This review discusses modern scintillators, which are essential for ionizing radiation detection in various applications, including medical diagnostics, homeland security, and research. Traditional methods to improve scintillator performance involve material composition and doping, but recent advancements focus on photonic and metamaterial engineering to shape scintillator characteristics extrinsically. Techniques such as photonic crystal coatings, dielectric architecture modification, and metamaterials engineering are explored to enhance light output, timing performance, and light extraction efficiency. These methods address limitations of traditional bulk scintillators, such as poor refractive index mismatch and slow timing performance. The review highlights the potential of photonic and metamaterial-based scintillators for next-generation detectors, emphasizing their ability to improve performance through controlled inhomogeneity in the scintillator's surface or volume. It also discusses cost-effective fabrication techniques and the importance of light output, decay time, and other intrinsic properties in scintillator performance. The review covers various scintillator materials, including inorganic and organic compounds, and their applications in different fields. It also addresses challenges such as radiation hardness, temperature sensitivity, and the need for scalable and cost-effective fabrication methods. The outlook section discusses future directions in scintillation technology, including the potential of smart materials and advanced photonic structures to further enhance scintillator performance.This review discusses modern scintillators, which are essential for ionizing radiation detection in various applications, including medical diagnostics, homeland security, and research. Traditional methods to improve scintillator performance involve material composition and doping, but recent advancements focus on photonic and metamaterial engineering to shape scintillator characteristics extrinsically. Techniques such as photonic crystal coatings, dielectric architecture modification, and metamaterials engineering are explored to enhance light output, timing performance, and light extraction efficiency. These methods address limitations of traditional bulk scintillators, such as poor refractive index mismatch and slow timing performance. The review highlights the potential of photonic and metamaterial-based scintillators for next-generation detectors, emphasizing their ability to improve performance through controlled inhomogeneity in the scintillator's surface or volume. It also discusses cost-effective fabrication techniques and the importance of light output, decay time, and other intrinsic properties in scintillator performance. The review covers various scintillator materials, including inorganic and organic compounds, and their applications in different fields. It also addresses challenges such as radiation hardness, temperature sensitivity, and the need for scalable and cost-effective fabrication methods. The outlook section discusses future directions in scintillation technology, including the potential of smart materials and advanced photonic structures to further enhance scintillator performance.