Opportunity Description
International Deadline: January 8, 2027 – Introduce your work to the world. Enter the most prestigious competition for creativity in illustration, the Communication Arts Illustration Competition.
Any illustration first published or produced from January 2026 through January 2027 is eligible. Selected by an international jury of distinguished designers, art directors and illustrators, the winning entries will be distributed worldwide in the Communication Arts Illustration Annual, in print and digital editions, and on commarts.com, assuring important exposure to the creators of this outstanding work. As a service to art directors, designers and art buyers, a comprehensive index will carry contact information of the illustrators represented.
For 68 years, Communication Arts has honored the craft of talented illustrators from around the world. In support of these hardworking artists, we will not be accepting AI text-to-image generated submissions in our Illustration competition.
AWARDS
Each winning entrant will receive a personalized Award of Excellence, milled from solid aluminum, and award certificates issued for firms, individuals and clients.
CA's Award of Excellence is one of the most-coveted awards in the industry. If chosen, winning places you in the highest ranks of your profession.
What To Enter
Any illustration first published or produced from January 2026 through January 2027 is eligible. Entries may originate from any country. Descriptions in English are very important to the judges. Submission of entries acknowledges the right of Communication Arts to use them for publication and exhibition.
Illustration Competition Categories
These categories are judged by the Illustration jury and will appear in the Illustration Annual.
- Advertising: ads, posters, music and product packaging, etc.
- Books: covers, jackets, interiors, etc.
- Editorial: consumer or trade magazines, newspapers, etc.
- For Sale: posters, prints, greeting cards, licensing/stock, gallery sale, online store, etc.
- Institutional: company/association publications, annual reports, catalogs, client websites, blogs, etc.
- Motion/Animation: time-based media for film, television, video or web, etc.
- Self-Promotion: promotion for illustrators, design firms, ad agencies, art schools, printers, paper companies, etc.
- Unpublished: experimental/personal work not published.
- Student Work: illustration or animation created for school assignments.
Late Fees
Entries must be registered no later than Midnight (Pacific Time), January 8, 2027. Entries registered after that date require a late fee of $10 per entry. No entries can be registered after January 22, 2027.
Each illustration is a single entry. Campaigns or series are limited to five illustrations and must be created for the same project.
How to Enter
All competition entries are processed through our online competition system.
Before you begin the process of entering a competition, please have the following information and materials ready:
- Your contact information for registration and notification.
- Title and basic credits for each project.
- Digital files of work you want to submit.
Digital Images: Must be RGB in JPG format with a maximum file size of 2MB.
Motion/Animation Entries: Must be in MOV, MP4, MPG or GIF format, with a maximum file size of 500MB.