 December 2026 to 14 January 2027, nominees on 18 January 2027, ceremony on 2 February 2027 at Depot in Leuven.
Venice Immersive
International (Italy)

Competition for VR and XR works within the Venice Film Festival.

Dates to follow

Entries
We couldn't confirm the submission dates; see the Biennale website.

Ceremony
During the Venice Film Festival, late August to early September.
Independent Games Festival
International (United States)

Awards for independent games, presented during the Game Developers Conference.

Closed for now

Entries
Entries for the 2027 edition are closed.

Ceremony
3 March 2027, during the GDC Festival of Gaming.
Prix Ars Electronica
International (Austria)

International prize for media art and digital culture, with a Golden Nica and up to €10,000 per category. 2026 categories: New Animation Art, Digital Humanity and Interactive Art +.

Closed for now

Entries
The 2026 edition closed on 9 March 2026. The next call opens in January 2027. Entry is free and online.

Ceremony
2026 edition: announced on 22 June 2026, festival from 9 to 13 September 2026 in Linz.
Laval Virtual Awards
International (France)

Awards for VR, AR and XR applications, presented at the Laval Virtual trade show.

Closed for now

Entries
Applications for the latest edition are closed; we couldn't confirm the dates of the next one.

Ceremony
See the website.

Fashion, craft and product

Fashion and product design.

2 awards

Red Dot Award: Product Design 2027
International (Germany)

One of the best-known international awards for product design.

Open for entries

Entries
Early bird until 9 October 2026 (passed). Regular phase from 10 October to 11 December 2026, final phase from 12 December 2026 to 15 January 2027. See the site for the fees per phase.

Ceremony
Red Dot Gala and Designers' Night on 13 July 2027.
Belgian Fashion Awards
Belgium

Awards for Belgian fashion in eight categories, from Designer and Emerging Talent to Changemaker and Model of the Year. Entry is free.

Under way

Entries
2026 edition: 16 April to 11 May 2026 (closed). For Belgian designers, makers and brands active in the past year.

Ceremony
Ceremony on 17 November 2026.

Architecture and space

Architecture in Brussels and in Europe.

2 awards

EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award
Europe

European prize for contemporary architecture, awarded every two years for work from the past two years by architects from Creative Europe countries.

No entries

Entries
The page we looked at doesn't say how projects are nominated. The next edition is expected in 2028.

Ceremony
2026 edition: winners in April 2026 (Oulu), ceremony in May 2026 at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona.
Brussels Architecture Prize
Brussels

Biennial prize for architecture in the Brussels Region, for Brussels practices or for projects recently completed there.

Closed for now

Entries
2025 edition: until 30 March 2025, for projects completed between January 2023 and June 2025. The next edition is expected in 2027.

Ceremony
The date of the ceremony isn't on the page.

Writing and publishing

Literary prizes in the Dutch-speaking world.

2 awards

Boekenbon Literatuurprijs
Dutch-speaking world (Netherlands and Flanders)

€50,000 prize for the best literary book in Dutch, one of the three major literary prizes in the language area.

Under way

Entries
568 titles were submitted for the 2026 edition. The longlist has 15 books, including four by Flemish authors.

Ceremony
Shortlist of five books on 21 October 2026, winner on 25 November 2026.
De Boon
Flanders

The largest Flemish book prize: €50,000 for the winner in two categories (fiction and non-fiction, and children's and young adult books), plus a €5,000 public prize.

Dates to follow

Entries
812 books were submitted for the 2026 edition. We couldn't confirm the dates of the next edition.

Ceremony
2026 edition: shortlist on 9 January 2026, winners on 24 March 2026 at the Stadsschouwburg in Mechelen.