V&A Illustration Awards

First established in 1972, the V&A's competition is defined by a focus on the British illustration industry, celebrating artwork made for the UK market by artists from across the globe as well as artwork made by illustrators living the UK. We are excited to announce some changes in our categories to evolve the Awards further for 2024.

The Awards are generously supported by The Linder Foundation and the Moira Gemmill Memorial fund.

The 2024 V&A Illustration Award winners have been announced!

A record over 2000 entries were submitted, covering artwork from the period 2022 – 23. Our winners this year draw on a wide range of inspiration, spanning genres, eras and locations across the globe. Discover the winners and runners-up for our five revised categories: Adult Fiction, Adult Non-Fiction, Advertising and Commercial, Illustration for Children, and Emerging Illustrator.

The judges for 2024 were Chris Riddell, James Albon, Maru Aguzzi and Yasmeen Ismail, chaired by V&A Director Tristram Hunt.

Visit the V&A Illustration Awards displays at V&A South Kensington. Original sketches and finished artworks, from album cover designs to animations are on show in Room 102. A popup display of selected winning books can be seen outside the National Art Library from 18 September 2024 to 21 September 2025.

Benjamin Phillips, Alte Zachen / Old Things by Ziggy Hanaor (Cicada Books, 2022)

Alte Zachen follows a boy and his grandmother, Bubbe, on errands around New York as she reminisces about the past. Colour is used as contrast between Bubbe's vibrant memories and the muted grey of the present day. The judges were unanimous in praising the book's rich imagery and narrative detail.

@benjamindraws

Coralie Bickford-Smith, The Squirrel and the Lost Treasure (Particular Books, 2023)

@coraliebickfordsmith

Jorge González, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (The Folio Society, 2023)

Jorge González uses Adobe Photoshop to layer images drawn in pencil and oil pastel to visualise the atmosphere evoked by Zafón's expressive writing. The Shadow of the Wind follows a boy into adulthood, who has become engrossed by a rare novel. He embarks on a journey of discovery to unravel the mysterious events of the author's life.

@jorge_ilustra

Mu Pan, Monkey by Wu Ch'eng-en (The Folio Society, 2023)

@mupan1911

Claire Harrup, Britain's Landmarks and Legends by Jo Woolf (The National Trust and HarperCollins, 2023)

Claire Harrup's enchanting artwork evokes the atmospheric qualities of Britain's ancient heritage sites, from mystical stone circles to isolated hermits' caves, recalling the British romantic tradition of landscape art. The judges loved how perfectly the illustrations accompanied the book as a geographical guide to Britain's deep-rooted folklore.

@claireharrup

Maisy Summer, animation, Elsie Plant Hatting Hero (Hatworks Hat Museum, 2023)

@maisysummer

Andrea Serio, The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (Vintage Classics, 2023)

@andreaserio73

Paul Blow, album cover for New Modern Homes by The Chesterfields (Mr Mellow's Music, 2022)

Paul Blow's album cover for indie band The Chesterfields is inspired by their lyrics. On the album cover, a 10-foot-tall man looks into a Norwegian modernist house in daylight, 'in the right place' but 'at the wrong time'. The inner sleeve shows a woman inside the same house, which now glows orange in the twilight. Our judges praised Blow's ability to convey a story using just two juxtaposing images.

@paulyblow

Simon Pemberton, London Philharmonic Orchestra campaign 2022/23 (London Philharmonic Orchestra, 2022)

@pemberton.simon

Aditi Anand, Marigolds, 2023

Inspired by flower markets in her hometown in India, Aditi Anand's illustrations tell the story of a mother teaching her child to make marigold garlands for sale. The judges admired the use of colour, evoking both the flowers' alluring beauty and the contrast of flower sellers' dank working conditions and reality of child labour.

@_anandaditi

Shuyan Chen, The Fliers of Gy, 2023

@kalimeris.indica

The five category winners each receive £3,000, and five runners-up receive £750.

An overall winner is named the Moira Gemmill Illustrator of the Year and receives an additional £5,000, with their artwork entering the V&A's collection.

These are the terms and conditions covering entry to all categories of the 2024 V&A Illustration Awards.

If you have more questions about the V&A Illustration Awards, please consult our frequently asked questions.

The V&A has been running an illustration competition since 1972 when the Francis Williams Awards were presented for the best illustrated books. In 2004 new categories were introduced for Book Cover Design and for Editorial Illustration, covering illustration in newspapers, magazines and comics. The student category was created in 2005, with a runner-up prize introduced in 2009.

For the 2024 Awards a new category Advertising & Commercial has been introduced. We have realigned other categories to create Adult Fiction, Adult Non-Fiction and Illustration for Children. The student category has now expanded to become Emerging Illustrator.

The V&A Illustration Awards blog brings you the latest updates throughout the year including the shortlist and winner announcements. You can also hear from our previous winners and receive words of advice from former judges.

Contact: villa@vam.ac.uk

The Awards are generously supported by The Linder Foundation and the Moira Gemmill Memorial fund.