The Award recognises an individual who has contributed to the art of lighting design and the lighting profession in general and is presented by kind agreement with Richard’s family in memory of Richard Pilbrow (1933-2023). In 2024 the Awardee was David Hersey, read more in The 2024 Awards section.

Richard was one of the world’s leading theatre consultants. He was also an internationally known author and stage lighting designer, and a theatre, film, and television producer. He founded Theatre Projects in London in 1957 and under his leadership, the company became the pre-eminent theatre consulting organization in the world, with over 1,800 projects in 80+ countries to its credit. A friend and mentor to many and sadly missed.

In the words of Daisy Pilbrow “One of the things that Dad so successfully instilled in me was the ability to notice all the beautiful details in the world around us and to take great joy from them. For example the way the light falls through the trees to cast shadows on the ground (“Nature’s gobos!”), or the love you can see in a dog’s eyes when she looks at you, wagging her tail. Those tiny gems, those little moments of clarity, have carried me through many hard times, as I know they did him. It is so easy to get caught up in the dramas of life and the endless chores that come with it, but being able to step back and look, really look, that grounds you. It reminds you: you’re alive, you have so many reasons to be joyful, now get on with it!”