2023 Regulations

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About the Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition

The Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition is an international illustration contest held annually as part of the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF), with the support of the Shanghai Press and Publication Administration. Since its creation in 2015, the competition has been providing a venue for emerging illustrators to showcase their talent. It aims to build bridges between them and children's publishers, both locally and globally. In so doing it has given fresh life to China's children's book industry. In the last edition, after a three-month submission campaign, the competition received an amazing number of artworks—12,130 pictures created by 2,426 artists from 82 countries and territories. The Golden Pinwheel is not merely a standalone competition—it is a comprehensive programme which includes exhibitions, an illustrated yearbook and a variety of promotional campaigns.

Since 2023, the organising committee will launch a new categoryCommercial, in addition to the original submission categoryBook Publishing, so as to encourage illustrators to demonstrate their commercial value through diversified forms of artistic expression, and to promote communication and cooperation with illustrators and brands, advertisers.

In order to give recognition to the most talented artists in the competition, the 2023 Golden Pinwheel is offering a wide array of awards: the Golden Pinwheel Grand Award (rewarding the two most outstanding artworks for each category—one from China and one from overseas), the Golden Pinwheel Special Mentions and the People's Choice Award for both categories. In addition to the above award, the Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition organising committee goes on the “award-to-award” cooperation with the Astra International Picture Book Writing Contest to offerthe Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition Astra Award. This joint award aims to promote international collaboration and publication among picture book illustrators and writers. The award is open to all 50 finalists from Book Publishing Category of the Golden Pinwheel Competition and judged by an independent jury appointed by the sponsors of the Astra International Picture Book Writing Contest. Beyond that, one of the Book Publishing Category award-winners will be chosen by the CCBF Organising Committee to design the key visual of the 2024 edition of the book fair. This new image will be an integral part of the fair's visual communication for a whole year, including its use on our website, social media, gifts, and in advertisement campaigns. All 100 finalists (50 from Book Publishing Category and 50 from Commercial Category) will be featured in 2023 CCBF Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition Yearbook, which will also be presented at the 2023 Golden Pinwheel Illustration Exhibition held at the book fair from 17 to 19 November at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre (SWEECC).


Eligibility & Requirements

Eligibility

Those who meet the following conditions are eligible to participate in the selection of Book Publishing category and Commercial category:

  1. To compete, illustrators must be between 16 and 39 years of age (born between 1 January 1984 and 31 December 2007).
  2. Regardless of nationality, professional illustrators, art school students, and other illustration enthusiasts may all enter the competition free of charge.
  3. Entries may be sent by individual artists, advertisers, schools, associations and other third-party organisations. The above third-party organisations shall be authorised by the illustrators themselves.
  4. Publishing houses who wish to enter artworks on behalf of an illustrator are allowed to submit only artworks selected from an original publication from their own catalogue.

Categories and Entry Requirements
Participants can choose either category to participate, or both categories at the same time, but only one work can be submitted for each category.

Book Publishing

Works created for the purpose of children's book illustration.
1)There are no limits to the entry theme and content provided that is it suitable for children’s book illustration. The competition accepts works created manually, digitally or by mixed techniques (except AI painting).
2)A participant must submit a series of five illustrations on the same theme. Only one series may be submitted per artist each year. The artworks must be accompanied by an explanatory text in English (up to 500 signs) that describes their work and the tools/techniques used in its creation.
3)The illustrations submitted shall be unaccompanied by any text, unless the text is an integral and inseparable element of the illustration.
4)Illustrations submitted in the competition may be published or unpublished. If published, the illustrations shall not have been published before 1 January 2021.
5)For all published works, the ISBN number, the name of the publishing house, the country and the first publication date must be filled in the work information page.
6)Illustrations previously submitted to the Golden Pinwheel are not eligible for re-entry

Commercial

Illustrations used in commercial advertising, as well as design, product and packaging applications.
1)There are no limits to the entry theme and content provided that is it utilized in advertising, design, product & packaging, etc. The competition accepts works created manually, digitally or by mixed techniques (except AI painting).
2)The types of submitted works shall be: ①Advertising,② Design, product & packaging and other commercial illustrations.
3)A participant can submit up to five illustrations on the same project. Only one work or one series may be submitted per artist each year. The artworks must be accompanied by an explanatory text in English (up to 500 signs), a PowerPoint presentation, or a video that describes their work and the tools/techniques used in its creation.
For all commissioned works, the commissioner, design/advertising agency (if any), and participant’s agency or artist representative (if any) must be indicated.

Submission Procedure
The only official channel for registration and submission is the CCBF official website www.ccbookfair.com. Please fill in the registration form and submit your work online. All hand-drawn illustrations must be scanned in high-definition.

Entries must meet the following criteria:

  1. Format: JPG or PNG
  2. Size: less than 20MB for each image
  3. Resolution: 300 DPI or above

For commercial entries, if a participant submits a PowerPoint presentation, or a video to describe their artwork, the documents must meet the following criteria:

  1. PowerPoint presentation: size less than 50MB
  2. Video: format acceptable for MP4, MPEG, AVI, MOV, MPG, and size less than 500MB

Submission Deadline
26 June 2023, 23:59 (GMT+8)

Competition Schedule
Entry submissions: 27 April–26 June 2023
Finalists announcement: 5 September 2023
Award-winners announcement: 17-19 November 2023


Awards

Book Publishing

Golden Pinwheel Grand Award (China)

One winner among this category finalists from Mainland China
· An invitation to the 2024 Bologna Children’s Book Fair, including economy class air tickets and accommodation fully covered by the event organiser·
· Trophy and certificate

Golden Pinwheel Grand Award (International)

One winner among this category finalists from other countries and territories
· An invitation to the 2024 China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair, with economy class air tickets and accommodation fully covered by the event organiser
· Trophy and certificate

Golden Pinwheel Special Mentions

Three recipients
· Certificate

Golden Pinwheel People’s Choice Award

One winner
· Elected by CCBF‘s visitors, exhibitors, and social media followers
· Trophy and certificate

Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition Astra Award

One winner
· The award is open to all 50 finalists of Book Publishing category of the Golden Pinwheel Competition and judged by an independent jury appointed by the sponsors of the Astra International Picture Book Writing Contest.
US$5,000 prize (tax included) offered and paid by the Astra International Picture Book Writing Contest sponsors.
· A picture book publishing contract for the illustration of at least one winning story of the Astra International Picture Book Writing Contest. The publishing contract will be signed between the sponsors of the Astra International Picture Book Writing Contest and the winner. As a platform of international publishers, the sponsors of the Astra International Picture Book Writing Contest will consider the picture book for its publication in several languages, including Chinese, English, German, French, and Japanese.
· Trophy and certificate

Commercial

Golden Pinwheel Grand Award (China)

One winner among this category finalists from Mainland China
· CNY10,000 prize (tax included)
· Trophy and certificate

Golden Pinwheel Grand Award (International)

One winner among this category finalists from other countries and territories
· CNY10,000 prize (tax included)
· Trophy and certificate

Golden Pinwheel Special Mentions

Three recipients
· Certificate

Golden Pinwheel People’s Choice Award

One winner
· Elected by the CCBF visitors, exhibitors, and social media followers
· Trophy and certificate


Contact us

For inquiries regarding submissions, reception, exhibitions and awards:
ccbf.goldenpinwheel@bfchina.net

Business sponsorships, advertisement, promotion and other partnerships:
Nina Liu
nina.liu@bfchina.net