The Architects’ Journal and The Architectural Review have begun ramping up towards their 2019 Women in Architecture awards, releasing their Architect of the Year and Moira Gemmill Prize shortlists.

Elizabeth Diller of Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) took home the 2019 Jane Drew Prize, a career recognition of architects who have raised the profile of women in the profession. DS+R’s wide-ranging body of work and the consistently high level of finish and attention to detail in their projects were singled out in particular.

“It is a great honor to be awarded the Jane Drew Prize 2019,” said Diller, “and to join such an amazing group of women that came before. I’m very touched.”

French-Swiss architectural photographer Hélène Binet, who has contributed to the visual canon for 25 years with her heady photos that capture light, shadow, and materiality in sensitive interplays, was awarded the 2019 Ada Louise Huxtable Prize. The prize recognizes those in architecture-adjacent fields who have contributed to the advancement of the field and built environment.

“It is wonderful to be put forward for this award,” said Binet, “and it is an honor to be among such wonderful ladies.”

The combined Architect’s Journal and Architectural Review jury also released their shortlists for both the 2019 Architect of the Year award and the Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture.

For Architect of the Year, the finalists are as follows:

• Eva Prats, cofounder of Flores & Prats, for Casal Balaguer Cultural Centre in Palma de Mallorca, Spain by Flores & Prats and Duch-Pizà
• Sheila O’Donnell, founding director of O’Donnell + Tuomey, for the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, by O’Donnell + Tuomey
• Ellen van Loon, partner at OMA, for the Qatar National Library in Doha, by OMA
• Carme Pigem, co-founder of RCR Arquitectes, for De Krook Library in Ghent, Belgium, by RCR Arquitectes and Coussée & Goris Architecten.

The Moira Gemmill prize, named for the late Moira Gemmill, director of design at the V&A Museum, comes with a $13,000 award. The prize recognizes exemplary contributions of women architects under the age of 45 for their portfolio of completed works.

Finalists include:

• Lina Ghotmeh of Lina Ghotmeh Architecture, based in Paris, France
• Irene Pérez of TEd’A Arquitectes, based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain
• Xu Tiantian of DnA, based in Beijing, China
• Jeannette Kuo of Karamuk Kuo, based in Zürich, Switzerland

The judging panel will convene at the March 1 AJ/AR Women in Architecture Luncheon at the Savoy in London to announce the winners in full.