GUIDE TO ENTERING

Illustration, or projects featuring illustration, in any format or usage created since January 2024 can be entered into WIA 2025. This includes still images, animated gifs and animations, created in any medium such as digitally, painted or collage.

Enter Here

KeY Dates and Fees

The World Illustration Awards (WIA) are on a roughly two-year cycle. The Call for Entries opens in December and runs until mid February, announcements are made from May. Once the Winners are announced later in the year, all winning projects go on tour to be exhibited around the world for the next year.

Call for Entries Open

4th December 2024

Early Bird ends

7th January 2025

Entry Deadline

11th February 2025

Longlist

29th May 2025

What are the entry fees?

£34 (GBP) per Single Entry // £53 (GBP) per Multiple Entry
€41 (EURO) per Single Entry // €64 (EURO) per Multiple Entry
$43 (USD) per Single Entry // $67 (USD) per Multiple Entry

What Discounts Do you offer?

Early bird discount of 10% until 7 January 2025.
AOI Members get another get 20% off.
Tutors, Agents and Commissioners entering 10+ projects get a further 10% off.

Fees & Key Dates

What can I enter?

Illustration, or projects featuring illustration, in any format or usage can be entered into WIA 2025. This includes still images, animated gifs and animations, created in any medium such as digitally, painted or collage.
Work can be self-initiated, such as coursework, or commissioned, and created by illustrators working in any sector. The illustration must have been created, completed, commissioned, or published since January 2024.
You must enter using the online form. You will need to choose a category, single or multiple format and whether to enter as a New Talent or Professional illustrator.
Before you start, it might be helpful to check out projects from the past on our WIA project page.
Please note – Entries that have been created with the use of AI text-to-image generating software or platforms are not currently eligible to be entered into WIA.

Easy 9 Step Guide to Entering WIA2025

Our helpful 9-Step Guide takes you through the WIA2025 entry process from start to finish!

Step 1: Register on the AOI website

You need to register an account on the AOI website to enter. You do not need to be an AOI member. It is free to register on the website. This registration comes up automatically on the entry form page.
When you register, the website will auto-generate a password to login to the site and access the entry form. You can change this if you wish.
Keep your login details safe, as you will need them again to check if your entry is longlisted.
If you already have an account (if you are an AOI member, have a folio, or have entered WIA before), please log in using your existing details (this is especially important if you are a member as your entry fee discount will be automatically applied in your account).
If you have entered WIA before, your images from a previous competition may still be in your online media gallery. They can remain there. They won’t be confused with your current entry and will only show up in your entry if you manually add them.

Step 2: Select projects to enter

Many illustrators find choosing which work to enter into the Awards is a really useful moment to reflect on the work they’ve made in the past year. It’s great to devote some time to taking stock of everything have achieved!
This year, we’re looking for work which is:
- Technically excellent
- Communicates its idea or message brilliantly
- Explores illustration as an artform
When you are thinking about what to enter, as well as considering these judging criteria, think about illustration that has a spark that lifts it off the page or screen.
It may be that it has come from a personal passion, or challenged you technically – or been one of those surprise commissions that just works.
Work can be created in any medium or style.
There is no right or wrong – most illustrators will have at least one project that they’re really proud of and will want to enter!

Step 3: Format your images

Ensure that you choose great quality images that show your work off at its best, and that they are optimised for the entry form and web view.
Formats: save your file as a flat RGB in either .jpg .png or .gif (note, the form does not accept .jpeg files).
Size: under 4MB and up to 3000px wide in 72 or 150 dpi.
File name: name your files using this format: artistname_title_image1 (or image2, image3 etc if your entry is a multiple).
Decide whether you want to enter your project as a Single or Multiple entry.
A “multiple” entry is for one larger project with up to 5 elements, such as the cover of a book, inside spread, a sketch and an animation, all belonging to the same book. All other information is the same.
Ensure the file name uses only Roman letters and numbers, and does not contain any special characters (i.e &*£$/. etc).

Step 4: Prepare your entry information

Decide if you are entering as New Talent or Professional. Only select New Talent if you are a current student, recent graduate or self-taught and new to illustration/creative industries (since January 2024). Everyone else should enter as Professional.
Decide which format to use for your project. You can choose a single image or gif, or a multiple entry if your project consists of up to five images, gifs or URL links in any combination.
Every entry must include a lead image from the project. This is also the first image the judges see and the one we will use for promotion.

Step 5: Decide which category is the best fit for your entries

Choose the category that best frames the purpose of your entry. Keep in mind where you want to position yourself as an illustrator, if in doubt.
You can read the category descriptions here where we slide give some hints on how to chose one.
Thinking about the application of the illustration can be a useful way to decide which category to enter.
You can enter the same project more than once into different categories, but you will need to upload and pay individually.
You can enter commissioned or self-initiated work into any category.

Step 6: Gather the information that you will need to complete the form

Maybe start by opening the entry form page or draft your entry in a text document.
Title Of Work: Choose a title for your project. This could be a descriptive title, or something more poetic. Make it precise, and not too long. Don’t put it in quote or speech marks, or your name.
Additional Information: This could include the reason you made the work, for example a brief you were given by a commissioner, or a creative challenge that you set for yourself, or the processes you used to make the work. Use this space to tell the story of your entry. This information will be shared with the judges.
- Why did you create this work? Share the brief you received from your commissioner or your idea behind creating your artwork when you started. What did you want to achieve? This is particularly important for the jury to understand your image better.
- How was the illustration used? What is the intended use of the illustration? How was it applied? For example: As a bottle label, on a poster, as a magazine spot illustration etc…
- What materials and techniques did you use? Tell us what you used to create your work, especially if anything unusual such as fabric for a collage or to highlight your work to our sponsors if you used their products.
Biography: Please provide a short biography about yourself (or the illustrator if you are entering on their behalf). This can include where you’re from, where you studied, selected clients, the sectors you work in. Please write this in the third person – so not “I am an illustrator…”, but “Name is an illustrator based in …” (max 400 characters). This information will not be shared with the judges but will be included alongside your entry on the AOI website if it is longlisted.
Commissioner information: If your work was commissioned (i.e. if you were paid for the work in some way), please provide the commissioner details including name of the commissioner, the commissioner company and the name of the end client if applicable.

Step 7: Fill in the form

Please note we can only accept form entries in English.
You can start the form, and go back and edit if you need to.
Please accept cookies at the bottom of the page as this will ensure your entry text is saved as you go along.
You will need to put something in the required form fields in order to save it by clicking ‘submit’.
It can be helpful to type out your entry into a text document, and paste into the form, rather than typing directly into the form.
Entries that have not been paid for will stay in your account until you delete them.
After you have submitted, you can still edit the information in the form by clicking ‘Update’ in your account, so you can draft your entry and return to it until the deadline.

You can also watch our handy video guide below on how to fill in the form based on last year’s WIA2024 Entry Form:

Step 8: Pay for your entries

Once you’ve completed your form, click ‘Submit’ and it will be saved to your portal so that you can get back to it and edit details or delete it if you don’t wish to proceed. You do not have to pay at this stage.
When you are ready to pay, click ‘Pay Now’ (or ‘Pay For All’ if you have more than one entry ready to submit).
A box will appear at the top of the form. Click ‘View Basket’. Go to the basket.
Select your currency from GBP, EUR or USD.
If you change the currency, click ‘Update Basket’ to see the correct price if it doesn’t update automatically.
The Early Bird discount of 10% is automatically applied in the cart (that’s the fee you see). Rates will change end of day on 7 January 2025.
AOI Members receive a 20% discount on an unlimited number of entry fees, applied automatically at the checkout, when logged into a live Member account on the AOI website. So AOI Members – login to website with your member account before you enter the awards. We are unable to change the charge after payment has been made.
Colleges, Agents and Commissioners entering 10+ projects via their account will receive an additional 10% discount.
Click ‘Proceed to Checkout’ and complete the payment form. We are currently accepting payment using credit or debit card, or Paypal via Paypal as the payment portal. No need to sign up to Paypal to pay. Here’s a guide from earlier.
Once you’ve paid you will receive a confirmation email from The AOI: [email protected] Check your junk/spam folder if you don’t see it in your inbox and your entries will be marked as paid as soon as we receive your payment, which depending on your bank can take a few days.
If you live in a territory where Paypal is not available such as Turkey or Singapore, or you can’t use the portal, please email [email protected] to request details for making a BACs transfer instead.
Once paid, you will be able to amend your entry until the final deadline day, but you won’t be able to delete it.
Only paid for entries are considered for the awards.

Step 9: Share!

You’ve put in all that hard work and effort to get your entry just right, so why not share it!

Post your entry on social media, and tag us in using @theAOI @dirillustration and #WIA2025 #WorldIllustrationAwards – we’ll do our best to like and share as many as we can with our extensive networks.
You will receive an email notification letting you know to check the outcome of your entry in May 2025.
In the meantime, why not have a look around the AOI website? We have lots of information, events, and great membership options for illustrators at every stage of their career.
Or check out the WIA2024 showcase, with winning projects and artists interviews for more inspiration.

About THE
AWARDS

The World Illustration Awards is a global celebration of illustration.

The Association of Illustrators has run a juried illustration competition since 1976. The latest incarnation, the World Illustration Awards in partnership with the Directory of Illustration, has been going strong and growing since 2015.

WIA focuses on supporting and celebrating creativity internationally, by connecting illustrators with their peers and the global illustration industry.

The Awards are split into two groups: New Talent and Professional. All work, commissioned or self-initiated, is accepted across the ten categories as long as it has been created within the past year before the Call for Entries closes.

If you have any questions get in touch with the awards team
[email protected]

PRESENTED BY

The Association of Illustrators

The Association of Illustrators is the professional body for illustration in the UK. Established in 1973, the AOI champions illustrators and the illustration industry with education, promotion and campaigning to achieve a thriving industry for us all. Memberships are available for illustrators, agents and colleges with discounts available for students and represented artists.

Find out more

Directory of Illustration

Workbook’s Directory of Illustration, the world’s leading illustration resource, is distributed free of charge to thousands of art commissioners who regularly hire freelance artists and animators. Advertising agencies, corporations and publishing companies depend on the searchable directoryofillustration.com website and annual printed Directory to find top talent for their campaigns and projects. In print, online and on social, we help artists successfully grow and sustain their professional careers.