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Bespoke trophies for extraordinary moments

Bespoke Trophies

Trophy Design Trends for 2026

As 2025 draws to a close, the conversation here in the Gaudio design studio is already turning to next year’s award season. The sketchpads are out, the 3D printers are humming, and the ideas are flowing. Many of our clients are starting to plan their 2026 awards, and as the enquiries roll in, we’re spotting some clear themes that are shaping the next wave of trophy design trends for 2026.

Hattie-Lomax-scaled-1

Hattie Lomax

October 30, 2025

Categories

Trophy Design
GA016028-Appreciation-Awards-2024-Event-Photos-7-resized-scaled

From bold 3D printed creations to trophies that incorporate industry-specific details, 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting year of innovation and imagination. Here’s the trends that our designers are predicting for the year ahead…

1) Celebrating What Makes Your Business Unique with Industry-Specific Components

Logos have long been the heart of many custom trophy designs, and for good reason. Your logo is a symbol of your identity; a shorthand for everything your brand stands for. But as we move into 2026, we’re seeing lots of our clients take this a step further. Instead of simply applying a logo to a trophy, they’re embedding the very essence of their industry into their awards. 

This Trend in Action

Take The Alpha Group Departures Board, for example. This bespoke set of awards was designed to resemble an airport departures board, complete with removable name plates that can be easily updated each year. It’s clever, interactive, and instantly recognisable to anyone in the travel sector.

Incorporating This Trend in Your Design

Think about the objects, symbols, or icons that define your industry. If you’re an e-commerce brand, we could use elements from your website interface, like a shopping basket or delivery icon, as part of the design. Or if you’re in media, maybe there’s a camera lens or soundwave motif that accurately captures your world. Our designers are experts in translating these concepts into dazzling, tangible trophies that feel like “you”.

The Alpha Group Departures Board trophy

2) Pushing the Boundaries of Modern Trophy Design with 3D Printing

3D printing has truly revolutionised the world of modern trophies. This technology is now at the heart of our studio’s most innovative projects, and we predict that 3D printed awards will become even more mainstream this year. 

The creative possibilities with 3D printing are truly endless. We can sculpt intricate shapes, textures, and layers that would be impossible to achieve through traditional methods. Many brands are now catching on, and we are proud to have crafted some impressive 3D printed trophies over the past few years.

This Trend in Action

We recently created a shiny set of gold 3D printed burgers, complete with tiny sesame seeds and realistic layers of “cheese”, for a light-heart, high profile event. They’re fun, fabulous, and totally unique, proving that even the most playful ideas can be executed with the same precision and polish as a luxury award.

Incorporating This Trend in Your Design

You don’t need to arrive with a 3D model in hand. Simply let us know what your concept or theme is, and our in-house design team will bring it to life. From abstract sculptures to lifelike replicas, 3D printing opens the door to a whole new era of trophy design where imagination knows no bounds – so have fun with it!

Gold 3D printed burger trophy

3) Colourful Tablets That Are Sleek, Striking, and Endlessly Versatile

In 2026, minimalism is continuing to hold its place in creative award design – but with a new, vibrant twist. Printed acrylic and aluminium tablets are set to remain a firm favourite this year, providing clean and contemporary canvases for colour and creativity. 

Tablets allow you to express your brand in the boldest ways. Think full-colour prints, gradient backgrounds, and layered finishes. They offer a large surface area for you to add graphics, text, and even sponsor logos, without compromising on the look and feel of the design.

This Trend in Action

We were recently approached by the Nexperia Awards to create a set of colourful, on-brand tablets for their glittering awards ceremony. Working within the brand’s strict design guidelines, we produced two sizes of vibrant tablets featuring bespoke print layouts for each category. The result was a cohesive, professional set of trophies that positively radiated the brand’s energy.

Incorporating This Trend in Your Design

A tablet trophy offers a solid foundation that you can easily adapt to your branding; whatever industry you’re operating in. Simply share your fonts, colours, and patterns with us, and our designers will craft a clean, striking design that embodies your event’s personality – whether that’s corporate and refined or bold and creative.

Nexperia awards

Looking for a Trophy Supplier for Your 2026 Awards?

As these trophy design trends for 2026 show, the world of awards is evolving fast – and we’re proud to be leading that evolution. Our design team thrives on exploring new materials, technologies, and ideas that push the boundaries of what’s possible in custom trophy design. 

Get in touch and challenge us to craft your dream trophies for your 2026 awards ceremony. Whether you’re planning a one-off trophy or an entire award series, we’re here to help you design something extraordinary.

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