1. Home
  2.  About
  3.  The Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2024

The Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2024

Submissions now closed

Submissions for the Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2024 are now closed. 

The Macmillan Prize for Illustration is awarded for an unpublished children’s picture book.

The winners will be chosen by a panel of judges comprising individuals from Macmillan as well as independent guest judges. The Macmillan judges for 2024 are confirmed as: 

  • Chris Inns – Chair of Judges and Art and Design Director (Macmillan Children’s Books)
  • Suzanne Carnell – Publisher, Two Hoots (Pan Macmillan)
  • Emily Ford – Editorial Director, Picture Books (Macmillan Children’s Books) 
  • Camilla Reid – Bestselling author
  • Sharon King-Chai – Award-winning author and illustrator
  • Alex T. Smith – Award-winning author and illustrator
  • Lucy Bannerman – News reporter and children's book reviewer at The Times
  • Amanda Truman – Owner, Truman Books

Established in 1985, this prize is open to non-professional illustrators. 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 2024 are now closed.

Please see terms and conditions here.

MacPrizePoster2024-1.jpg
The Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2024 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