CEDIA announces Lifetime Achievement and Fellow recipients for 2026 Awards

CEDIA has named the first three recipients in its 2026 Awards programme, recognising individuals whose careers have shaped the modern smart home and AV integration industry.

Peter Lyngdorf receives the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Dave Tkachuk and Gordon van Zuiden are named CEDIA Fellows for 2026.
Lyngdorf’s award acknowledges a career that has influenced almost every corner of high‑performance audio. The Danish entrepreneur founded HiFi Klubben, now a major European retail chain, and went on to establish brands such as Steinway Lyngdorf, Lyngdorf Audio and DALI.

His work has driven advances in loudspeaker design, amplification and room correction, often through close collaboration with engineers and technologists.

One of his most significant contributions is Equibit, the world’s first truly digital amplifier technology. Developed from an idea by Lars Risbo, Equibit converts PCM audio directly into the PWM signal that drives a switching power amplifier.

Lyngdorf also championed RoomPerfect, the 3D room‑mapping system created by Jan Abildgaard Pedersen. With more than 50 patent claims, it remains one of the most substantial filings in residential audio. His later work with Purifi continues to focus on low‑distortion amplification and transducer design. Beyond engineering, Lyngdorf helped position high‑end residential audio within the luxury market through partnerships such as Steinway Lyngdorf.

Dave Tkachuk is recognised as a Fellow for his decades of work in AV system design, documentation and industry education. His career spans residential and commercial engineering roles, including twenty years leading Tkachuk Associates and later senior positions within integration firms.

He founded Symbol Logic and has contributed extensively to standards development, most notably as co‑chair of the CTA/CEDIA Systems Documentation Work Group, which produced the ANSI J‑STD‑710 drawing symbols standard. Tkachuk has taught courses, written technical articles and supported CEDIA’s certification and volunteer programmes, earning Volunteer of the Year in 2011.

Gordon van Zuiden, also named a Fellow, is honoured for his leadership in networked home technology. As founder and president of cyberManor, he was an early advocate for IP‑based residential systems. He chaired the CEDIA Technology Council, served six years on the Board of Directors and developed the certified CEDIA ESD course on digital home solutions.

His influence extends across industry training and standards, including contributions to COMPTIA’s HTI+ certification. For more than two decades he has written a monthly networking column for Residential Systems and has taught at major trade shows including CES, CEDIA Expo, EHExpo and CE Pro Summit, as well as international events. His consultancy work has helped integrators adopt and apply networked home technologies through full‑day seminars and manufacturer training programmes.

All three honourees will be recognised at the CEDIA Smart Home Awards global ceremonies later this year. For further details or to book tickets, visit CEDIA’s awards site.