The Architectural League of New York Announces Biennial Format for Its Two Signature Award Programs
Emerging Voices, the Architectural League of New York’s flagship award program that spotlights early-and mid-career practitioners from across North America has, throughout its 43-year history, been a much-anticipated annual affair.
That, however, is changing this year as the League shifts to a new biennial format that will see that award program alternate years with the organization’s other major (previously) annual, competition-based prize program: the League Prize for Young Architects + Designers. Established in 1981 (a year ahead of Emerging Voices), the League Prize, which is open to designers ten years or less out of a bachelor’s or master’s degree program, also encompasses a lecture series and exhibition.
The shift, explains the League, will better allow it to support applicants, winners, and audiences through the dedication of additional resources to each program in their respective years in lieu of a yearly, overlapping format.
“This enhancement will include more dedicated outreach to both potential applicants and alumni; increased potential for in-person, public programs and exhibitions; and wider-reaching, sustained communications regarding winners and their work,” explains Jacob R. Moore, who was named as executive director of the 144-year-old organization in 2023.
Anne Rieselbach, the League’s program and membership director, called the move “a rare, if not singular opportunity to be able to set a historical and critical ‘plumb line’ through almost a half-century of leading, often provocative, work by North American architects and designers.”
“The prizes’ alternating biennial schedule will enhance the League’s ability to continue to identify significant work, while at the same time it will improve our ability to draw on and share the knowledge of multiple generations of award winners,” she added.
The next League Prize, themed Plot, will be awarded later this year with the lecture series and online installations taking place in June. Emerging Voices, per the new format, will be held in 2026 with submissions opening in fall 2025. On March 8, past winners of both prizes—Lake|Flato, ARO, Carlos Jiménez, and AGENCY among them—will converge in Houston for a special symposium at the Rice School of Architecture to discuss their post-prize career trajectories, current works, and more. The symposium is part of the larger 2025 Next Generation trip to Houston organized by the League that includes tours of significant works in the city designed by Emerging Voices and League Prize alumni.
The most recent Emerging Voices and League Prize winners can be viewed here and here.
