Three Award Competitions Now Accepting Submissions

1. HBSD’s Golden Hammer Awards

Hardware & Building Supply Dealer has opened nominations for its annual Golden Hammer Awards, recognizing outstanding new products in hardware, home improvement, and building materials. The program highlights products that advance industry standards while delivering benefits to professional contractors and retail customers.

Entries will be judged on three criteria: innovation, value, and shelf appeal. Winning products should do more than occupy shelf space; they should provide meaningful customer value and raise performance expectations across the industry.

Eligible products must have launched on or after January 1, 2026. Private-label products and owned brands are excluded. Manufacturers and brand representatives must submit nominations by November 2, 2026, through HBSDealer’s online nomination portal, here.

Each application requires a product description of 50 to 150 words and a $99 entry fee. Companies can nominate multiple products, but each requires a separate application. Physical samples are welcome, although they are not mandatory. Entrants should submit products without selecting categories, since the editorial staff will establish final categories during judging.

Winners will receive exposure in HBSDealer’s January 2027 print issue, its daily email newsletters, and a dedicated online Golden Hammer showcase, providing visibility across the publication’s print and digital channels.

1. EC&M Product Of The Year Awards

EC&M’s Product of the Year competition recognizes innovative electrical products that help industry professionals work more efficiently and effectively. Established in 2000, the program honors product development teams, from initial concept through sales and marketing.

The 2027 competition covered products available for purchase in the United States during 2026. Significant redesigns or modifications can qualify at the magazine’s discretion. Manufacturers can submit unlimited products, with entry fees of $420 per product during the early bird period, and $470 per product, afterward.The final entry deadline is January 25, 2027.

Categories span the electrical market, including power distribution, wiring devices, tools, electric vehicle supply equipment, and software. Lighting categories include lamps and LEDs, lighting controls, and luminaires for applications ranging from high bays to hazardous locations.

Selection follows two stages. A panel of engineers, contractors, and plant or facility professionals chooses category winners. EC&M subscribers then vote online to determine the overall Platinum, Gold, and Silver winners. Editorial staff resolve ties.

Beyond recognition, the program provides marketing exposure. All entries appear in a printed showcase accompanying EC&M’s May issue. Category winners receive plaques, promotional logos, and online visibility; overall winners earn trophies, August editorial coverage, and invitations to the magazine’s podcast.

More information is available here.

1. IESNYC’s Lumen Awards 2027

The IESNYC Lumen Awards recognize excellence, professionalism, ingenuity, and originality in architectural lighting design. Established in 1968 by the New York City Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society, the program celebrates designers and project teams whose work advances the art and science of illumination.

The 2027 program accepts interior and exterior architectural lighting projects completed within two years of the submission deadline. Eligibility requires either a project designed by a New York City metropolitan area designer, regardless of project location, or a project located within that metropolitan area, regardless of the designer’s location. Eligible projects may be resubmitted.

Recognition falls into three categories: the Lumen Award of Excellence, honoring the highest achievement in permanent architectural lighting; the Lumen Award of Merit, recognizing meritorious permanent applications; and the Lumen Citation, acknowledging permanent or temporary installations, technical details, portions of projects, or other work.

Submissions close January 8, 2027, with a nonrefundable entry fee of $250 per project. Jury deliberations and winner notifications are scheduled for February. Recipients will be celebrated at the Lumen Gala on June 17, 2027, at Pier 60, Chelsea Piers, in New York City. The program operates separately from the National IES Illumination Awards, with distinct submission processes.

More information is available here.

David Shiller

David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and Senior Business Development Consultant at Capacity Consulting, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has been co-chair of the ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

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