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The SIT Furniture Design Award has just named seven world-class experts to its judging panel for the 2026 season. Josh Owen, Jonathan M. Woodham, Lorenz Noelle, Sarah Hossli, Pal Pang, Jeremy Myerson, and Daisuke Nagatomo are the latest names to join the team. This move adds even more variety and skill to a group that already looks for the very best in furniture and interior spaces, focusing on pieces that work well and are built with real care.
Meet the design leaders shaping the 2026 awards
Among the new additions is Josh Owen, an industrial designer and teacher who leads the Vignelli Center for Design Studies in the US. Joining him is London-based Pal Pang, who runs Another Design International. Pang is known for his work in interior architecture, where he pays close attention to how culture and the environment shape the rooms we live in.
The academic world is also well-represented this year. Jonathan M. Woodham, a retired professor from the University of Brighton, brings a massive amount of history and research knowledge to the table. Meanwhile, Jeremy Myerson from the Royal College of Art joins the panel with a career built on making design work better for everyone, focusing on how objects and spaces can actually improve daily life.
International talent from across the globe
The jury also welcomes Lorenz Noelle, a designer from Munich who runs his own studio and works as a lead at Ambright. His work often looks at the basic shape of everyday things, from chairs to exhibition stands. From Switzerland, Sarah Hossli joins the group. Her studio in Lucerne creates products that tackle modern social and ethical questions. Rounding out the new members is Daisuke Nagatomo, a co-founder of AOAO who is known for linking buildings and furniture together in clever, fresh ways.
These new arrivals are joining a world-class jury panel composed of architects, teachers, and creative heads to create a varied panel that truly represents the international design scene.
A growing platform for furniture and interior brands
Astrid Hébert, who runs the SIT Furniture Design Award, says the team is very happy to grow the jury board.
“The collective experience of our jury—across practice, research, and education—brings invaluable depth to the evaluation process. We look forward to their perspectives in identifying designs that truly push boundaries while remaining meaningful and relevant.”
Astrid Hébert
The goal remains the same: to find designs that try something new while staying useful and important to the people who use them.
If you are a designer, a studio owner, or part of a furniture brand, there is still time to get involved. Entries for the 2026 awards are open until 26 April. It is a big chance to get your work seen by some of the most respected names in the industry and gain some global attention. You can find all the details on how to enter at sitaward.com.
