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The Leeds Architecture Awards are a celebration of excellence in design.

Leeds Architecture Awards 2025

We’re excited to announce that the Leeds Architecture Awards are back! Mark your calendars for the awards ceremony on 6 November 2025.

Leeds Architecture Awards Exhibition at the Corn Exchange, Part of Heritage Open Days 2025

We’re excited to announce that, as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days, which celebrates the theme of Architecture, the Leeds Architecture Awards will be hosting a special exhibition at the Leeds Corn Exchange.

Location: Lower Ground Floor, Leeds Corn Exchange
Dates: 12–19 September 2025

The exhibition will showcase all shortlisted entries from this year’s awards and invite visitors to take part in the Leeds Civic Trust People’s Choice Award by nominating their favourite building constructed in Leeds between 1965 and 2025.

For full opening times and visitor information, please visit the Leeds Corn Exchange website.

Award Categories.

Buildings of any age that have been retrofitted, refurbished or repurposed.
Buildings or phases of development with a construction cost of up to £10 million. This could include single dwellings or micro schemes which will be judged in a separate sub-category.
Buildings or phases of development with a construction cost of over £10 million.

This will include all publicly accessible spaces. We also welcome entries for public art (which may be judged in a separate category)
An overall winner will be selected from one of the category winners
As part of its 60th anniversary celebrations, Leeds Civic Trust is proud to launch a special People’s Choice Award, recognising buildings constructed in Leeds between 1965 and 2025. This award is part of the Leeds Architecture Awards 2025, which celebrate excellence in design and placemaking across the city.
Nominate Your Favourite Building
We’re inviting the public to nominate buildings they admire most, whether it’s a well-known landmark, a hidden gem, or a place with personal meaning. As long as it was built in Leeds within the last 60 years, it’s eligible!
What buildings have inspired you, brought you joy, or made you proud of Leeds? This is your chance to help create a public shortlist that celebrates architecture in the last 60 years!
👉 Submit your nomination here: Nomination Form
The Mark Finch Award will recognise the achievements of a person who has made a significant positive impact to the built environment and placemaking within the Leeds Metropolitan District.
It is awarded in honour of Mark Finch, an important figure in the development of the city for 25 years, who sadly passed away in 2023.
Mark, who worked as an Executive Director at Rushbond PLC for ten years, was a key figure in the development of projects such as the Majestic, the Corn Exchange and the First White Cloth Hall.
The award is supported by Mark’s family and Rushbond PLC, who are sponsoring the trophy which will be retained by the winner for two years until the next Leeds Architecture Awards in 2027.
How to apply
Awards will be made by nomination. A statement of up to 400 words should be provided by a deadline of 5pm on Friday 12th September 2025 by someone other than the nominee. The statement should provide the following information:
- The name and position of the nominee
- The project or body of work for which the person is nominated
- The impact made to the city’s built environment and place through this work
The statement should be sent to office@leedscivictrust.org.uk and should include the name of the person submitting the nomination and contact details.
Informal enquiries about the award should also be sent to office@leedscivictrust.org.uk
The awards process
The award will be made following a recommendation by a judging panel comprising representatives of Leeds Civic Trust, the Leeds Society of Architects and Leeds City Council in consultation with Mark’s family.
Eligibility and scope of the award
The overarching aim is to recognise the contribution of individuals who champion the built environment in Leeds through their work.
Nominations should focus on personal contributions made by the individual to work that has had a significant positive impact on the built environment and placemaking in Leeds. This may include contributions ranging from a single significant project to a body of work. Given that this is the first year the award is being made, the judges are not imposing a particular timescale on when this work took place, but would expect example(s) given to be recent.
The awards ceremony
The award will be presented at the Leeds Architecture Awards on the evening of Thursday 6th November 2025 at the Howard Assembly Room.

Eligibility Criteria.

Buildings and spaces located within the Leeds Metropolitan District
Schemes completed between 1 May 2023 and 31 May 2025
Must be visible to the public, even if not publicly accessible unless it is a single dwelling

Entry and Judging.

Entries open on 11 April 2025 and close on 31 May 2025.
The deadline has now been extended to midnight on Monday 16 June 2025.
A fee of £125 will be charged for each entry submitted*
*unless by a non-profit or charitable organisation with a turnover of <£1m per annum.
Download ‘Guide for Applicants’ for full details of assessment criteria.

Representatives of the Awards partnership will review desktop submissions and select a shortlist for each category.
An independent panel of judges will visit each of the shortlisted buildings and determine category winners.
Leeds Architecture Awards Exhibition, celebrating the many projects that entered the 2025 Leeds Architecture Awards and announcing this year’s shortlisted entries and showcasing all submitted projects!
Leeds Corn Exchange, lower ground floor: 12 - 19 September
Awards will be announced at a ceremony on 06 November 2025 at the Howard Assembly Room.