ShowBoats Design Awards

The Showboat Design Awards recognize the incredible design work within the maritime industry, with superyachts, sailing boats and tenders all getting their moment to shine.

Held annually in Kitzbuhel, Austria, at the Superyacht Design Symposium, the award ceremony usually kicks off in February and welcomes an extensive collection of the biggest names in the industry.

The awards were initially part of the World Superyacht Awards , before a number of new categories were introduced and they became a stand alone award ceremony.

In total there are 14 categories that cover a variety of areas including interior design, exterior design, naval architecture and more, all judged by yacht Owners, designers, stylists and senior yacht crew.

Display of ShowBoats Design Awards trophies, golden men holding tridents.

Judging boats that were launched during the previous calendar year, an elaborate gala evening celebrates the winners of the prospective awards. Though many smaller vessels including tenders get their limelight within the awards ceremony, most of the contenders are usually found within the 30m+ category.

Some of the awards presented during the ceremony include;

Exterior Design and Styling Award - Motor Yachts over 500GT
Holistic Design Award
Naval Architecture Award
Newcomer of the Year
Tender Design of the Year

In addition to the selection of awards being presented to yachts and boats themselves, there are also two further awards that have become highly prestigious.

The Young Designer of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award have both become coveted attractions to this particular award ceremony, showcasing outstanding contributions to the industry.

Taking place shortly after the Boot Dusseldorf event in Germany, there are likely to be many contenders who have previously displayed at the show. If any of those models have inspired you to buy a new yacht for the upcoming seasons, revisit them in our complete listing of all available new and used yachts for sale.