Communication Arts 2027 Illustration Competition

The Communication Arts Illustration Competition is one of the most respected illustration awards in the world. Each year, a jury of illustrators, designers and art directors selects the best work for the CA Illustration Annual, which is distributed internationally in print and digitally and featured on commarts.com. The 2027 competition is open to illustrators, studios, clients and students in any country, for work first published or produced between January 2026 and January 2027. The deadline is 8 January 2027, with late entries accepted until 22 January.

Communication Arts, founded in California in 1959, is a trade magazine for visual communication, and its annuals are a reference for art directors looking for illustrators. Being selected is a strong credential for any portfolio.

Entry is online only, and there is no cash prize: the reward is visibility.

Who Can Enter the Communication Arts Illustration Competition?

Anyone who created or commissioned the work: illustrators, studios, agencies, publishers and clients, from any country. Students can enter work made for a school assignment in the Student Work category.

It is particularly relevant to:

• Editorial and book illustrators
• Illustrators working in advertising and packaging
• Animators and motion illustrators
• Illustration students looking for an early credential

What Can You Enter?

Illustrations first published or produced from January 2026 through January 2027, in nine categories:

• Advertising
• Books
• Editorial
• For Sale (prints, products and merchandise)
• Institutional
• Motion/Animation
• Self-Promotion
• Unpublished
• Student Work

A series can include up to five illustrations for the same project. Communication Arts does not accept AI text-to-image generated submissions.

File Specifications

• Still images: RGB JPG, up to 2MB
• Motion/Animation: MOV, MP4, MPG or GIF, up to 500MB
• Write short descriptions in English: the jury reads them

Entry Fees

• Single entry: $40; series: $80 (Advertising, Books, Editorial, For Sale, Institutional, Self-Promotion, Unpublished)
• Motion/Animation: $90 single, $180 series
• Student Work: $20 single print, $40 print series; $45 single video, $90 video series
• Late fee: $10 per entry from 9 to 22 January 2027

Fees are non-refundable.

What Do Selected Entrants Receive?

• Award of Excellence: a personalised award milled from solid aluminium
• Certificates for the illustrator, studio and client
• Publication in the Communication Arts Illustration Annual, in print and digital, and on commarts.com
• A listing in the Annual's contact index, used by art directors to find illustrators

Submission Requirements

Register and upload your entries through the competition system on the Communication Arts website. Email entries are not accepted, and physical entries are no longer judged.

Why Enter?

Art directors and designers keep the CA Annuals as a source of talent, so a selected piece keeps working for you long after the results are out. It also signals to clients that your work has been chosen by your peers, not only liked online. For students, the separate category and lower fees make it a realistic first step into international awards.

About Communication Arts

Communication Arts has run its competitions for more than six decades, covering design, advertising, photography, illustration, typography and interactive work. Each competition is judged by a different jury of working professionals, and the selected work is published in an annual issue of the magazine. The Illustration Annual is known for its range: editorial portraits, book covers, posters, packaging, animation and personal projects sit side by side, giving a picture of the year's best illustration across many markets.

Things to Consider

• Choose your strongest work. Judges see thousands of entries; one great image is better than five good ones.
• Use the right category. Commissioned work belongs in its market category; personal work goes under Unpublished or Self-Promotion.
• Enter series carefully. A series is judged as a whole, so every image must be strong.
• Write a clear description. A sentence on the brief and context helps the jury.
• Enter before 8 January. Late entries cost $10 more each.

Enter the Competition

Interested in submitting your work?

Enter the Illustration Competition

For the full rules, the category guide and the entry form, visit the official Communication Arts website.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 21, 2026