Hackettstown, NJ — The National Kitchen & Bath Association has added two new categories, aimed at recognizing sustainable kitchen and bath design, to its annual Design Competition.

“The Best Sustainable Kitchen Award,” being sponsored by GE Monogram, will honor those designers who have created the most environmentally-responsible kitchens throughout the year, the association said.

The NKBA also announced that innovative approaches to water and energy savings in the bath will be honored for the first time with a “Best Sustainable Bath Award” category in the association’s 2009 NKBA Design Competition.

Formerly named the “Smartest Hot Water Award” in its 2008 competition debut, the new bath design award, sponsored by Rheem Mfg. Co., goes beyond hot water delivery “to recognize the expanding array of sustainable solutions being applied in today’s new and remodeled bathrooms,” the Hackettstown, NJ-based NKBA said.

“GE Monogram is proud to sponsor the new ‘Best Sustainable Kitchen Award’ category in the NKBA Design Competition,” said Merrell Grant, general manager of the Louisville, KY-based GE Monogram.