Sir Misha Black Awards
Introduction
The Sir Misha Black Awards, established in 1977, recognise distinguished services to design education.
The Sir Misha Black Medal honours significant contributions to design education by an individual .
The Sir Misha Black Award for Innovation in Design Education honours exceptional work of a teacher, team, department, or course within or between educational establishments in the UK.
Inclusion of the Sir Misha Black Awards in the Royal Commission’s portfolio, since 2020, reinforces the Commission’s mission to “increase the means of industrial education and extend the influence of science and art upon productive industry”.
The Sir Misha Black Awards committee members represent Founding Bodies, the Royal Designers for Industry (RDI), the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng), the College of Medallists, Imperial College London, the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, and the wider international design education community.
Sir Misha Black Medal for Distinguished Services to Design Education
Set up to commemorate the legacy of Sir Misha Black, the Sir Misha Black Medal is awarded to individuals across the globe who have made a significant contribution to design education. First awarded in 1978, the Medal began life as a biennial event but has since become an annual date within the design world calendar.
Sir Misha Black Award for Innovation in Design Education
In 1999, the Sir Misha Black Award for Innovation in Design Education was created to honour the exceptional work of a teacher, team, department, or course within or between educational establishments in the UK.
Nominations
Submissions for 2025 will be accepted shortly.
The Sir Misha Black Medal for Distinguished Services to Design Education
Nominations are welcomed from those with knowledge and appreciation of the value of design education. The Medal is awarded to an individual, from any country in the world, for their Distinguished Services to Design Education. The words ‘education’ and ‘design’ are interpreted in their widest meaning.
The Sir Misha Black Award for Innovation in Design Education
Nominations are open to individuals, teams, or combined schools working within educational establishments, where innovation has been the key to the development of new thinking which has led to demonstrable improvement in the education of designers. The Award is confined to educational organisations within the United Kingdom.
