Voting in the 2026 People's Choice Award is open from 21 September to 18 October. Browse this year's shortlist, back the project that makes you look twice, and you could be one of five voters to win a $250 gift card.* The winner is announced 19 October.
Our judges have the category awards covered. This one is yours.
Now in its third year, the People's Choice Award is one of six categories in the 2026 Lysaght Inspirations Design Awards, and the only one decided entirely by the public. Voting opens Monday 21 September, and there's something in it for you, too. Five voters, drawn at random, will each receive a $250 gift card.*
This year's shortlist covers extraordinary ground. Off-grid accommodation in the Red Centre. A regional hospital rethinking how healthcare buildings meet Country. Social housing its community wrote letters of support for. An early learning centre built behind a heritage façade. Homes that settle into hillsides, bushland and coastal hinterland rather than sitting on top of them. What connects them is ambitious, considered use of LYSAGHT steel building products.
Why your vote matters
Our judging panel assesses each category against design, technical and sustainability criteria. The People's Choice Award works differently. It belongs to the people who live in, work in and walk past buildings like these every day, and it recognises the project that simply makes you look twice. For the practice behind the winning project, that public endorsement carries real weight. For you, it takes about a minute.
How to vote
Voting is simple.
1. Visit the People's Choice website.
2. Browse this year's shortlisted projects.
3. Select your favourite and cast your vote with a single click.
Voting opens on 21 September 2026 and closes at 11:55pm on 18 October 2026. Every vote counts towards the result.
What's at stake
The project with the most votes receives a $2,500 cash prize and the 2026 People's Choice Award title, announced on 19 October 2026 alongside the winners of every other category.
Those five $250 gift cards are drawn from everyone who casts a vote, so backing your favourite is all it takes to be in the running.*
Have your say
The shortlist is live. The decision is yours. Vote Now!
* Voting opens 21 September 2026 and closes 11:55pm on 18 October 2026. Prize draw open to Australian residents aged 18 and over. Terms and conditions apply. See the People's Choice Award voters' prize terms and conditions for full details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once. Voting is limited to one vote per person for the duration of the voting period, so choose carefully.
Your email address and phone number, so we can contact you if you win. You can read exactly how we use your details in the terms and conditions.
By you. Every other category is assessed by our judging panel, but this one goes to the shortlisted project with the most public votes.
The People's Choice Award winner is announced on 19 October 2026, alongside the winners of every other 2026 Lysaght Inspirations Design Awards category.
Every vote is an entry. Five voters are drawn at random after voting closes and each receives a $250 Eftpos gift card. Winners are notified by email within seven days of the draw.*
