The LIT Lighting Design Awards has added several leading lighting designers from the entertainment lighting industry to its judging team. Highly respected by their peers in the industry, the judges are tasked with recognising creativity and innovation in the fields of stage and concert lighting, live art and theatre lighting. They include LeRoy Bennett, Roland Greil, Peter Morse and Charles B ‘Cosmo’ Wilson.
“For the sixth consecutive year, the programme is honouring the efforts of the talented international lighting product designers and lighting implementers. With fast-growing interest, and an increase of projects submitted from the entertainment lighting industry, LIT has invited new jury members to join the LIT Lighting Design Awards,” says a statement from LIT. “Their technical knowledge, extensive experience, eye for detail and their creative minds will be key to recognising the professional designers pushing boundaries and identifying emerging talents, who are bringing new ideas to the entertainment lighting industry.”
With decades of experience creating some of the biggest concert productions, LeRoy Bennett is a lighting and stage director who began his career designing stage productions for Prince. The success of Prince’s Dirty Mind tour led to a 14-year collaborative relationship and established LeRoy as the vanguard of his field. “Living in Los Angeles, LeRoy Bennett is recognised worldwide as one of the most iconic innovators in cutting-edge production, lighting, and stage design,” says LIT. His resume boasts superstars from every music genre including Ariana Grande, The Who, The Game Awards, Queen, Madonna, David Bowie, Maroon 5, Lenny Kravitz, and Faith Hill/Tim McGraw.
Roland Greil has worked with a number of the most significant artists in the entertainment industry, including; Adele, Phil Collins and the Rolling Stones, for whom he has collaborated with Woodroffe Bassett Design (WBD). Most recently Roland has been responsible for the co-lighting design of the current Rammstein stadium tour and Genesis’s Last Domino tour, also with WBD. “Roland’s work is characterized by a professional, radically creative and innovative way of thinking. His experiences will be a tremendous asset to the jury panel,” says LIT.
Peter Morse’s career spans more than 45 years in the entertainment industry. He is an Emmy Award-winning lighting designer that has worked with many of the world’s top artists, including; Michael Jackson, Madonna, Barbara Streisand, Usher, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, Andrea Bocelli, The Eagles, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Bette Midler, and many others. “Peter has lent his illuminating talents to numerous productions and has always appreciated the expression of design as a sampling of art and culture.”
Cosmo Wilson is a concert lighting designer and director. His illustrious career has found him having worked with more than 40 bands from; AC/DC, Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, Black Sabbath to Judas Priest and the Scorpions.
“In the entertainment industry, lighting is a powerful storyteller; it helps people to connect to their emotions and bring life to a performance,” said Astrid Hébert, Program Director of the LIT Lighting Design Awards. “We are very honoured to welcome Peter Morse, Charles B ‘Cosmo’ Wilson, LeRoy Bennett and Roland Greil to the panel, having all inspirational careers and unique expertise.”
With over 40 jury members, the LIT Lighting Design Awards Judges are all leading professionals and specialists in their fields. The evaluation process is based on various judging criteria that are constantly adapted to new technical, social, economic and environmental requirements.
Sophya Acosta, a light art director originally from Argentina and founder of the Sophya Acosta Lighting Design Studio is also joining the jury panel, bringing her knowledge in light art Installations. Already judges for a couple of years, Katia Kolovea – lighting director and founder of Archifos, and Bradley King – Broadway lighting designer, will also be reviewing the submissions in the entertainment lighting categories.
The Awards welcomes submissions from professional, emerging designers and students and will close for submissions on 22 October 2022. To enter the LIT Lighting Design Awards please register on the website: litawards.com
