The V&A Illustration Awards were established in 1972 and have since become the UK’s most prestigious annual illustration competition. Each year we celebrate excellence in student illustration and three categories of contemporary practice: book cover design, book illustration and illustrated journalism.
From over 800 entries, here we present this year’s winners.
Moira Gemmill Illustrator of the Year and the Illustrated Journalism Award 2020
Ann Kiernan, ‘How Twitter is gagging Arabic users and acting as morality police’, by Wael Eskandar. Published by Open Democracy
Kiernan’s winning illustration was commissioned by Open Democracy to accompany an article by Wael Eskandar entitled ‘How Twitter is gagging Arabic users and acting as morality police’. Simple brushstrokes and a spray of red symbolise a Twitter update that has broken free from a pencil drawn cage only to be shot down. The fluidity and drive of her brushstrokes create a sense of urgency that impressed the judges who praised Kiernan’s inventive use of the well-known corporate logo.
Book Cover Award Winner
Eva Eland, When Sadness Comes to Call. Published by Anderson Press
Eva Eland’s debut picture book is a poignant yet uplifting look at dealing with a universally felt emotion. An important subject to explore with young readers, the judges admired the soft, non-threatening portrayal of sadness.
Book Illustration Award Winner
Clive Hicks-Jenkins, Hansel and Gretel: A Nightmare in Eight Scenes written by Simon Armitage. Published by Design for Today
The second collaboration between artist and poet, this illustrated book of poems began as a puppet opera in which Hansel and Gretel are reimagined as modern-day refugees. The judges admired the illustrations for enriching, rather than merely representing the written word.
Winner of the Student Illustrator of the Year Award
Sally Dunne, Home in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Anglia Ruskin University, (Cambridge School of Art)
Dunne’s pastel drawings aim to convey the vibrancy of the Kakuma refugee camp, while highlighting the difficult reality of displacement as many await resettlement or to return home. The judges admired Dunne’s colour palette and use of shadow, observing that her technique serves to accentuate the contrast between community and the uncertainty of fate.
Student Illustrator of the Year Runner-up
Vyara Boyadjieva, The Wave, Anglia Ruskin University (Cambridge School of Art)
Boyadjieva’s jubilant illustration is part of a wordless picture book entitled Induli, meaning hill in Xhosa, a South African language. The Wave’s infectious joy and exhilarating sense of energy enthralled the judges who admired Boyadjieva’s lively use of colour and form.
Highly Commended Student
Kate Winter, Lascaux, Anglia Ruskin University (Cambridge School of Art)
The judges admired Winter’s picture book for highlighting our intrinsic need to learn through creativity and to tell stories through imagery
Highly Commended Student
Laura Winstone, The Catmolean Museum, Anglia Ruskin University (Cambridge School of Art)
Winstone’s picture book celebrates world culture and craftsmanship. A joy to look at, the judges described her textured collages as playful witty and fun.
Highly Commended Student
Ruo Hsin Wu, Starring Night, Royal College of Art
Stars are imagined as small holes in the sky that giants gaze through to observe the world. The judges admired the beautiful execution of a unique and though-provoking concept.
Many thanks to our judges who had the unenviable task of shortlisting: Bonnie Greer, playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster; Ren Renwick, CEO of Association of Illustrators (AOI); Dr Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A; Sheri Gee, Art Director at The Folio Society and Yehrin Tong, illustrator and past winner of the V&A Illustration Awards.
Each of the four awards categories received prize money of £3,000, with the Moira Gemmill Illustrator of the Year Prize receiving an additional £5,000. The student runner-up received £2,000.
Supported by the Enid Linder Foundation and the Moira Gemmill Memorial Fund
