SOZZANI AWARD

THE SOZZANI AWARD SEEKS TO RECOGNISE THE NEW GENERATION OF CREATIVES, AND TO SUPPORT PROJECTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURE, RESPONSIBILITY AND INNOVATION.
THE AWARD IS ESTABLISHED WITH THE AIM OF RAISING AWARENESS AND HIGHLIGHTING VOICES CAPABLE OF GENERATING NEW NARRATIVES AND SHAPING THE PRESENT THROUGH VISION AND AWARENESS.

SOZZANI AWARD RECOGNIZES EXCELLENCE, RESEARCH, AND CREATIVE INNOVATION THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS, FUNDING, AND COLLABORATIONS WITH INSTITUTIONS AND PARTNERS, WITH THE AIM OF PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO ADVANCE ONE’S PROFESSIONAL CAREER.

THE AWARD WILL BE HELD ANNUALY, WITH EACH EDITION FOCUSING ON ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES.

DESIGN & CRAFT – THE DESIGN & CRAFT AWARD RECOGNIZES TALENT AND PROJECTS THAT RENEW THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN VARIOUS FORMS OF DESIGN AND CRAFTSMANSHIP, HIGHLIGHTING TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, MATERIAL RESEARCH, AND CULTURAL RESPONSIBILITY.

FASHION – THE FASHION AWARD RECOGNIZES TALENT AND PROJECTS THAT INTERPRET FASHION AS A DESIGN AND SOCIAL LANGUAGE AND COMBINE AESTHETIC RESEARCH, INNOVATION, AND A FOCUS ON MATERIALS AND PROCESSES, CULTURAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND THE ABILITY TO INTERPRET THE PRESENT.

PHOTOGRAPHY – THE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD RECOGNIZES PROJECTS THAT EXPRESS AN ORIGINAL AND THOUGHTFUL ARTISTIC VISION, HIGHLIGHTING PHOTOGRAPHY AS A LANGUAGE FOR RESEARCH, NARRATIVE, AND INTERPRETATION OF THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD.

THE FIRST EDITION OF THE AWARD, WOMEN | CATEGORIA DESIGN & CRAFT, CELEBRATES FEMININE IDENTITY THAT, THROUGH THEIR RESEARCH AND WORK, CONTRIBUTES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONTEMPORARY CULTURE.

SOZZANI AWARD 2026, IN COLLABORATION WITH VEUVE CLICQUOT, RECOGNIZES THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLE OF WOMEN IN DEFINING NEW CULTURAL LANGUAGES.

THE VEUVE CLICQUOT DESIGN & CRAFT SCHOLARSHIP FOR WOMEN SUPPORTS A CREATIVE IN THE DESIGN & CRAFT CATEGORY, OFFERING A GRANT OF UP TO €15,000 TO SUPPORT A PROFESSIONAL TRAINING COURSE CHOSEN BY THE WINNER.

THE SCHOLARSHIP REPRESENTS A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN FEMALE TALENT, PROMOTING DIALOGUE BETWEEN GENERATIONS AND DISCIPLINES. 

HOW TO ENTER
ENTRY TO THE SOZZANI AWARD TAKES PLACE VIA AN INTERNATIONAL BAND FOR INDIVIDUAL CREATIVES OR COLLECTIVES WHO, THROUGH THEIR WORK, DEMONSTRATE AN INDEPENDENT APPROACH AND A STRONG SENSE OF CULTURAL RESPONSIBILITY.

ENTRY TO THE SOZZANI AWARD IS FREE AND OPEN TO YOUNG CREATIVES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
ELIGIBLE TO ENTER ARE ALL THE WOMEN—CREATIVES, PROFESSIONALS, OR STUDENTS—ACTIVE IN THE DESIGN & CRAFT SECTOR, FROM 18 TO 40 YEARS OLD.
ENTRIES MUST BE IN ITALIAN AND/OR ENGLISH

STAGES OF THE AWARD

1. OPEN CALL
THE CALL IS  OPEN FROM FRIDAY APRIL 24TH TO FRIDAY JUNE 26TH 2026.
APPLICATIONS ARE MADE BY SUBMITTING A PORTFOLIO RELATING TO THE CATEGORY DESIGN & CRAFT.
CANDIDATES ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT WORKS THAT REFLECT PROJECTS CAPABLE OF REVITALIZING THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN VARIOUS FORMS OF DESIGN AND CRAFTSMANSHIP, HIGHLIGHTING TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, MATERIAL RESEARCH, AND CULTURAL RESPONSIBILITY.

PARTECIPANTS CAN REGISTER FILLING OUT THE FORM BELOW
AND/OR SENDING ALL THE MATERIALS BY E-MAIL TO: AWARD@FONDAZIONESOZZANI.ORG BY JUNE 26TH 2026.

2. JURY SELECTION
A JURY COMPRISING FIGURES FROM THE WORLDS OF CULTURE, CREATIVITY AND INDUSTRY WILL SELECT UP TO FIVE FINALISTS, ASSESSING ARTISTIC QUALITY, RESEARCH, CULTURAL IMPACT AND THE ABILITY TO GENERATE NEW NARRATIVES.

3. PRESENTATION OF THE FINALISTS
THE FINALIST PROJECTS WILL BE PRESENTED AND SHOWCASED THROUGH THE FONDAZIONE SOZZANI’S DIGITAL CHANNELS AND EXHIBITION SPACES, HELPING TO CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ENCOUNTER AND DIALOGUE BETWEEN CREATIVES, INSTITUTIONS AND THE PUBLIC.

4. AWARD PRESENTATION
THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN FONDAZIONE SOZZANI DURING MILAN FASHION WEEK, SEPTEMBER 2026.

THE SOZZANI AWARD IS FOUNDED ON A COMMITMENT TO RECOGNISING THOSE WHO CREATE WITH CONSCIOUS DEDICATION, THOSE WHO DEVELOP NEW LANGUAGES, AND THOSE WHO PRESERVE MEMORY WHILST SIMULTANEOUSLY OPENING UP NEW PATHS.

THIS RECOGNITION ALSO SERVES AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN GENERATIONS, BETWEEN DISCIPLINES, AND BETWEEN MEMORY AND THE FUTURE.
BECAUSE CULTURE LIVES ONLY IF IT IS PASSED ON, AND CREATIVITY EXISTS ONLY IF IT IS FREE AND GROWS THROUGH THE POWER OF INDEPENDENT THOUGHT.

THE SOZZANI AWARD CELEBRATES WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED AND WHAT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE.