For 40 years, Applied Arts Media has inspired, informed and celebrated the creative community. Through editorial coverage and the Applied Arts Awards, we showcase the ideas, craft and innovation shaping visual communications in Canada and beyond—and recognize the work that holds up.
Creative Excellence. Celebrated.
The Applied Arts celebrate creativity in visual communications. Since 1992, we've helped advertising agencies, design firms, photographers, illustrators, and emerging artists gain industry-wide exposure—building careers, collaborations, and community across Canada and beyond.
All Entries are judged by an Internationally recognized jury of award-winning professionals who are actively working in advertising and design.
Winning work is showcased: in Applied Arts magazine, online in the Winners Gallery and archive, and shared across social media.
Winning work is showcased in Applied Arts magazine, online Winners Gallery and archive and shared across our social channels.
Opportunities for every stage
- Young Professionals: Explore Young Blood categories—open to entrants with under five years of professional experience in advertising or design, and under three years for Photography and Illustration.
- Small-Community/Business Professionals: Exclusively for CANADIAN creators in smaller markets or single-establishments. Small Community categories weigh local resources and budgets during judging.
- Students: If you're currently in secondary, post-secondary or graduate studies, you're only eligible for the Student Awards, where entries are judged alongside peers at a similar level.
News
Sheridan Student Reimagines Healthcare Tableware
July 6, 2026
Photo credit Marianne Sy-Lucero The best industrial design often solves problems so seamlessly that users hardly notice them. For Sheridan Honours Bachelor of Craft and Design (Industrial Design) student Tobin Nickle-Lott, that meant reimagining ...
+ Read MoreDentsu Creative Turns IKEA Products into National Flags
June 30, 2026
Dentsu Creative has built a reputation for finding unexpected ways to connect brands with culture. Its latest collaboration with IKEA Canada, Assemble The World, transforms everyday household products into playful expressions of national pride. As ...
+ Read MoreTaking the pulse with Lisa Kim
June 25, 2026
Lisa Kim is a Canada-based freelance graphic designer and 2026 Applied Arts Young Blood Design Award winner for Hearth, a brand identity project for an apparel company. Holding a Bachelor of Design (Honours) from OCAD University, she specializes in b ...
+ Read More2026 Student Awards Winners
June 25, 2026
The work that comes next. Meet the 2026 Student Awards winners. From high schools, colleges, and universities around the world, this year's winners represent the next generation of creative talent—and the future of the creative industry. ⭐ den ...
+ Read MoreCurrent Issue
Discover the year's best creative work in the Summer issue of Applied Arts. Featuring the winners of the Photography, Illustration, and Design Awards, this collector-worthy edition delivers more than 150 pages of award-winning inspiration from today's top creative talent. The issue also features Brace for Impact, a compelling look at how artists and designers are using their work to challenge convention, provoke dialogue, and shape culture. Subscribe or order your copy today.
Click here for more information about the issue or for a list of our stockists.