Apple has announced the winners and finalists of its 2025 Design Awards for apps, just days before the company’s Worldwide Developer Conference 2025 (WWDC). This year’s selections predominantly feature indie apps and startups.
The notable absence of generative AI apps from the list for the second consecutive year marks a contrast to the broader tech trend. While generative AI apps were not among the winners or finalists, Apple did highlight some applications incorporating AI features, such as Speechify, which won in the Inclusivity category, and the music creation and editing app Moises. Both are venture-backed startups.
Apple’s focus for the awards remains on developers’ innovative use of its tools to create enhanced user experiences. The company recognized 12 winners, with one app and one game selected in each of the six categories: Delight and Fun, Innovation, Interaction, Inclusivity, Social Impact, and Visuals and Graphics. The list of finalists also showcased a significant number of apps and games developed by small teams from around the world.
In the Social Impact category, Watch Duty, an app that provided crucial information during the California wildfires, received an award. Play, a developer prototyping tool backed by M13, was recognized as the best app in the Innovation category. The awards highlight Apple’s commitment to recognizing excellence in app design and development across its ecosystem.
The full list of winners across the six categories is as follows: in the Delight and Fun category, Capwords and Balatro were selected; Speechify and Art of Fauna won in the Inclusivity category; Play and PBJ – The Musical were recognized in the Innovation category; Taobao and DREDGE were chosen for the Interaction category; Watch Duty: Wildfire Maps and Neva received awards in the Social Impact category; and Feather: Draw in 3D and Infinity Nikki were the winners in the Visuals and Graphics category.
The awards underscore Apple’s commitment to recognizing excellence in app design and development across its ecosystem, with a particular emphasis on independent creators and impactful applications.
