The
Data
Sonification
Awards
An annual event to recognise excellence in the field of data sonification. The awards serve to recognise outstanding work in the field, as well as encourage and reward best practices. The goal is to uplift the entire data sonification community and foster strong connections between researchers and other people creating sonifications.
Latest news: The winners of the 2025-26 Data Sonification Awards have been announced! See the winners
Categories
An expert committee representing each category creates and annually updates the evaluation criteria for the awards, ensuring that they align with the state of the art in data sonification. This ongoing process maintains the program's relevance and rigour as the field evolves.
Analysis
Sonifications that have been designed to increase knowledge and understanding of data within an applied context.
Arts
Sonification projects that contribute to the field of art and express creative, aesthetic perspectives.
Communication
Sonifications in this category use storytelling and narrative techniques to tell a story, share insights, or inspire general audiences.
If you have experience in sonification and you'd like to join one of our expert committees, get in touch.
Process
The program accepts submissions once a year, allowing participants to enter works released within the preceding two years that have not been submitted previously to the awards (to allow people to enter things if they missed the previous season because they didn't know about the awards).
Following the submission period, a small team of volunteer judges from the community evaluates all entries based on the criteria for each category.
The program then recognizes all entries that meet the criteria as equal winners, showcasing these top-tier sonifications in the Data Sonification Archive.
Rewards and Recognition
Winning entries receive increased exposure and recognition within the data sonification community, offering tangible proof of their exceptional quality.
Winners may also gain access to website badges, access to funding, curated exhibitions, media coverage and being featured at academic conferences.
Why?
Community uplift
By recognizing a broad range of high-quality projects, the program celebrates and supports the entire community rather than a select few.
Goal-setting
The program's criteria provide a clear benchmark for practitioners, encouraging them to strive for excellence in their work.
Promotion of best practices
By rewarding projects that meet established criteria, the program encourages and reinforces good practices within the field.
Bridging academia and practice
The program fosters collaboration and communication between academic researchers and practitioners, enriching the data sonification community.
Tangible proof of excellence
Winners receive concrete evidence of their outstanding work, bolstering their reputation and career prospects.
A lasting record
Winning entries join the Data Sonification Archive, creating a curated, enduring record of the field's best work.
Our team
The Data Sonification Awards is a collaboration between Sara Lenzi and Paolo Ciuccarelli, co-curators of the Data Sonification Archive, and Duncan Geere from the Loud Numbers data sonification studio.
Jordan Wirfs-Brock leads the communication committee, Jamie Perera leads the arts committee, and Myounghoon Jeon leads the analysis committee. We're interested in establishing partnerships with other relevant organisations and institutions — if you'd like to partner with us, get in touch.