Apple Announces Design Awards 2026 Finalists; Guitar Wiz, Hearing Buddy and Pickle Pro Make the Cut

Apple has been hosting the Design Awards for three decades. The Design Awards 2026 mark 30 years of the award event, which is meant to recognise the work of app and game developers across various categories. Now, the Cupertino-based tech giant has announced the names of the finalists who will be competing for the awards in six different categories, including Delight and Fun, Inclusivity, Innovation, Interaction, Social Impact, and Visuals and Graphics. Available across various Apple devices, like iPhone, iPad, and MacBook models, the awards commemorate the design prowess of app and game developers. In 2025, Play and PBJ won the award for best app and game in the Innovation category, respectively.

Apple Design Awards 2026 Finalists

In a blog post, the tech giant has revealed the names of finalists for its Design Awards 2026 across Delight and Fun, Inclusivity, Innovation, Interaction, Social Impact, and Visuals and Graphics categories. Blippo+, a macOS app for retro-futurist TV streaming, has been nominated in the Delight and Fun category, along with Metaballs, a visionOS app that lets users create spatial blobs, bubbles, and shapes, and Grug, an iOS daily affirmations app.

Meanwhile, PowerWash Simulator, Is This Seat Taken, and Ball x Pit will compete for the best game title in the Delight and Fun category. On the other hand, Guitar Wiz, Hearing Buddy, and Structured apps are finalists in the Inclusivity category, along with Sago Mini Jinja's Garden, Pine Hearts, and Civilization VII games, which are available for iOS and iPadOS devices.

In the Innovation category, Detail: AI Video Editor, NBA: Live Games & Scores, and D-Day: The Camera Soldier will compete for the best-designed apps. Meanwhile, TR-49, Blue Prince, and Pickle Pro have made it to the list of finalists in the Apple Design Awards 2026 under the Innovation category.

On the other hand, the Interaction category for apps and games that provide intuitive interfaces and “effortless controls” tailored to different platforms, will see The Outsiders: Athlete Tracker, Moonlitt: Moon Phase Tracker, and Tide Guide: Charts & Tables competing for the top spot. The list of games nominated in the category includes TR-49, Sago Mini Jinja's Garden, and Grand Mountain Adventure 2.

Meanwhile, the Social Impact category will see competition between Primary: News in Depth, Katha Room, and Harvee apps, and Consume Me, Despelote, and Spilled games. Apple says that the category features apps and games that improve the lives of users in a “meaningful way” and “shine a light on crucial issues”.

Lastly, the Visuals and Graphics category for the Apple Design Awards 2026, which focuses on in-app imagery, interfaces, and animations, will award a winner between Tide Guide: Charts & Tables, Caradise, and (Not Boring) Camera apps, while recognising games like Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition, Arknights: Endfield, and SILT.

Apple is expected to announce the winners of the Design Awards 2026 in each category during or after its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026, which is expected to take place next month, from June 8 to June 12.