# Sir Misha Black Awards

The Sir Misha Black Awards commemorate the life of Misha Black, whose work played an important role in the development of design in the United Kingdom. They are given to individuals and institutions to honour them in their role in design education.
There are two awards – the Sir Misha Black Medal for Distinguished Services to Design Education awarded to design educators working around the world, and the Sir Misha Black Award for Innovation in Design Education, which is given to UK-based educational institutions, organizations or individuals.
The awards were established in 1978 by six founding bodies: the Design and Industries Association, the Imperial College, the Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry (RDI) at the RSA, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the College of Medallists, and the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851.

## The Sir Misha Black Medal

The Sir Misha Black Medal was first awarded in 1978. It was created to honour individuals across the globe who have made a significant contribution to design education throughout their career. The Sir Misha Black Medal is awarded collaboratively by Britain’s leading design organizations. Recipients of the Sir Misha Black Medal are automatically enrolled in the College of Medallists.

## The Sir Misha Black Award

The Sir Misha Black Award for Innovation in Design Education, first awarded in 2001, was created to honour the exceptional work of a teacher, team, department, or course within educational establishments in the UK for innovation in design education. The award exists to acknowledge the collective excellence and leadership in design education within the United Kingdom.
The awards committee members represent the founding bodies, the Royal Designers for Industry (RDI), the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng), the College of Medallists, Imperial College London and the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851.

## Sir Misha Black Awards Committee

The Sir Misha Black Awards Committee comprises representatives from the Royal Designers for Industry (RDI), the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng), the College of Medallists, Imperial College London and the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851:
* Malcolm Garrett (chairman) – RSA Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry
* Peter Childs – Imperial College London
* P John Clarkson – Royal Academy of Engineering
* Geoffrey Kirk – College of Medallists
* Chris Wise - Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851
* Nick de León – Co-opted Member

## Recipients of the Sir Misha Black Medal

| Year | Name | Country |
| 2024 | Dr Patricia Moore | USA |
| 2024 | Mary V Mullin (Honorary) | Ireland |
| 2023 | Prof. Marie Redmond | Ireland |
| 2022 | Prof. Elizabeth Turnstall | Canada |
| 2021 | Prof. Don Norman | USA |
| 2020 | Prof. Birgit Mager | Germany |
| 2018 | Prof. P John Clarkson | UK |
| 2016 | Margaret Calvert OBE RDI | UK |
| 2015 | Ravi Naidoo | South Africa |
| 2014 | Prof. Michael Twyman | UK |
| 2013 | Prof. Santiago Aránguiz Sánchez | Chile |
| 2012 | Prof. Ezio Manzini | Italy |
| 2011 | Prof. Kumar Vyas | India |
| 2009 | Judy Frater | India/USA |
| 2008 | Prof. Gonzalo Tassier | Mexico |
| 2007 | Alison Chitty RDI | UK |
| 2006 | Prof. Geoffrey Kirk RDI | UK |
| 2005 | Prof. David Kelley | USA |
| 2004 | Elaine Ostroff | USA |
| 2004 | David Hamilton (Honorary) | UK |
| 2003 | Sir Christopher Frayling | UK |
| 2002 | Dr Santiago Calatrava | Spain |
| 2001 | Yuri Soloviev | Russia |
| 2000 | Robert Gooden | UK |
| 1999 | Ettore Sottsass | Italy |
| 1998 | William Walsh | Ireland |
| 1997 | Dr. Alexander Moulton RDI | UK |
| 1995 | Kenji Ekuan | Japan |
| 1993 | Arthur Pulos | USA |
| 1993 | Dr. Marianne Straub RDI | Switzerland |
| 1991 | David Pye | UK |
| 1988 | Peter Reyner Banham | UK |
| 1986 | Frank Height | UK |
| 1985 | Ashoke Chatterjee | India |
| 1982 | Max Bill | Switzerland |
| 1980 | Serge Ivan Chermayeff | USA |
| 1978 | Sir William Coldstream | UK |

## Recipients of The Sir Misha Black Award

| 2024 | Zowie Broach |
| 2023 | Haleh Moravej – MetMUnch |
| 2022 | Judah Armani |
| 2020 | Oliver Broadbent |
| 2020 | FixEd – Dee Halligan & Prof. Daniel Charny |
| 2018 | University of Brighton Design Archives |
| 2016 | Arts University Bournemouth |
| 2016 | Prof. Catherine McDermott |
| 2015 | Prof. Rachel Cooper OBE - Lancaster University |
| 2014 | National Art&Design Saturday Club – The Sorrell Foundation |
| 2012 | Manchester School of Art – Manchester Metropolitan University |
| 2011 | Creative Research into Sound Arts Practice (CRiSAP) – London College of Communication |
| 2009 | Prof. Anthony Dunne – Royal College of Art |
| 2007 | Department of Industrial Design – Coventry University School of Art & Design |
| 2006 | Design Against Crime Research Centre – Central St Martins School of Art |
| 2004 | Jane McCann – University of Derby |
| 2003 | Prof. Adrian Forty |
| 2002 | Prof. Ken Wallace – Cambridge University |
| 2001 | Prof. Roger Coleman and Dr Paul Ewing – Royal College of Art / Imperial College, London |