Presented by the Association of Illustrators (AOI), in partnership with the USA-based Directory of Illustration, the World Illustration Awards 2026 are now open for submissions, offering illustrators the opportunity to have their illustration work seen and celebrated! Professional and New Talent Illustrators (working individually or as collectives), commissioners, agents and tutors are invited to submit work created, commissioned or published since January 2025, into the Awards. WIA rewards excellence, offering cash prizes to our overall winners, plus a range of valuable benefits to our category winners, shortlist, and longlist.

Read more about World Illustration Awards 2026 on Contest Watchers.

The Northern Festival of Illustration Prize returns in 2025 with a new theme & global competition: ‘Stories Of Home’. Illustrators are invited to explore the theme “Stories of Home” capturing the essence of what home means to them. Whether it’s a place, a feeling, a memory, or a person, home can be interpreted in countless ways. This competition challenges you to express your personal narrative, cultural heritage, or the universal concept of home through your unique artistic lens. 10 projects will be shortlisted in each category for public display at The Northern School of Art as part of The Northern Festival of Illustrations in September 2025 in Hartlepool, England.

Read more about The Northern Festival of Illustration Prize 2025 on Contest Watchers.

Presented by the Association of Illustrators (AOI), in partnership with the USA-based Directory of Illustration, the World Illustration Awards 2025 are now open for submissions, offering illustrators the opportunity to have their illustration work seen and celebrated! Professional and New Talent Illustrators (working individually or as collectives), commissioners, agents and tutors are invited to submit work created, commissioned or published since January 2024, into the Awards. This globally-recognised competition has ten industry-relevant categories and is judged by distinguished professionals from the global illustration industry.

Read more about World Illustration Awards 2025 on Contest Watchers.

The World Illustration Awards 2024 are now open for submissions offering illustrators the opportunity to have their illustration work seen and celebrated. Professional and New Talent Illustrators, (working individually or as collectives), commissioners, agents and tutors are invited to submit work created, commissioned or published since January 2023, into the Awards. Presented by the Association of Illustrators (AOI), in partnership with the USA-based Directory of Illustration, the World Illustration Awards 2024 are offering illustrators the opportunity to have their illustration work seen and celebrated!

Read more about World Illustration Awards 2024 on Contest Watchers.

The Northern Illustration Prize is one part of The Northern Festival of Illustration, a biennial celebration of all that is great about the diverse world of illustration. The Northern School and Festival are based in the historic port town of Hartlepool on the north east coast of England. This summer the town hosts the world-famous Tall Ships Race and to celebrate this and the town’s maritime heritage the theme of the Prize this year is ‘The Sea’. The Prize is currently open for entries for 2023. Emerging illustrators in the first five years of their career, as well as established illustrators more than five years into their career are eligible to enter.

Read more about Northern Illustration Prize 2023 – The Sea on Contest Watchers.

The Association of Illustrators (AOI) in partnership with USA-based Directory of Illustration, has opened the call for entries for the World Illustration Awards 2023. The World Illustration Awards showcase great work being made by illustrators all over the world today. The Awards support and celebrate creativity, connecting illustrators to their peers and the industry. Being part of WIA offers a host of benefits to new talent and professional illustrators alike, such as increased visibility, opportunities for self-promotion, and the chance to network. WIA also gives many illustrators an international platform to reach new clients and commissions.

Read more about AIO’s World Illustration Awards (WIA) 2023 on Contest Watchers.

The Global Healthcare Illustration Awards (GHIA) competition seeks to attract and celebrate the best healthcare related images created by illustrators around the world, providing greater exposure for those who bring key topics relating to our ever-changing healthcare landscape to life. The aim of GHIA is to capture and celebrate all and any contributions made by the illustration community to all of those matters that relate to the promotion and preservation of life across our global communities. The best three illustrations will be awarded with £3,000 (Gold), £2,000 (Silver) and £1,000 (Bronze) respectably. 50 shortlisted entries and the winners will be exhibited in the London offices of Eradigm Consulting in November 2022.

Read more about Global Healthcare Illustration Awards (GHIA) 2022 on Contest Watchers.

The Association of Illustrators (AOI) in partnership with USA-based Directory of Illustration, has opened the call for entries for the World Illustration Awards 2022. This year the organizers will be celebrating great illustration from across the globe, with an emphasis on supporting and connecting illustrators with each other and the industry. Illustrators, commissioners, agents and tutors are invited to submit work created, commissioned or published since January 2021 into the ten categories of the Awards, which are judged by distinguished professionals from the global illustration industry. There are also some great prizes on offer, including generous cash prizes for the Overall Winners.

Read more about AIO’s World Illustration Awards (WIA) 2022 on Contest Watchers.

The Association of Illustrators (AOI) in partnership with USA-based Directory of Illustration, announces the World Illustration Awards 2021. This year the organizers will be celebrating great illustration from across the globe, with an emphasis on supporting illustrators many of whom have continued to make amazing work in incredibly challenging circumstances in light of COVID-19. Illustrators, commissioners, agents and tutors are invited to submit work created, commissioned or published since January 2020 into the ten categories of the Awards, which are judged by distinguished professionals from the global illustration industry. There are also some great prizes on offer, including generous cash prizes for the Overall Winners.

Read more about AIO’s World Illustration Awards (WIA) 2021 on Contest Watchers.

The Association of Illustrators (AOI) in partnership with USA-based Directory of Illustration, announces the World Illustration Awards 2020. Professional and new talent illustrators living and working in any country in any format and media, are invited to submit work made in the 2019 calendar year to the ten categories of the Awards: Advertising, Book Covers, Commercial Publishing, Alternative Publishing, Children’s Publishing, Design, Product & Packaging, Editorial, Exploration, Science & Technology and Site Specific, representing the major areas in contemporary illustration. 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.

Read more about AOI’s World Illustration Awards (WIA) 2020 on Contest Watchers.