ArtCenter Awards 2026 honor Zack Snyder and alumni
ArtCenter College of Design will celebrate four distinguished alumni at the 2026 ArtCenter Awards on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Hillside Campus in Pasadena. The annual event recognizes creative visions that have influenced industries, broken boundaries and inspired new generations of artists and designers.
ArtCenter President Karen Hofmann stated that the college prepares students to be creative leaders and that the awards celebrate the remarkable ways alumni put that education into practice. This year's honorees have made significant contributions whose achievements reflect the lasting impact graduates have on the creative industries and communities they serve.
The four honorees represent achievements across design, technology, animation, filmmaking and creative leadership. They are Clement Mok, Celine DaHyeu Kim, Katie Sprague and Zack Snyder.
Clement Mok, who earned a BFA in 1980, receives the Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award. A pioneer at the intersection of design and technology, he transformed how people experience the world through groundbreaking work at Apple and leadership in digital design. Tom Suiter, a 1977 BFA alumnus whose career includes Apple, Pixar, United Airlines, Nike, Pebble Beach, Caterpillar and Stanford Medicine, presents the award.
Celine DaHyeu Kim, a 2016 BFA graduate, receives the Young Innovator Award. She served as environment art director on the Oscar-winning animated film KPop Demon Hunters and helped shape its vibrant visual world. Her work reflects the imagination driving today's animation industry. Chris Appelhans, a 2002 BFA alumnus and Academy Award-winning director whose credits include KPop Demon Hunters and Wish Dragon, presents the award.
Katie Sprague, who earned a BFA in 1991, receives the Outstanding Service Award. She spent three decades at Callison RTKL, now Arcadis, while building connections between creative practice, education and industry and maintaining a commitment to mentorship and alumni engagement. Julian Ryder, a 1972 BFA alumnus, author, educator and founder of The Right Brain Project, presents the award.
Zack Snyder, a 1989 BFA graduate, receives the Distinguished Mid-Career Alumni Award. His films include Dawn of the Dead, 300, Watchmen, Man of Steel, Zack Snyder's Justice League and Army of the Dead. He is recognized for fearless storytelling, ambitious world-building and cinematic spectacle. Tig Notaro, the comedian, actor and producer who starred in Army of the Dead, presents the award.
The evening marks the 15th anniversary of the Denhart Family Sustainability Scholarship Prize. Established in 2011 by Gun and Christian Denhart, a 2010 BS graduate, in memory of Thomas Denhart, a 1963 BPA graduate, the prize recognizes undergraduate students whose work advances environmental, social and economic sustainability. It has awarded more than $442,000 in scholarship support. Heidrun Mumper-Drumm, director of sustainability initiatives, is honored for stewarding the prize over 15 years.
The 2025 Denhart Prize first-prize recipients are Sophia Metzger, Mary Nersesyan and Xinru Yuan for GATHER ALTADENA, a community-led recovery model for neighborhoods affected by the Altadena fires. Brandon Shimoda received second prize for FLAT-PACK. Jessica Susilo received third prize for ANYAMAN RESORT. Arpi Hakhverdyan and Austen Henry-Biskup received special recognition.
Special presenters with personal or professional connections to the honorees include Tom Suiter for Mok, Chris Appelhans for Kim, Julian Ryder for Sprague and Tig Notaro for Snyder. Each presenter offers reflections on the recipients' creative journeys.
The 2026 ArtCenter Awards bring together generations of creative talent, alumni, industry leaders, artists, designers, faculty, students and friends of the college at the Hillside Campus for an evening of inspiration and connection through personal stories and shared experiences.
Tables and tickets for the November 7, 2026 event from 6 to 10 p.m. are on sale. ArtCenter College of Design was founded in 1930 and is located in Pasadena, California.
