The Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2023

The Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2022 Logo showing an illustrated parrot with a paintbrush in its beak and the words 'the Macmillan Prize for Illustration'


The competition is now closed for submissions.


The Macmillan Prize for Illustration is awarded for an unpublished children’s picture book. Submissions are open for 2023 and digital submissions will be welcomed until 17.30 on 28th April 2023.  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. The Macmillan judges for 2023 are confirmed as: 


  • Chris Inns - Chair of Judges and Art and Design Director (Macmillan Children’s Books)
  • Suzanne Carnell - Publisher, Two Hoots (Pan Macmillan)
  • Hannah Ray - Publishing Director, Picture Books (Macmillan Children’s Books)
  • Our independent guest judges will be announced in due course.


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: 


‘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.’
Emily Gravett
‘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.’
Jake Alexander


Entries to the Macmillan Prize 2023 are now closed.


Please see terms and conditions here.