V&A names Benjamin Phillips as Moira Gemmill Illustrator of the Year 2024

The V&A has announced Benjamin Phillips as the Moira Gemmill Illustrator of the Year 2024. Phillips, who won in the Illustration for Children category, explores themes of Jewish identity, generational divides, and gentrification in his work. His focus is on the relationship between a grandmother and her grandson.

The work, taken from a 70-page graphic novel, is filled with empathetic and evocative hand-drawn scenes. The judges described it as "unique, moving, and powerful, with a subtle beauty."

Now celebrating its 52nd year, the V&A Illustration Awards recognise excellence across five categories: Adult Fiction, Adult Non-Fiction, Advertising and Commercial, Emerging Illustrator, and Illustration for Children. This year saw a record-breaking 2,000 submissions, each exploring a diverse array of themes and ideas through the medium of illustration.

The 2024 winners were chosen by an expert judging panel consisting of printmaker and previous Illustration Awards winner James Albon, author, illustrator, and animator Yasmeen Ismail, founder and director of Gran Salón Mexico Maru Aguzzi, and esteemed illustrator and cartoonist Chris Riddell. Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, acted as chair. Selected works from the winners and runners-up will be showcased at the V&A until 21 September 2025, celebrating their outstanding achievements.

Judge Maru Aguzzi said: "Something that was surprising was the fact that I didn't really encounter trendy themes or traces, something that for me is very common in contests where you usually see a lot of illustration that doesn't necessarily represent the illustrator. Here, I saw mostly unique styles, and that was very empowering.

"The work of Benjamin Phillips is so unique and powerful, so moving, that, while we all had our differences during the judging process, here there was no doubt."

Judge Yasmeen Ismail said: "This year's V&A Illustration competition was brimming with incredible work, and I was delighted to find that we were all in complete and immediate agreement that Benjamin Phillips' work filled our hearts with joy. Benjamin is truly a deserving winner."

Each category winner will receive £3,000, with runners-up receiving £750. The overall winner, Benjamin Phillips, named Moira Gemmill Illustrator of the Year, will receive an additional £5,000. His artwork will also be added to the V&A's prestigious collection of illustrations alongside works by renowned artists such as Aubrey Beardsley, Sir John Tenniel, E.H. Shepard, Quentin Blake, and Posy Simmonds.

Alongside Benjamin Phillips' winning work, Jorge González's illustrations for The Shadow of the Wind stand out in the Adult Fiction category. Published by the Folio Society in 2023, González used oil pastel and pencil for his initial drawings, later enhancing them digitally. His rich and layered approach brings depth to the characters and architectural backdrops, creating a captivating story atmosphere.

In the same category, Mu Pan's intricate ink drawings for Monkey, published by The Folio Society, offer a visually stunning interpretation of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. His illustrations recall the elegance of traditional Chinese scroll paintings, vividly portraying the characters and their adventures in vibrant, intricate detail.

Claire Harrup's artwork for Britain's Landmarks, published by National Trust and Harper Collins, transports viewers to ancient heritage sites across the UK. Her compositions, which combine ink sketches, brushwork, and digitally coloured relief printing, evoke the romantic tradition of landscape art, capturing the mystical essence of stone circles and hermits' caves.

Maisy Summer, runner-up in the Adult Non-Fiction category, created playful and textured animations for the Hat Works Museum in Stockport. The animations tell the story of Elsie Plant, a women's welfare campaigner and suffragette. By blending archival documents with digital drawings and handcrafted linework, Summer brings to life a richly layered history focused on community and activism.

Andrea Serio's contribution to The Gulag Archipelago for Vintage Classics creates an evocative yet harsh depiction of prisoners enduring forced labour in Soviet camps. His artwork, which forms a striking cover that transforms into three separate images when wrapped around the book, conveys the brutal conditions in stark yet beautiful detail.

In the world of advertising and commercial illustration, Paul Blow's vibrant cover for The Chesterfields' album New Modern Homes, commissioned by Mr Mellow's Music, creatively draws on the band's lyrics. His depiction of a giant man peering into a modernist Norwegian house in daylight and the contrasting inner sleeve featuring a glowing twilight scene set a captivating tone for the album's themes.

Simon Pemberton's richly textured illustrations for the London Philharmonic Orchestra's 2022/23 season visually reflect the transformative power of music. Inspired by the season's theme, A Place Called Home, his artwork explores memory, sanctuary, and displacement, capturing the emotional range of the compositions through scenes that transport listeners from dark forests to mountain valleys.

Aditi Anand, winner in the Emerging Illustrator category, explores the complexities of child labour in Marigolds. Her powerful illustrations, inspired by flower markets in India, portray a mother teaching her child to make garlands for sale. The rawness of Anand's mixed-media work, which was finished digitally, captures both the beauty of the setting and the stark reality of the story.

Shuyan Chen, runner-up in the Emerging Illustrator category, brings a delicate and dynamic touch to The Fliers of Gy, inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin's short story. Using watercolour, Chen captures the inner conflict of winged people, whose ability to fly is both a gift and a curse. The character's outstretched feather and feathered hair, informed by the grace of ostriches, add depth to this poignant illustration.

And finally, Coralie Bickford-Smith's The Squirrel and the Lost Treasure, published by Particular Books in 2023, offers a delightful addition to the Children's Illustration category. Inspired by William Morris's Kelmscott Press, Bickford-Smith uses digital techniques to evoke the handcrafted feel of traditional printing. Her intricate and graphic designs playfully bring the natural world to life, adding a fresh take on the genre.