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The Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2025

Now open for 2025. Celebrating 40 years.

The competition is now open for submissions. 

The Macmillan Prize for Illustration is awarded for an unpublished children’s picture book. Submissions are open for 2025 and digital submissions will be welcomed until 5.30pm on 25 April 2025.  No physical submissions will be accepted. 

The winners will be chosen by a panel of judges comprising individuals from Macmillan as well as independent guest judges. 

Established in 1985, this prize is open to non-professional illustrators and celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The aim of the award is to stimulate new creative work that helps students to take the first steps in their professional careers. This coveted award has discovered many award-winning and bestselling talents, including Emily Gravett, Lucy Cousins, Ross Collins, Bethan Woollvin and Morag Hood. 

Previous winners say. . .

Quote from Emily Gravett, 2014 winner: I won the Macmillan Prize in the final year of my illustration degree. I still count it as one of the happiest days of my life, and it marked a massive shift from dreaming about being an illustrator, to realising that dream. It launched my career. A career that’s been better and more satisfying than I could have ever imagined.
Quote from Jake Alexander, 2019 winner: I feel incredibly lucky to have won the Macmillan Prize last year, it’s an amazing opportunity to develop your projects and to get them in front of industry professionals. I feel really fortunate that I have been able to work on and develop my own children’s picture book with Macmillan, straight after graduating AUB, especially as it deals with themes that are incredibly personal to me.
Quote from Becky Colvin, winner 2023: Not only was winning the Prize incredibly gratifying but it was fundamental part of getting my start in the industry. . . and means a great deal to me, especially for a project that is so personal. I will always remember getting that phone call from Chris Inns midway through devouring a sandwich. (I don't think he noticed.)

Entries to the Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2025 are now open.

Please see terms and conditions here.

Poster - Mac Prize 2025 poster thumbnail.jpg
The Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2025 poster is available to download. If you'd like to print it please ensure you display the terms and conditions alongside it.
Download the poster