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

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...

Top Rated Comments

redscull Avatar
146 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)
melendezest Avatar
146 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
146 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
146 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)
TWSS37 Avatar
146 months ago
Might be interesting: OS XIve
Pronounced: Zive

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