The Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture, originally named Emerging Woman Architect of the Year, is a British-based prize awarded to architects globally. It is aimed at female or non-binary architects under the age of 45 who are founders or leading partners in their practice. It was created in 2012 as part of the (now ) and renamed Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture in 2016 in memory of art director Moira Gemmill. Partners and main sponsors are Architects' Journal and The Architectural Review.
Renowned awardees who went on to higher acclaim include Rozana Montiel (Winner 2017), Mariam Issoufou (Highly Commended 2020), Lina Ghotmeh (Shortlisted 2019) and many more.
History
The Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture, originally named Emerging Woman Architect of the Year, was founded by Christine Murray, editor of the Architects' Journal, as part of the (now ) in 2012.
From 2012 to 2015 it was presented by the Architects' Journal. Since 2015, when Christine Murray switched to the Architectural Review as an editor, the two magazines have presented the awards conjointly.
The award was renamed Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture in 2016 in memory of Moira Gemmill, renowned art director and a judge for the Women in Architecture Awards since their inception, who had died in 2015.
At its inception in 2012, the award was designed for women and came with a £10,000 fund. Beginning in 2020, eligibility was changed to encompass all people who identify as women and non-binary, and from 2021 onward the monetary fund was discontinued.
Eligibility
The official entry information for 2026 states that the prize is open for all entrants who are female or non-binary, under the age of 45, founders or leading partners in their practice. Entrants can be single architects, partnerships or collectives. The prize is a global prize; entrants from anywhere in the world are accepted.
The prize is awarded by a jury selected by the Architects' Journal and the Architectural Review. It is awarded “in recognition of an overall body of work, with an emphasis on a project completed within the past two years.” Further criteria for awarding are not mentioned in the official entry information, but in 2016 and 2017 press releases surrounding the prize have mentioned “using innovative architecture to effect positive social change” as a criterium. ArchUp names four criteria in their 2026 overview over the W Awards: “the quality of design, creativity, social responsibility, and architectural debate/competition.”
Recipients
The awarded honours encompass being Shortlisted, Highly Commended or chosen as Winner.
From 2012 to 2016, out of all entrants eight finalists were chosen for the official shortlist. From 2017 onward, the number of finalists was lowered to four.
Out of the shortlisted finalists, a winner is then chosen. At the discretion of the jury, a second-placed highly commended runner-up to the winner may also be chosen.
Winners of the Emerging Woman Architect of the Year award
2012: Hannah Lawson, Creative Director of John McAslan + Partners, now with Lawson Ward Studio (UK)Commended: Nathalie Rozencwajg of RARE Architecture (UK) 2013: Olga Felip of Arquitecturia (Spain)Commended: Maria Smith (now Smith Mordak) of Studio Weave (UK) 2014: Julia King [de] (UK / India)Commended: Hannah Corlett of Assemblage (now HNNA) (UK)FMason, Frankie (8 November 2021). Meet Hannah Corlett & Meet Hannah Corlett, HNNA (Part Two). Design District. Retrieved 11 July 2026. 2015: Tatiana von Preussen, Catherine Pease and Jessica Reynolds of vPPR (UK / Germany)
Finalists of the Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture
2016
Winner of Ambrosi Etchegaray (Mexico)
Shortlisted Elisa Burnazzi of Burnazzi Feltrin Architects (Italy) Marie Zawistowski of OnSite (USA) Anna Heringer (Germany) Di Zhang of WAA (China) Saija Hollmén, Jenni Reuter and Helena Sandman of Hollmén Reuter Sandman (Finland) Petra Gipp [sv–fi] of Petra Gipp Arkitektur (Sweden) Catherine Johnson and Rebecca ‘RA’ Rudolph of Design, Bitches (USA)
2017
Winner Rozana Montiel of Rozana Montiel Estudio de Arquitectura (Mexico)
Shortlisted Johanna Hurme of 5468796 Architecture (Canada) of Mangera Yvars Jing Liu of SO-IL (USA)
2018
Winner Gloria Cabral, of Gabinete de Arquitectura (Paraguay), now of Studio 4.4 (Brazil)
Shortlisted Anna Puigjnaner and Maria Charneco of MAIO (Spain) Sook Hee Chun of WISE Architecture (South Korea) Ilze Wolff of Wolff Architects (South Africa)
2019
Winner Xu Tiantian of DnA Design and Architecture (China)
Shortlisted Lina Ghotmeh of Lina Ghotmeh Architecture (France) Irene Pérez of TEd’A Arquitectes (Spain) Jeannette Kuo of Karamuk Kuo (Switzerland)
2020
Winner Francesca Torzo [nl–de] of Francesca Torzo Architetto (Italy)
Highly Commended Mariam Kamara of atelier masōmī, now Mariam Issoufou Architects (Niger)
Shortlisted Simona Della Rocca of BDR bureau (Italy) Stefanie Rhodes of Gatti Routh Rhodes (UK)
2021
Winner Ariadna Artigas, Anna Clemente, Eulàlia Daví, Cristina Gamboa, Laura Lluch and Núria Vila of Lacol (Spain)
Shortlisted Nerea Amorós Elorduy of Creative Assemblages (Uganda) Cristina Monteiro of DK-CM (UK) Verónica Villate of Mínimo Común (Paraguay)
2022
Winner Swati Janu of Social Design Collaborative (India)
Shortlisted Ana Baptista of Colectivo Mel (Portugal)
Rania Ghosn of Design Earth (USA)
Sumayya Vally of Counterspace (South Africa)
2023
Winner Viviana Pozzoli of Equipo de Arquitectura (Paraguay)
Highly Commended of Taller Capital (Mexico)
Shortlisted Alessandra Covini of Studio Ossidiana (Netherlands)
Dominique Petit-Frère of Limbo Accra (Ghana / USA)
2024
Winner Nguyễn Hà of ARB Architects (Vietnam)
Highly Commended Noelia Monteiro of Estúdio Flume (Brazil)
Shortlisted Kim Courrèges of Plan Común (France) Joana Dabaj of Catalytic Action (Lebanon)
2025
Winner Sara Alissa and Nojoud Alsudairi of Syn Architects (Saudi Arabia)
Shortlisted Maríaluisa Borja of Al Borde (Ecuador) Ana Maria Gutiérrez of Organizmo (Colombia)
Ashleigh Killa of The MAAK (South Africa)
2026
Winner Pooja Khairnar of PK Inception (India)
Shortlisted Jesica Amescua Carrera and of Comunal (Mexico)"Jesica Amescua Carrera" & "Mariana Ordóñez Grajales". Laufen Roca Gallery. Retrieved 8 July 2026. Hester van Dijk of Overtreders W (Netherlands)
See also Wikipedia:FAQ/Article subjects (aimed at people depicted in Wikipedia articles) Jane Drew Prize (also part of the )
External links W Awards homepage I – architectural-review.com/w-awards W Awards homepage II – w-awards.architectural-review.com W Awards 2026. By ArchWomen Team, 15 October 2025. – An overview and assessment of the W Awards on architectural internet platform ArchUp]
References