Richard Pilbrow Speaks Out About the Knight of Illumination Awards

Internationally respected lighting designer, Richard Pilbrow, has called the annual Knight of Illumination Award "the most valuable gift to the entire lighting profession."

British-born Pilbrow, who now lives in the US, is joint founder of the Association of British Theatre Technicians, Society of Theatre Consultants, The Society of British Theatre Designers, and the Association of Lighting Designers.

He has won countless awards, including the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award in Lighting Design from the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Association of British Theatre Technicians' Technician of the Year (2000), Lighting Designer of the Year by Lighting Dimensions magazine (2005), The Wally Russell Foundation's Wally Russell Lifetime Achievement Award (2008), and was honored at last year's Knight of Illumination Awards with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

"I was tremendously honored to receive the Knight of Illumination (KOI) award," he says. "The KOI is a marvellous gift to our profession. Lighting design still fails to receive sufficient attention and this is a major uplift to the industry's profile. Also, to be nominated for such an honor by one's peers is an honor indeed."

The Knight of Illumination Awards take place each September to recognize excellence in lighting design for live music, television, and theatre events. Organized by STLD, ALD, and Clay Paky, the KOI event forges closer ties between the world of lighting design and the lighting industry as a whole.

"Light is after all, one of the strongest and most fundamental influences on the human eye, brain, emotions, and sub-conscious," says Pilbrow. "Events such as KOI assist in the slow but gradual development of the recognition good lighting design deserves."

Last year's talented Knight of Illumination winners included Simon Butcher, for the television drama Casualty; Roger Williams for the variety series, Tonight's the Night; Matt Carter for the morning talk show, ITV Daybreak; Al Gurdon for the Super Bowl Halftime Show; Michael Straun for the Glasvegas tour; Nick Whitehouse for the last Kylie tour; Jamie Thompson for The Script's tour, Charles Atlas for the dance production, Tate Project; Wolfgang Goebbel for the opera, Tristan und Isolde; Bruno Poet for the National Theatre production of Frankenstein; and Hugh Vanstone for the West End musical, The Wizard of Oz.

This year's nominations are now open, and organizers are inviting you to submit suggestions for the longlist -- which you can do at the URL below.