Audio-Technica's "Hotaru" Winner of the globally acclaimed "A' Design Award"
The award ceremony was held at Lake Como in Italy
Audio-Technica Corporation (Headquarters: Machida, Tokyo; President: Kazuo Matsushita) is pleased to announce that its turntable " Hotaru," which was unveiled at Milan Design Week, won the Platinum Award, the highest award in the product design category, at the A' Design Award and Competition 2025, one of the world's largest design competitions, and was honored at the awards ceremony held on the shores of Lake Como in Italy on July 17 , 2025.
(From left) Product Manager Yuma Murakami, President Kazuo Matsushita, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Marketing Division Kotaro Narihara
"Hotaru" is a turntable that seamlessly blends music and interior design. Audio-Technica was established as a cartridge manufacturer in 1962, so “Hotaru” represents the accumulation of our analog knowledge alongside cutting-edge design, such as the “floating” element.
The moment you place the needle on the record, your space is filled with sound and light, with the floating record and flickering lighting creating a unique experience for every track.
“Hotaru” was highly praised for its artistry and innovation and was selected from thousands of entries received from across the world. The factors that made this product stand out were the outstanding characteristics of the turntable, which is equipped with a floating structure and lighting system, as well as the fact that it is a work that focuses on creating an emotional connection.
The ceremony was attended by winners from all around the world. After the opening reception in the main hall, each winner took to the stage to receive their award trophies. Kazuo Matsushita, President of Audio-Technica, took to the stage as the winner of the "Platinum Award," and was presented with a dazzling trophy.
Upon receiving the award, Audio-Technica President Kazuo Matsushita said:
"Audio-Technica began its journey in 1962 as an analog cartridge manufacturer. Today, our headphones, microphones and other products are widely used around the world. After celebrating our 60th anniversary in 2022, we wanted to reexamine the value of analog. We wanted to develop a product that incorporates our passion for human sensibility and experiences. Hotaru is the perfect pairing of our analog heritage and an aesthetic experience that connects to the human soul. Having this passion recognized on the international stage of the A' Design Award is a great encouragement for us to move forwards into the future."
About the "A' Design Award & Competition"
The "A' Design Award & Competition" is held annually in Italy and is one of the world's largest design competitions. It consists of over 100 categories, including products, architecture, and graphics, and receives tens of thousands of applications from over 100 countries every year. The judging is based on rigorous evaluation by experts working at the forefront of each field, and it is considered one of the most prestigious design awards in the world.
About "Hotaru"
In response to the growing value of analog experiences worldwide, Audio-Technica has launched the "analog ~ naturally" program on March 6, 2025 to create a new analog experience of music. "Hotaru" is a turntable limited to 1,000 units worldwide that embodies the new possibilities of analog, announced as the second initiative of the program following the installation exhibition at Milan Design Week. In addition to its excellent design and floating structure that maximizes the playback capabilities of the cartridge, it is equipped with a Lighting System that fuses the sound read from the record with light, providing an analog experience that can only be obtained in each moment created by sound and light.
Building on the results of this project, Audio-Technica will continue to work towards further innovating acoustic technology and creating richer listening experiences.
