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 store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
General Apps Messages Redux

Singapore Orders Changes to iMessage by December

Tuesday November 25, 2025 6:39 am PST by
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red Green

The 30+ Best Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 6:46 am PST by
Black Friday is finally here, and as always this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...

Top Rated Comments

redscull Avatar
151 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
151 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
151 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
151 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
151 months ago
Might be interesting: OS XIve
Pronounced: Zive

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