World Illustration Awards 2015 – Call for Entries Now Open
For nearly four decades, the AOI has presented the most comprehensive and significant awards for illustration in the UK. Now, for the first time in the history of the organisation they welcome an international partner, the Directory of Illustration, to create the World Illustration Awards 2015, honouring the most inspiring illustration throughout the world.
Illustration (C) Laurindo Feliciano
The call for entries is open!
Work entered into the World Illustration Awards will be reviewed by a jury of distinguished and international industry professionals. The competition shortlist reflects exceptional work by illustrators currently making an outstanding contribution to visual culture and is published in full on theaoi.com, which receives over 100,000 hits per month.
Award winners will be announced at a prestigious ceremony at Somerset House, the major arts and cultural centre in the heart of London. Selected works will be displayed in their spectacular Terrace Rooms. Following this the exhibition tours to multiple venues across the UK, which receives approximately 40,000 visitors during its run.
Selected works will also be showcased in an accompanying publication, which will be circulated to all major commissioners of illustration.
Who Can Enter?
The World Illustration Awards are open to illustrators working in ANY medium, context or geographical location. Work must be entered as either a New Talent entry or a Professional entry.
New Talent entrants are Undergraduate Students, Post-Graduate Students or Graduates within two years of graduation. Professional entrants are all other professional illustrators.
What Can Be Entered?
Work can be entered by the creator of the work (illustrator, student /new graduate) or by any third party such as an Agent, Designer, College, Publisher or Commissioner.
Work entered for the competition must have been created or published between 1st January 2014 to February 2015. Work in ANY medium can be entered in ANY category.
Entries can either be Single Image Entry (one image per entry) or Multiple Image Entry (up to 5 images per entry). Single or Multiple Entries can be entered in any category, depending on the size of the project or number of images within it. Multiple Entries are more expensive and should therefore be used to showcase different elements of the same project (multiple illustrations, spreads from a book and so on).
Professional entries must have been commercially commissioned for all categories except Public Realm and Self-Initiated Work.
New Talent entries do not have to be commercially commissioned and should be entered into the category that is most relevant to the work. For example, a college project creating a picture book should be entered as a New Talent entry in the Children's Book Category.
Work must be entered into one of the 8 Categories. These are very broadly defined to welcome work of all types and in all contexts where illustration is used.
Cost of Entry
Single Entry
UK & EU - £25 (including VAT) per entry
ROW - £20.83 (no VAT) per entry
Multiple Entry
UK & EU - £45 (including VAT) per entry
ROW - £37.50 (no VAT) per entry
Key Dates
Midday Monday 9 February 2015
Call for Entry closes
April 2015
Shortlisted work announced
June 2015
Category Winners announced
October 2015
Awards Ceremony
Awards Exhibition opens at Somerset House
Awards Catalogue published
November 2015
Exhibition starts 12-month national tour