From top left: Sooner Routhier, The Playground, Orlando Marques, OMstudio Lighting, Yenchih Wang, GD-Lighting Design, Claudia Paz, Claudia Paz Lighting Studio, Andrea Siniscalco, Politecnico di Milano, Annie Block, Interior Design Magazine, Kasper Hammer, Studio Kasper Hammer, Waleed Fakousa, CD+M Lighting Design Group & The Lighting Institute.

LIT Lighting Design Awards Introduces New Jury Members

The LIT Lighting Design Awards, a globally recognized competition dedicated to honoring and promoting excellence in lighting design and innovation, proudly announces the addition of five distinguished industry leaders to its esteemed jury panel. The newly appointed jury members are:

Sooner Routhier, CEO of The Playground, is a two-time Parnelli Award winner, Live Design Achievement recipient, and a multi Top Dog award-winning Designer. Her work has graced major screens worldwide, including The AMA’s, The Ellen Show, and The Billboard Music Awards. In 2020, she co-founded EVEN, an organization dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in the live events industry.

Andrea Siniscalco, an Assistant Professor at the Politecnico di Milano, is an expert with a rich academic background. In 2007, he obtained his Ph.D. with a thesis focused on optimizing production processes in the lighting sector. Since 2003, he has been deeply involved in research and teaching at the Laboratorio Luce of Politecnico di Milano. 

Claudia Paz, Founder and Design Director of Claudia Paz Lighting Studio, established her independent studio in 2001, specializing in architectural, retail, and interactive lighting design. Her unique approach blends architecture, technology, and art, earning international recognition.

Yenchih Wang, President and Chief Designer of GD-Lighting Design, founded GD-Lighting Design in Hong Kong in 2004, a comprehensive lighting design company with a strong international presence. Under his leadership, the team has completed numerous well-known projects.

Kasper Hammer is a lighting designer and product director with extensive international experience in architectural and urban lighting design. Based in Denmark, Kasper now runs his own studio, offering creative and commercial direction in the high-end lighting industry and operating an architectural lighting design practice. He is actively involved in the field, serving as a board member of the Copenhagen Light Festival and delivering talks on lighting and design.

These new jury members will join the esteemed jury that already includes prominent names like LeRoy Bennett, Owner & Partner, Seven Design Works and Dakana Design, Roland Greil, Lighting Designer & Director, Roland Greil & 360 degree collective, Bahare Yaghar, Design Manager, MOMA International, Cosmo Wilson, President and Lighting Director, Cosmo Enterprises, Inc., Thiago Gaya, Founder of the LEDforum, Publisher of L+D Magazine, Craig A. Bernecker, Founder, The Lighting Education Institute, Professor, The New School, New York, Annie Block, Executive Editor, Interior Design Magazine, Amit Gupta, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, STIR, Waleed Fakousa, Director, CD+M Lighting Design Group & The Lighting Institute, Sally Storey Creative Director at John Cullen Lighting, Founding Director at Lighting Design International, and many other renowned experts, ensuring that the LIT Lighting Design Awards continue to recognize and celebrate the very best in lighting design worldwide.

Astrid Hebert, Program Director, expressed her pride in the growing design community and the involvement of industry leaders, stating, “We are proud to see the LIT Lighting Design Awards continue to attract big names in the lighting design field. This strong and diverse jury panel reflects the ever-expanding reach of our platform and its commitment to celebrating exceptional design, and we look forward to recognizing outstanding contributions in the upcoming awards.”

The final deadline for submissions to the LIT Lighting Design Awards is October 22, 2023. For more information about the LIT Lighting Design Awards and the esteemed jury members, please visit litawards.com.