For over two decades, Dutch Design Awards (DDA) has celebrated designers who push boundaries, reimagine futures, and shape the role of design in society.

The Emerging Talent Award returns in 2026 to spotlight the next generation of designers shaping the field. Once again, three promising designers will each receive a €10,000 award, offering them both recognition and support to further develop their practice.

Help us celebrate the designers shaping the future of design.

By nominating a talent, you help pass on the baton—connecting past and future, and keeping the conversation on Dutch design alive and evolving.

The Emerging Talent Award recognise designers who embody bold imagination, creative courage, and the power of collaboration—those who continue to redefine what design can achieve today and tomorrow. Discover more about the award, the jury, the prizes, and the requirements down below.

The award is made possible with support from the Keep an Eye Foundation, which champions emerging creative talent.

Nominate the next emerging talent(s)! Nominations are open until May 15.

The Emerging Talent Award recognises upcoming designers who demonstrate a distinctive vision and the potential to shape the future of design. The award celebrates practices that combine experimentation, critical thinking, and collaboration across disciplines.

Each year, a jury composed of leading figures from across the design field selects a group of emerging designers whose work reflects the evolving landscape of Dutch design.

The award is open to designers and design studios who:

• Are based, educated, or practicing in the Netherlands
• The designer’s projects may have either a national or international scope.
• To be eligible, the nominated designer/collective must have been active in the field between April 1, 2025 and April 1, 2026.

Nominated designers and design studios have to:

• Demonstrate a coherent portfolio with depth, vision, and evolution
• Show a boundary-pushing approach that challenges the status quo
• Embrace a broad understanding of design across disciplines and contexts
• Carry the potential to influence the field in meaningful ways

The 2026 jury will be announced during Milan Design Week in a private event. Updates follow through Dutch Design Awards channels from Thursday 23 April 2026. 

The jury is chaired by Borre Akkersdijk, who continues to build on last year’s renewed format. The jury selection reflects an internationally oriented perspective of leading voices in the field.

Check last year’s jury. 

Selected nominees will form the Dutch Design Awards Class of 2026, a group of emerging designers brought together through a shared framework for recognition, exchange, and development.

Three winners will receive:

• €10,000 prize money 

• An in-depth masterclass by professionals from the field

• Recognition within the Dutch Design Awards network

Beyond the three winners, the broader selection highlights a wider group of designers who represent the diversity and energy of needed for refreshing the field.

Following an inspiring round of nominations from across the design community, the results of the Emerging Talent Award 2025 were announced during Dutch Design Week 2025.

The Class of 2025 brings together fifteen emerging designers whose work reflects the diversity, curiosity, and collaborative spirit that characterise Dutch design today. Selected by a jury of leading figures from across the field, this group demonstrates how design continues to expand its role—from material innovation and social engagement to digital experimentation.

From this outstanding group, three winners were selected for their exceptional vision and impact: Vera van der Burg, Willem de Haan, and Plasticiet. Each represents a distinct frontier of design, exploring how creativity can shape the systems, materials, and technologies that define our shared future.

The full jury report captures the insights and reflections behind the selection and highlights the collective energy that continues to drive Dutch design forward.

Read the full Jury Report