Edward C. Kemper Award

The Kemper Award is open to AIA members in good standing. To be eligible, nominees must affirm that neither they nor their firm employs unpaid intern architects, including working students (as defined in Section 11.0 of the AIA Rules of the Board).

Members of the AIA Board, Strategic Council, and past AIA National Officers are not eligible to be nominated until three (3) years have passed since the end date of their service.

Nomination

Any AIA member in good standing, as well as AIA Board members, Strategic Council members, components, and Knowledge Communities may make nominations for the Kemper Award.

Nominator responsibilities

If your nominator is an individual, they must affirm that neither they nor their firm employs unpaid intern architects, including working students (as defined in Section 11.0 of the AIA Rules of the Board).

Nominators are required to write a letter of support for the candidate that introduces the submission. Nominators also assist the candidate by acting as a point of contact for the reference writers and providing guidance as needed.

2026 

Submissions open June 20, 2025.

Specific information regarding program policies (i.e., applicant eligibility, nominator options, etc.), required application components (i.e., letters of reference, candidate/project information fields, etc.), and other elements relevant in the 2026 iteration of the program will be available in the online application portal once the award begins accepting materials. All materials must be submitted via the online portal (i.e., cannot be accepted via email, phone, shared online drive, fax, post, etc.) by the prescribed deadline(s): deadline extension or exception requests will not be granted. Applicants and interested parties are encouraged to seek award assistance well in advance of application deadlines to minimize the risk for ineligibility and/or application noncompliance rendering the entry removed from review.              

Fee: There is no fee to apply to this program. 

Application Components
Extensive information on the materials required to submit an application is housed in the AIA online application portal. Please reference the information in this portal when the program is receiving materials for the 2026 season. 

Review Criteria

Nominees are evaluated based on how their contributions have:

• Demonstrated great depth and breadth and had a cumulative effect on the profession of architecture.
• Addressed the future of architecture while honoring its tradition.
• Transcended or united specific areas of expertise.
• Become widely known—by architects, designers, educators, and the public—for the quality of their work.

Finalist information

If you are selected as a finalist by the Advisory Jury, the next stage of the awards process includes a vote by the AIA Board of Directors and Strategic Council (the Jury) at their joint meeting, typically in early December. During their deliberations, the Jury may have questions or request additional information.

Finalists are asked to provide contact information and ideally be available on the day of the vote to respond to any requests.

Finalist rollover

Finalists who are not selected may rollover their application materials to the next cycle for consideration in the initial pool of applicants.

Recognition

Recognition for this program typically includes the following elements but may be subject to change. Recipients will receive additional information about this cycle’s recognition benefits with their selection notification.

• Promotional recognition in AIA communication channels.
• Invitation for the recipient or a recipient representative to attend selected AIA Awards event celebrations, commonly held during the annual AIA Conference on Architecture & Design.
• Elevation to AIA Fellowship, as eligible.

Recipients of this award from 2025 to 2023 can be found at AIA award winners. For previous recipients please contact AIA Archives.