On the heels of a record-setting year for number of submissions, the Best of KBIS Awards will return to the 2025 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. This long-standing program salutes excellence in form and function, with product submissions covering every inch of the kitchen and bath space.
“Each year, Best of KBIS showcases how our industry is relentlessly focused on the future,” said Bill Darcy, Global President and CEO of NKBA | KBIS. “The level of competition is truly inspiring, as our exhibiting brands continually push boundaries, driving each other to new heights of excellence for the architecture and design community.”
The submission portal is open here, and the deadline to submit is Dec. 4. Finalists will be announced in early 2025, while winners will be announced live at the show during an awards ceremony on NEXTStage on Feb. 26, 2025. from 4–5 p.m. PDT.
Best of KBIS 2025 Categories
Seven award categories, expanded in 2024, reflect the innovation, diversity and design advancements of the kitchen and bath industry.
1. Style Statement: Kitchen
Products submitted to this category should have a focus on aesthetic value, favoring new finishes/colors, artistic collaborations and other key style features in the kitchen.
2. Style Statement: Bathroom
Products submitted to this category should have a focus on aesthetic value, favoring new finishes/colors, artistic collaborations and other key style features in the bath.
3. Sustainable Standout
This category will be judged for eco-friendly properties, i.e. energy or water conservation, carbon neutral manufacturing processes or recycled components.
4. Wellness Trailblazer
Standouts for wellness should deliver benefits to mental or physical wellbeing, including stress relief or connection to nature.
5. Game-Changing Innovation
Game-changing innovators should show new-to-market technology, new ways to manufacture materials, new-to-category advancements or any take on “new.”
6. Most Functional Find
This category will look for functional benefits (particularly multifunctional-use cases), longevity and value relative to price point.
7. Best in Show
Put simply, this award will honor the best all-around product.
Entry Information
To be eligible for consideration, all products must have been introduced after Jan. 31, 2024. To enter, exhibiting manufacturers must complete a Best of KBIS submission form here and submit at least two high-res (300 dpi) images. Products may be entered in multiple categories but require an individual entry form and submission fee for each category.
Judging
A judging committee of design professionals, thought leaders and industry experts will narrow the entries to approximately 50 finalists, who will be announced in January 2025.
The finalists will then be judged on site by the same group of experts to determine the winning products. Each finalist will have five minutes to present about their submitted item during an in-booth visit. Six categories award a Gold and Silver winner, while Best in Show awards one standout. Best of KBIS winners will be announced on site on Feb. 26, 2025.
