The build-up to the 2009 Lighting Design Awards, the definitive industry night out, begins this month with the call for entries. The awards, the world’s biggest and most prestigious architectural lighting competition, are now open for entries until Monday 6 October.    
The presentation ceremony will be held on Thursday 12 March 2009 at the London Hilton Hotel on Park Lane, with an after-show party later in the evening.  Last year over 800 designers, architects, manufacturers and consultants attended the prestigious black tie event to see top design practices vying for the awards alongside some innovative newcomers.
There are 15 categories in total – a dozen for lighting projects and three for product innovations. For 2009, a new category – Restaurants and Hotels – has been introduced to reflect the growth in the quality and quantity of projects in the hospitality sector. The leisure category will include bars, sports facilities, entertainment centres, theme parks, spas, leisure centres and related buildings. Transport will no longer be a separate category. All other categories remain unchanged.
The 2009 categories are:
Exterior
Heritage
Workplace
Retail
Leisure
Hotels and Restaurants
Public Buildings
Special Projects
Residential
Low Carbon
International
Designer of the Year
Light Sources and Controls
Interior Luminaires
External Luminaires
For a downloadable entry form and further information, log onto www.lightingawards.com