2026 Moira Gemmill and MJ Long prizes announced by W Awards

The winners of the 2026 W Awards’ Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture and MJ Long Prize for Excellence in Practice have been announced at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. Formerly known as Women in Architecture, the W Awards are intended to raise the profile of women and non-binary people in architecture.

Pooja Khairnar, founder of PK Inception, received the Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture, which recognizes architects under the age of 45 leading their own practices. Based in Nashik, India, PK Inception focuses primarily on projects in rural communities and underserved regions, with much of its work centered on lower-income and tribal populations.

“Pooja Khairnar is a very lucid architect who doesn’t compromise aesthetic, beauty or high-quality design in her architecture,” the jury noted. “Her practice is anchored in local realities and materialities, and driven by a responsibility to address the issues she sees around her.”

The MJ Long Prize for Excellence in Practice was awarded to Natasha Huq of GRAS for work on Preston Tower in Prestonpans, Scotland. The restoration project reopened the historic tower to the public for the first time in four decades. The jury highlighted the project’s collaborative approach, noting its engagement with multiple stakeholders and local communities throughout the rehabilitation process.

“Natasha Huq’s practice shows how architecture can be about building less, and instead about caring for and repairing the existing built environment,” the jury said. “Her’s is a model for a form of practice that starts from the bottom up: The sticky difficult places that architecture needs to go.”