The 19th edition of Design Miami/ opens to the public today, which means it’s time to share the Best of Show winners!

Chosen by the fair’s illustrious Vetting Committee members—architect Lee Mindel, advisor Simon Andrews, collector Al Eiber, and Senior VP of Fairs Grela Orihuela—these awards spotlight exhibitors who have gone above and beyond, curating outstanding collectible designs and showcasing them at their best.

We wish to thank our amazing community of galleries, studios, institutions, and brands for making the show such a great success, including our Exclusive Automotive Sponsor Audi and Exhibiting Partner Panerai, as well as Private Client Select, Michael's Genuine Bistro, JUSTIN Wine, and Alkemis Paint!

Scroll on to see the Design Miami/ 2023 Best of Show winners.

The award for Best Historical Work has been given to a true rarity represented by Paris’ Galerie Patrick Seguin: the S.A.M. Tropique no. 503 Table from Cameroon by Jean Prouvé. The French modernist design legend originally produced the table in dark African wood for an Air France residence in Brazzaville, Congo Republic, in 1951. Seguin is showing a totally unique version that was discovered in Cameroon. Embodying the pinnacle of modernist design thinking, this exceptional piece features a streamline demountable structure, a light, beautifully patinated aluminum top, and four inclined legs that facilitate user comfort and imbue the form with a striking sculptural dimension.

The award for Best Contemporary Work has been given to the One-Seater Concrete Tree (2022), designed and fabricated by the inimitable Netherlands-based artist-designer Nacho Carbonell and represented by international design gallery Carpenters Workshop Gallery. Handcrafted in concrete, steel, mesh, and cork, this one-of-a-kind, monumental fantasia approaches 12 feet tall and offers the most enchanting seating experience—a rustic yet regal throne to contemplate life beneath a billowy pink canopy embellished with twinkling lights.

London’s Gallery FUMI has received the Best Gallery Presentation Award for its sophisticated yet warm and welcoming installation of newly unveiled contemporary designs handcrafted by an impressive roster of established and emerging talents. Highlights include the intricately layered Armadillo Collection by Berlin-based Lukas Wegwerth; spirited ceramic illuminated sculptures by NYC artist Jeremy Anderson; the dazzling Light Entanglements Chandelier by Danish glass artist Stine Bidstrup; and a magical collection of cardboard furniture by British master designer-craftsman Max Lamb.

The Best Curio Presentation Award has been given to Raise the Moral, the LA-based studio of Moral Turgeman specialized in sensorial and experiential design. For her Design Miami/ debut, Turgeman collaborated with designer Kelsey Falter on Becoming Familiar, an installation that invites reconnection within the human body through sensorially immersive, vibrating design objects with the goal of restoring life-force energy. Raise the Moral’s installation brings a moment of serenity to the otherwise lively fair atmosphere.

The Best Special Project Award belongs to Villa Albertine x Mobilier National, two esteemed French cultural institutions that teamed up to promote contemporary French craftsmanship through the work of five emerging talents: Atelier George, Atelier d'Offard, Chloé Bensahel, Gala Espel, and Dimitry Hlinka. This all white, organic yet futurist, dreamscape installation showcases fresh approaches to age-old artisanal techniques, resulting in objects that bridge the traditional and the cutting edge.

This year, we’re thrilled to announce a special new award inspired by Where We Stand, the curatorial theme chosen by Design Miami/ 2023 Curatorial Director Anna Carnick. Celebrating a rising-star designer whose empathy-driven practice uplifts community and harnesses the power of design to nurture connection, the Design for Good Award has been given to Nifemi Marcus-Bello. The Lagos-based designer is debuting two powerful projects at this year’s fair. The first is Omi Iyọ, a wall structure that invites reflection on the world’s mounting immigration crisis, installed at the entrance next to the Carnick’s curatorial statement. And the second is Tales by Moonlight, a sand-cast metal furniture collection that engages issues of globalization, sustainability, and more, on view in the Curio presentation of Marta Los Angeles.

According to Carnick, “Marcus-Bello’s poetic, potent works hold a mirror up to this moment, honoring communities and craft heritage while also encouraging thoughtful discourse on some of the most pressing issues of our day. His narrative-driven practices shines a light on locally inspired but globally resonant stories, demonstrating design's potential to connect beyond borders.”

We couldn’t end our Design Miami/ 2023 Best of Show roundup without mentioning The Book of Love, a fundraiser supporting the right to read, organized by Design Miami, Anava Projects, and Miami bookseller Books & Books. In response to reactionary book bans across the US and beyond, we’ve invited creatives from around the globe to design limited-edition prints inspired by some of the most beloved yet besieged titles. On sale now through Spring 2024, all proceeds benefit the Books & Books Literary Foundation’s efforts to fight censorship. And stay tuned: new prints will be added to the collection over the life of the sale. Support this urgent, worthy cause!

Head over to the Books & Books site and purchase a print (or two) today!