Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design 2026
Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design 2026 is now open for entries!
The Red Dot Award Brands & Communication Design 2026 now is open for submissions and once again gives communication designers, marketing experts and young talents from all over the world the chance to enter their best communication projects and advertising campaigns.
Short description
The next round of the Red Dot Award Brands & Communication Design, an international design competition has started and entries are being accepted for 2026.
The Red Dot Design Award is one of the most prestigious design competitions worldwide. Participants can submit entries in three disciplines: products, brands and communication projects, as well as prototypes and design concepts. Each year, a jury convenes for each award category to individually assess the submissions and subsequently decide on the awarding of distinctions.
In the “Brands” section, companies have the chance to present their brand in its entirety. By contrast, the “Communication Design” section provides a forum where individual works and projects in communication design can be entered in different categories. From brand design and identity to packaging, spatial communication, websites and sound design – 18 categories are available in total.
Works and projects that have been published after 1 July 2022 or will be published before 1 July 2025 and have not yet been entered in the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design in the past. Projects that have been realised exclusively for participation in the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design are not eligible.
All of the jurors for the Red Dot Award Brands & Communication Design are rich in experience and expertise. Every year, the international experts make a pivotal contribution to the quality of the Red Dot Label. Informed by the motto “In search of good design and creativity”, the Red Dot Jury assesses the quality of the entries and decides on the distinctions to be awarded.
The Red Dot Junior Award is part of the “Communication Design” section. It is geared to newcomers in design. The work submitted in the Junior Award must have been created either as part of a student’s degree or apprenticeship or – in the case of young professionals – as part of a commissioned project.
The winners will be celebrated in Berlin as part of the Red Dot Gala in November 2026.
Who may enter?
The Red Dot Award Brands & Communication Design 2026 competition is open to agencies, designers and companies from all over the globe.
Prize:
Winners will benefit from exclusive use of the Red Dot Label, which communicates news of your design strength in a high-profile manner. Furthermore, your project is presented to a wide audience via digital channels, yearbook and museums.
The Red Dot Junior Prize comes with prize money of 10,000 EUR and is awarded each year to the best junior piece of work entered in the competition.
Entry fees:
The entry fees vary depending on the date for registering.
➜ Early Bird (26 January 2026 – 13 February 2026) – 250 Euro
➜ Regular (14 February 2026 – 24 April 2026) – 330 Euro
➜ Latecomer (25 April 2026 – 8 May 2026) – 470 Euro
Participants of the Red Dot: Junior Award receive a 10% discount on the participation fee.
