During WWDC 2026 week, Apple announced the 12 winners of the 2026 Apple Design Awards, chosen from the 36 finalists revealed in the weeks before the event. The awards, given annually, recognize developers who have stood out for innovation, technical quality, and design care across app and game categories.
According to 9to5Mac and MacRumors, winners were selected from traditional categories including Delight and Fun, among others. Apple annually honors apps that demonstrate exemplary use of the latest platforms and APIs, and the 2026 cycle is no exception: many of the winning apps already integrate Apple Intelligence features or leverage the Liquid Glass redesign introduced in iOS 26 and further refined in iOS 27.
The Apple Design Awards are an important signal for the independent developer community: being recognized has a direct impact on App Store visibility and the ability to attract new users.