The Association of Illustrators (AOI) in partnership with USA-based Directory of Illustration, announces that the World Illustration Awards 2019 are now open for entries.
Following WIA’s most successful year ever in 2018, we are delighted to announce an array of brand-new prizes for 2019, giving more chance than ever for winning illustrators to gain recognition and opportunities for career growth.
“Winning these awards means a great deal… it’s a real honour to have been chosen. Experiences like winning at the World Illustration Awards reassures me that I did the right thing quitting my day job and going full time when I did!” Stevie Gee, Overall Professional Winner 2018
Illustrators, commissioners, agents and tutors are invited to submit work made in the 2018 calendar year to the eight categories of the Awards: Advertising, Books sponsored by NoBrow, Children’s Books sponsored by Walker Books, Design, Editorial, Experimental, Research and Site Specific, representing the major areas in which illustration is made for today.
“WIA is a highly respected and hugely visible platform, important to the world of professional illustrators, art directors and students, but also with cross-over appeal to a growing audience worldwide.” Sam Arthur, Managing Director of NoBrow, WIA Books Category Sponsor
Each category will be judged by a panel of international experts, including Kirstie Johnstone, Creative Production Partner and Board Director at AMV BBDO, Stefan Bergmeier, Designer and CEO of Neue Formation GMBH and Leyla Reynolds, Editor at gal-dem, representing some of the industry’s most respected names. The jury will select a shortlist of 200 of the very best projects submitted to the competition, and choose Professional and New Talent Winners in each category. A catalogue featuring the Category Winners, jury profiles and complete shortlist will be published alongside the exhibition and distributed to commissioners all around the world.
“The WIA are a hugely important platform for the illustration industry. We’re encouraging agents and commissioners as well as individual illustrators to consider entering this year. We want to use the WIA to raise the profile of illustration and highlight the importance of the creative industries world-wide” Ren Renwick, AOI CEO.
The Category and Overall Winners will be announced at a high-profile awards ceremony in central London at an exhibition featuring all shortlisted entries, alongside in-depth displays of winning entries. The two Overall Winners will be awarded generous cash prizes of £2,000 (Professional) and £1,000 (New Talent) at the ceremony.
New for 2019
• This year, the AOI is proud to announce the introduction of three new prizes: an AOI Member’s Prize, a Directory of Illustration Award, and SAA Agents Award for New Talent. Prizes include agent representation, portfolio promotion and business support.
• All Category Winners and Highly Commended projects will be included in a UK-wide touring exhibition.
More information and the submission form can be found on the Awards pages: theaoi.com/world-illustration-awards/
The deadline to enter is 31 January 2019
