Apple reveals finalists of Apple Design Awards ahead of WWDC 2026

With WWDC 2026 on the horizon, Apple reveals its design award finalists. Indian apps Guitar Wiz and Katha Room lead in inclusivity and social impact.

With just three weeks left before the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026 (June 8-12) kicks off in Cupertino, US tech major has announced the finalists of the Apple Design Awards.

Apple has handpicked 36 finalists for the annual design awards under various categories such as innovation, inclusivity, delight & fun, interaction, social impact, and visuals & graphics.

Among them, two apps- Guitar Wiz and Katha Room, developed by Indian app developer companies, have been nominated in the inclusivity and social impact categories, respectively.

Guitar Wiz is an all-in-one toolkit for guitarists; built with SwiftUI by solo developer Bijoy Thangaraj. It comes with several inclusivity features, robust VoiceOver integration, which provides spoken information and instructions on everything -- from pitch to chord guidance to where players should place their fingers on the frets.

Further, Guitar Wiz also supports Dynamic Type, Increased Contrast, and Differentiate Without Colour to enable people of all abilities to play freely with less hassle.

Finalists of Apple Design Awards 2026.

Developed by Parjanya Creative Solutions, Katha Room is a bedtime stories app. It comes with rich, colourful art and cultural representation of India. Katha Room keeps its focus on stories drawn from Indian folklore, and decorates them with a UI drawn from the Gond art form — its intricate patterns and vibrant colours bring warmth to every screen. Katha Room is also a lovely showcase for sound design, and it encourages listeners to imagine characters, settings, and emotions for themselves.

Here is a list of finalists selected for the Apple Design Awards 2026:

Delight & Fun

Finalists in this category provide memorable, engaging, and satisfying experiences enhanced by Apple technologies.

Apps:

1) Blippo+ (by Panic, Inc., United States)

2) grug ( by Ocho, Netherlands)

Games:

1) PowerWash Simulator (by FuturLab Limited, United Kingdom)

2) Is This Seat Taken? (by Poti Poti Studio, Spain)

3) Ball x Pit (by Kenny Sun Studios, United States)

Inclusivity

Finalists in this category provide a great experience for all by reflecting a variety of backgrounds, abilities, and languages.

Apps:

1) Guitar Wiz (by Bijoy Thangaraj, India)

2) Hearing Buddy (by Lilly Seay, United States)

3) Structured (by unorderly GmbH, Germany)

Games:

1) Sago Mini Jinja’s Garden (by Sago Mini, Canada)

2) Pine Hearts (by Hyper Luminal Games Limited, United Kingdom)

3) Civilization VII (by Firaxis Games, United States)

Innovation

Finalists in this category provide a state‑of‑the‑art experience through a novel use of Apple technologies that sets them apart in their genre.

Apps:

1) Detail: AI Video Editor (Detail Technologies B.V., Netherlands)

2) NBA: Live Games & Scores (by National Basketball Association, United States)

3) D-Day: The Camera Soldier (by TARGO, France)

Games:

1) TR-49 (by inkle, UK)

2) Blue Prince (by Dogubomb, United States)

3) Pickle Pro (by Resolution Games AB, Sweden)

Interaction

Finalists in this category deliver intuitive interfaces and effortless controls that are tailored to their platform.

Apps:

1) The Outsiders: Athlete Tracker (by Gentler Stories, LLC, Slovenia)

2) Moonlitt: Moon Phase Tracker (by Flipping Hues Srls, Italy)

3) Tide Guide: Charts & Tables (by Condor Digital, United States)

Games:

1) TR-49 (by inkle, UK)

2) Sago Mini Jinja’s Garden (by Sago Mini, Canada)

3) Grand Mountain Adventure 2 (by Toppluva AB, Sweden)

Social Impact

Finalists in this category promise to improve the users' lives in a meaningful way and shine a light on crucial issues.

Apps:

1) Primary: News in Depth (by Wood Metal Rocks LLC, United States)

2) Katha Room (by Parjanya Creative Solutions, India)

3) Harvee (by Peak Labs Ltd., United Kingdom)

Games:

1) Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, United States)

2) Despelote ( by Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena, Ecuador)

3) Spilled! (by Lente Cuenen, Netherlands)

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