Liquid Glass won a major design award at the Art Directors Club of New York Awards, where Apple took home six awards in total. The highlight was the Gold Cube for the controversial Liquid Glass redesign, which has faced backlash due to readability issues on Macs, iPhones, and iPads. Apple is expected to unveil an improved version at WWDC 2026.
See also: Apple Developer app gets Liquid Glass redesign
The 13 judges on the panel have yet to comment on their selection and may not do so until the official ceremony on May 15, 2026. However, the presentation by Apple's design team for the awards reveals their intentions.
“iOS 26 was designed as a holistic rethink of how software could look, feel, and work,” the presentation said. “Through simplicity, clarity, and efficiency, it establishes a design language that scales from the smallest detail to the structure of the system.”
The Gold Cube is the second highest honor bestowed by the ADC. In addition to the win for Liquid Glass, Apple took home six Gold Cubes at the 2026 awards, including:
See also: Liquid Glass will not be removed in macOS 27, improvement expected
- iOS 26 Liquid Glass – Interactive / UX / UI
- Apple TV Redesign – Cinematography
- Apple TV Redesign – Animated Logo
- Advertisement “Someday” – Direction
- “I'm Not Remarkable” – Music and Use of Sound
- “I'm Not Remarkable” – Online Video
Apple's submission for "I'm Not Remarkable" aimed to show that students with disabilities are just like any other student, while also demonstrating Apple's commitment to accessibility.
The six Gold Cube wins for 2026 match the total that Apple and its advertising agency TBWA\Media achieved in 2019 for the film “Welcome Home.” Apple’s strongest performances came in 2018 and 2020, when it won the award for best presentation, the Black Cube. In 2018, that was for its one-minute iPhone 7 Plus commercial, “Barbers,” and in 2020, it was for its “Bounce,” a two-minute film that features a man walking to work wearing AirPods.
See also: Google says Pixel Phones won't adopt Liquid Glass
The 2026 ceremony, called “The One Show,” will conclude ADC’s Creative Week and will be hosted by writer and comedian Leslie Jones at Cipriani Wall Street.
