The Best Contests for Designers, Illustrators, and Artists in 2024

If you’re looking for opportunities that offer creative and professional development, consider participating in art contests. Of course, they require leaving your comfort zone, but otherwise, it’s impossible to move forward and grow. Contests offer many benefits, from material prizes and cash rewards to recognition, promotion, and reaching new audiences. So check out our list of the most interesting design, illustration, and art contests to enter in 2024. Choose an option that will inspire creative experiments and allow you to showcase your creativity to the maximum.

Design contests to enter in 2024

*The contests are arranged in order of their deadlines.

1. D&AD Awards 2024

Deadline: March 13, 2024

Open to: creative companies, design studios, and content creators

Participation fee: from £22 in the Future Impact category and from £367 in the Impact category (30% discount for small businesses and freelancers)

Prizes: Wood, Graphite, Yellow, Black, and White Pencil awards, Future Impact Pencil, Collaborative Award, President’s Award; featuring in the D&AD Annual; participation in D&AD’s international exhibitions; promotion through D&AD social media, and more

The D&AD Awards has been recognized as one of the most prestigious global design and advertising awards since 1962. For many who receive the coveted Pencil Award, this event becomes a defining moment in their professional lives. Each year, the Award invites professionals in the commercial creative industry to submit their work to compete for the title of the best. The contest covers 43 categories: animation, branding, book design, illustration, digital design, and many others. Moreover, each category contains many subcategories, so every creative or design agency will find their niche here.

2. D&AD New Blood Awards 2024

Deadline: March 20, 2024

Open to: students, graduates, and aspiring creatives

Participation fee: £15 per entry or free for those who completed the survey

Prizes: New Blood Pencil Award of various levels (Wood, Graphite, Yellow, White, and Black Pencils); Black Pencil winners will get £2,000 cash prize; digital certificates, and more

The New Blood Awards was created specifically for students of advertising, design, digital, and marketing; recent graduates; and young creatives worldwide. It is an incredible opportunity to find a job in the creative industry, get a start while studying at university, or gain the experience necessary to launch a creative career. To participate in the competition, one has to upload brand briefs that contain all the required information and complete a creative task. The ready-made projects will be evaluated by brand representatives and a panel of top creatives worldwide.

3. International Biennial Poster Design Terras Gauda 2024

Deadline: April 29, 2024

Open to: any individual (+18) or legal entity

Participation: free

Prizes: the Grand Prix is €10.000; 1st honorable mention worth €2,000; 2nd honorable mention worth €2,000; special mention worth €2,000

In addition to design, this competition combines two fascinating topics: local tourism in Spain and winemaking. Participants are invited to create a poster to promote tourism in the wine-growing regions of Galicia. Each entrant can submit a maximum of 2 unpublished works. They may be created through painting, photography, computer technology, etc. There is no set subject, but it is preferable to associate it with Terras Gauda and Abadía de San Campio wines.

4. Communication Arts Design Competition 2024

Deadline: May 3 (cheaper entry fees), extended—May 17, 2024

Open to: professionals and students

Participation fee: from $45 per entry depending on category; additional $10 per entry for works submitted after 3 May; entree fees for students are lower

Prizes: personalized Award of Excellence and award certificates issued for firms, individuals, and clients; worldwide coverage in the Communication Arts Design Annual — in print and digital editions, and on commarts.com

Winning work of 2023 in the category “Books”

Source: commarts.com

Communication Arts magazine is a leading professional media outlet in visual communications with more than half a century of history and extensive creative experience. The magazine holds annual competitions in various fields such as design, advertising, typography, illustration, photography, and interactive. The design contest covers numerous disciplines, from packaging, identity, and books to environmental graphics, self-promotion, and editorials. Essential condition: participation in the competition is open to design projects first printed, published, or presented from May 2023 to May 2024.

5. 2024 International Busan Design Award (IBDA)

Deadline: May 7, 2024

Open to: individuals under 18, students, designers, and organizations

Participation: free for undergraduate and graduate students and individuals; ₩100.000 (approx. $75) for organizations

Prizes: the Grand prize is ₩15 million (approx. $11.250), and other prizes

The IBDA is Asia’s largest international design event, which emerged from the former Busan Industrial Design Exhibition. It is a significant forum for sharing various design concepts through international exchanges and a perfect platform for aspiring creators. Participants can submit their work in three categories: Communication Design and Service Design, Product Design and Environmental Design, and Craft and Fashion Design. There is no set competition theme, so you can implement any creative concept.

6. Ecuador Poster Bienal 2024

Deadline: May 24, 2024

Open to: design students, graphic artists, architects, photographers, and visual communicators

Participation: free

Prizes: Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mentions in categories

Poster by Hemmat Elham from Ecuador Poster Bienal 2022

Source: ecuadorposterbienal.com

Every two years, Ecuador Poster Bienal recognizes the most prominent works in poster design and showcases the diversity of this artistic field. This competition allows participants to share their talents with an international audience and boosts their professional careers. Categories available to them include Advertising posters; Social, Cultural, and Political posters; Student posters; Animated posters; and a unique LTC category dedicated to Amazon (exclusive to Ecuador). The contest has no age or nationality restrictions. The only condition is that the posters must be created between July 26, 2023, and May 24, 2024.

7. Theatrical Posters International Biennale Armenia 2024

Deadline: May 30, 2024

Open to: individual designers and artists, or theaters/theater groups, organizations and performing arts artists

Participation: free

Prizes: Grand Prix and 2 The Best Poster awards; 2 Special Awards, 2 Honorable Mentions, and 3 Encouragement Certificates for self-promotion

If you are fond of theater, check out this artistic contest celebrating the richness of theatrical arts worldwide. Its categories, which cover traditional theatrical presentations, including plays, opera, and ballet, as well as broader arts, such as music, dance, singing, and performance allow for a comprehensive showcase of contemporary visual storytelling in the context of theater and performance. Each participant can submit up to three posters created since May 2022, ensuring that the works reflect current trends and styles in theatrical poster design.

8. Red Dot Design Award: Brands & Communication Design

Deadline: early—March 15, regular—May 17, latecomer—June 7, 2024

Open to: agencies, designers, and companies from all over the globe

Participation fee: early bird—€215, regular—€330, latecomer—€430; 10% discount on entry fees for Junior Award

Prizes: Red Dot Label; online presentation in the Winner sections of the Red Dot website; featuring in the International Yearbook Brands & Communication Design; participation in exhibitions and Red Dot events

Source: red-dot.org

Red Dot is considered to be one of the most prestigious and desired awards in the design world. The goal of the organizers of the Red Dot Award Brands & Communication Design competition is to recognize leading brands and the best examples of communication design. Participants can submit their projects and creative campaigns in 18 categories, including Corporate Design & Identity, Advertising, Packaging Design, Typography, Websites, Apps, and more. In addition to gaining international recognition and prestige, the winners take part in the Red Dot Gala ceremony in Berlin, and also become part of a community of designers, producers, and potential clients.

Find ideas for a winning project in our Creative trends 2024 forecast.

9. Communication Arts 2025 Typography Competition

Deadline: September 13, 2024

Open to: professionals and students

Participation fee: starting from $40 depending on the category

Prizes: personalized Award of Excellence and award certificates issued for firms, individuals, and clients; worldwide coverage in the Communication Arts Design Annual, in print and digital editions, and on commarts.com

If you specialize in typography, consider checking out this contest. It celebrates the best use of typography as a primary visual element in design and advertising, plus new typeface designs, calligraphy, and hand lettering. Participants have 16 categories: advertising, brochures, posters, books, digital media, identity, etc. They can submit any typography project created or first published from September 2023 to September 2024. Contestants can apply for multiple categories at once. Entries may come from any country, but an English translation must be provided for the jury.

10. Contests by 99designs

You can find many interesting offers for designers on the 99designs blog. This platform brings together customers who have a specific design task with designers from around the world. The process is simple: a customer creates a brief describing all the essential details, and designers offer their versions and graphic ideas. The best offer wins the competition, and the contractor gets paid for their work. The most popular task here is logo design. Prices start from $289. To be able to participate in contests, you must join the 99designs community.

The best contests for illustrators and artists in 2024

1. Illustraciencia 2024 — International Award on Scientific and Nature Illustration

Deadline: March 31, 2024

Open to: individuals and teams made up of adults 18 years old or older

Participation: free

Prizes: €1000 per winning work in each category; a diploma for the author of the Jury Mentions and the Mention of the public; digital certificates; participation in exhibition

The Illustraciencia Award is an initiative that brings together science and artistic creativity to promote scientific culture and illustration. Participants can submit works in three categories: Scientific (illustrations reflecting a phenomenon, a scientific concept, or a complex process), Naturalist (illustrations representing nature and its elements in a detailed way), “Cajal Year” (illustrations related to the anatomy and physiology of the brain or the nervous system). Each contestant may submit one single work. An essential condition is that the illustrations must be created between January 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024.

2. Hiii Illustration 2023

Deadline: April 15, 2024

Open to: illustrators, creative professionals and agencies, teachers and students

Participation: the first round—free, the second round—$20–60 depending on category, the third round—free

Prizes: award certificates, Hiii Illustration winner label, online exhibition, winners exhibitions, media support

Hiii Illustration is one of the most prominent and influential illustration competitions in Asia and the world. The organizers aim to find and recognize exceptional talent and work in illustration. The contest has four categories: Commercial (advertising, design, packaging, posters, etc.), Publishing (books, editorial, magazines, newspapers, zines, etc.), Children’s Book (children’s book illustrations for children under 16), and Uncommissioned (self-generated work, self-promotion, experiment. etc). Each participant can submit up to 10 works, first created or published from April 2021 through April 2024. Important: AI-generated or modified illustrations are not eligible for the contest.

3. Wells Art Contemporary 2024

Deadline: May 9, 2024

Open to: artists based in the UK or internationally over the age of 18 on the 1 January 2024

Participation fee: £20 per work, or £12 per work for current fine art students aged under 26 who are enrolled on a recognised Bachelor or Masters Fine Arts course

Prizes:

• Howden Art Award—£2,000
• Student Prize—£1,000
• People’s Choice Prize—£500
• a free two-week placement at the NG Art Creative Residency in Provence
• featuring on the gallery’s website and social media channels
• mentoring sessions, and more.

Lithography by Adriana Nóbrega—Student prize 2023

Source: wellsartcontemporary.co.uk

The Wells Art Competition is an international art contest that gives artists the opportunity to present their work to a prestigious jury. Selected pieces of art are exhibited in the magnificent Gothic surroundings of Wells Cathedral, where they are seen by up to 50,000 people each year. Participants can submit works in any medium: painting, drawing, sculpture, print, photo, video, digital, textile, mixed media, etc. They have the chance to not only win prestigious awards and cash prizes, but also to sell their works at the exhibition.

4. Humanity Cartoons Competition 2024

Deadline: May 15, 2024

Open to: artists aged 16 and over

Participation: free

Prizes: first place—$1000, second place—$750, third place—$500, fourth place—$250, fifth place—$100, jurys’ special—$100

The Humanity Cartoons Competition is organized by British charitable organizations Time to Help UK and Human Rights Solidarity to raise awareness about the plight of refugees. Entrants are encouraged to submit original and creative cartoons addressing immigrant challenges. The 2024 contest is looking for works that reflect the themes of “Peace and Unity” and “Our Home” and embody the global narrative of friendship and harmonious coexistence. Those who will address the topic best will receive cash prizes. Selected works will be displayed in online galleries and physical exhibitions. In addition, the best entries will be shared on social media, encouraging public discussion to reinforce the theme of peace and unity.

5. OSTEN 56th World Gallery Of Cartoons – Skopje 2024

Deadline: May 31, 2024

Open to: professional, semi-professional, and amateur cartoonists

Participation: free—submitted works remain in the OSTEN collection, $20—non-selected works to be returned to the author

Prizes:

• Grand Prix—$1500 and sculpture
• First award—$1000 and plaque
• Second award—$500 and plaque
• 5 Third awards and 5 Special awards—plaque, and more.

Work by Marcin Bondarowicz—Second award 2023

Source: osten.mk

OSTEN’s World Gallery of Cartoons is the oldest art competition in the Balkans and one of the most long-standing worldwide. It was founded in 1969, making art forms such as cartoons, satiric drawings, and comics accessible to a broad audience. There is no set topic or technique for the 2024 contest, so authors can fully show their creativity. All participants are invited to the opening of the exhibition and the award ceremony in November 2024 in Skopje, North Macedonia.

6. Silent Manga Audition 2024

Deadline: July 1, 2024

Open to: creators of all ages from across the world

Participation: free

Prizes:

• Grand Prix—¥500.000 (approx. $3000)
• Grand Prix Runner Up—¥300.000 (approx. $1750)
• Excellence Award—¥100.000 (approx. $600)
• Excellence Award Runner Up—¥30.000 (approx. $180)
• Honorable Mention—¥10.000 (approx. $60)
• work in Japan at the Artists Village Aso 096k
• joining SMA MasterClass, and more

Do you dream of becoming a mangaka? If so, this is your chance. SMA, created by the manga publishing company COAMIX Inc., is the world’s biggest manga audition that can kickstart your Japanese manga career. Silent manga means that the contestants’ works should not contain any dialogue. Therefore, creators are encouraged to focus on the characters’ expressiveness and emotions. The theme of this year’s contest is The Biggest Surprise. Contestants can tell a story about different kinds of surprises (surprise of happiness, amusement, sadness, confusion, embarrassment, etc.) using illustration. Entries will be judged primarily on “the author’s ability to manage an effective narrative through an entertaining story.”

7. Embracing Our Differences 2025 Exhibition Competition

Deadline: July 1, 2024

Open to: artists, photographers, professionals, amateurs, and students

Participation: free

Prizes: $2.000 for each winners in three categories; exhibition of the winning works

Work by Srishti Chaudhary

Source: embracingourdifferences.org

The Embracing Our Differences contest invites you to participate in creating a society where inclusion is embraced and individuality is celebrated. The theme of this year’s competition matches its name. Winning entries will be chosen based on artistic excellence and originality in reflecting on the “Embracing our differences” topic. It may include illustrating different appearances, racial differences, physical or mental impairment, sexual orientation or identity, gender identity, rights and equality, empowerment, and more. The best 50 submissions will be selected for inclusion in the exhibit at multiple locations in Southwest Florida.

8. Aesthetica Art Prize 2024

Deadline: September 30, 2024

Open to: emerging and established artists

Participation fee: regular—£25 (1 December 2023–31 August 2024), late—£35 (1 September–30 September 2024)

Prizes:

• Main prize—£10,000
• Emerging Prize—£1,000 and £250 voucher
• group exhibition
• editorial coverage in Aesthetica Magazine and online
• profile on the Aesthetica website and more.

Aesthetica Art Prize celebrates contemporary art in all forms, including painting and drawing; video, sculpture, installation, and performance; photography; digital art; artists’ film; ceramics; illustration; mixed-media; and more. The contest is open to works in any genre and theme; however, the organizers are particularly interested in works reflecting our ever-changing world. They are looking for artists who redefine the parameters of contemporary art and reflect upon both social and political structures, questioning the value that we place on the planet and each other.

9. iJungle Illustration Awards 2024

Deadline: October 20, 2024

Open to: professionals, amateurs, students, and agencies

Participation fee: $25 for one image and $48 for a series

Prizes: Best of the Best—$2500; Gold medals for each category—$500; up to 20 Merit Awards; featuring in the iJungle Illustration Annual 2024; exhibition in online gallery, and more

Illustration by Mark Janssen—Best of the best and Book Gold Medal 2023

Source: ijungleawards.com

Europe-based iJungle Illustration Awards competition is open to illustrators, agencies, students, and teachers worldwide. It includes six categories: Book, Editorial, Commercial, New Talent (for students), Self-Promotion, and Comics. The best entries will be chosen by a jury composed of award-winning illustrators and art directors. According to the contest’s terms, the entrants’ illustrations must be first created or published from 2021 through 2024. Each illustrator can submit up to 5 works for all categories.

10. Anthology Art Competition

Deadline: October 31, 2024

Open to: professionals and amateurs

Participation fee: Early bird (March–June 2024)—€12; Standard (July–October 2024)—€18

Prizes: €500 and editorial coverage in a future issue of Anthology

The Anthology Art Competition is established to foster and support established and emerging visual artists and provide them with a platform for publication. The contest is open to multiple genres, including painting, printmaking, mixed media, photography, and digital media. There is a crucial restriction: works entered must not have appeared on the cover of another publication. However, artists can submit works previously exhibited or published on their websites, on the interior pages of a book, or in a magazine. There is no limit to work per entrant. Participants can address any theme, but organizers advise them to refer to Anthology magazine and check out its style.

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