Jony Ive Wins Lifetime Achievement Award From SF's Museum of Modern Art - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Jony Ive Wins Lifetime Achievement Award From SF's Museum of Modern Art

jony_iveApple's design chief Jony Ive is set to be honored with the Bay Area Treasure Award, given by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Ive will receive the award for his long history of designing innovative products for Apple.

"Ive is our generation's most innovative and influential figure in the field of industrial design--no other design mind has done more to transform the way we visualize and share information," said SFMOMA Director Neal Benezra. "SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast to establish a department of architecture and design, and we're thrilled to celebrate Ive's revolutionary achievements."

Ive, who has designed products for Apple since 1992, has been responsible for many of the company's flagship products, including the iPod, iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iOS 7.

The award will be given to Ive at a dinner and presentation set to be held on Thursday, October 30, 2014, where Ive will speak with SFMOMA Curator of Architecture and Design Jennifer Dunlop Fletcher. Tickets for the event will range in price from $400 to $1,250 and can be purchased via the Modern Art Council.

In the past, SFMOMA's Bay Area Treasure Award has been given to famed artists and creators like architect Lawrence Halprin, filmmaker George Lucas, media artist Jim Cambbell, and painter Wayne Thiebaud. In a statement, Ive said he was proud to be recognized by the museum.

"I've always enjoyed visiting SFMOMA, and I think it represents exceptional contemporary art and design," said Ive. "I'm very grateful to the museum and proud to be recognized among such an amazing list of past recipients."

Ive has received several other awards for his work at Apple, including a 2007 National Design Award for the iPhone and a 2009 honorary doctorate from the Rhode Island School of Design. Ive was also appointed as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire back in 2006 and in 2012, he was elevated to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, where he was knighted by Princess Anne.

Popular Stories

Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple Says CarPlay Ultra is Coming to These Vehicle Brands

Thursday May 21, 2026 11:53 am PDT by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly a year later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. CarPlay Ultra...
iphone 18 pro blue%402x

iPhone 18 Pro: Dark Cherry, Light Blue, and Dark Gray Chassis Leaked [Update]

Thursday June 4, 2026 5:18 am PDT by
Update: Since publication, new information has come to light suggesting the images have been AI-manipulated and are not in fact iPhone 18 Pro chassis parts. The original article follows. The color options Apple is reportedly planning for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max have appeared online today in the form of images of chassis parts of unknown authenticity....
iOS 27 All the New App Features

iOS 27: All the Rumored App Features

Wednesday June 3, 2026 3:48 pm PDT by
Siri is getting a major overhaul in iOS 27, but Apple also has some big updates planned for apps like Camera, Photos, and Wallet. There are multiple new AI features in the works, plus some non-AI upgrades. Camera Apple is moving Visual Intelligence from the Camera Control button to the Camera app in iOS 27, according to Bloomberg. There will be a Siri mode that will be available alongside...

Top Rated Comments

redscull Avatar
158 months ago
including the iPod, iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iOS 7
One of these things is not like the other!
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
158 months ago
For *some* of his hardware designs, I say "Good show." (If he had anything to do with all the variations of the iPod Mini, I'd say he flunked out.)

But you will get absolutely no kudos from me for anything he did that was software-related (i.e., iOS7 and God knows what hell he'll introduce to the next Mac OS.

This.

His work on the older "Aluminium" devices is fantastic, and the iPhone 4/4s is still my favorite phone looks-wise. The unibody Macbooks rock, and even the Air and retina MBPs are amazing.

The G4 Cube and the "tablelamp" iMac G4 we're the most beautiful computers I'd ever seen, to this day. They are what initially attracted me to the Mac. Then I saw OSX, and it was over.

Fast-forward to today, and I'm closer than ever to leaving the Apple altogether because of his work (although I blame Tim for that).

So, hardware award? Sure. Much deserved.

Software? No. HELL no.

So far, I think his solo work is weak. I really don't think he's any good without Steve Jobs saying "No" to him and steering him in the right direction.

But maybe that's just me.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPSaltzman Avatar
158 months ago
For *some* of his hardware designs, I say "Good show." (If he had anything to do with all the variations of the iPod Mini, I'd say he flunked out.)

But you will get absolutely no kudos from me for anything he did that was software-related (i.e., iOS7 and God knows what hell he'll introduce to the next Mac OS.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iMacFarlane Avatar
158 months ago
I wonder which color his t shirt will be when he receives the award

It should be blindingly white, with a logo written in thin, light green text.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
158 months ago
Might be interesting: OS XIve
Pronounced: Zive

I wish I could downvote this into oblivion ;)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
158 months ago
Soon OS X is Ived, as well.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)