Tomie dePaola Mentorship Award for Illustrators

Judges will choose three illustrators whose work shows strong craftsmanship and a fresh distinct voice with a clear potential for narrative illustration. These winners will receive mentorship from members of the SCBWI Illustration Committee, industry leaders who will advise them through feedback/revision on craft and process, and eventually help promote their work in the publishing industry. 

Criteria: 

Illustrators must be unpublished or early-career (no more than two traditionally published books). To be eligible for this award, applicants must attend the 2025 In-Person New York Winter Conference and participate in the Portfolio Showcase.

How to apply:

SCBWI premium members must first sign up for the 2025 In-Person New York Winter Conference and register for the Portfolio Showcase. At registration, attendees will be given two choices: either to apply ONLY for the Portfolio Showcase or to submit their work to BOTH the Portfolio Showcase and the Tomie dePaola Award. By filling in the submission box marked “Portfolio Showcase with Tomie dePaola Mentorship Award Consideration,” they attest that they are eligible and wish to be considered for the Tomie dePaola Award.

Members may then follow the rest of the instructions of the Portfolio Showcase as usual and bring a physical copy of their portfolio to the conference in New York. The Portfolio Showcase and the Tomie de Paola Mentorship Award will be considered separately by two different panels of judges. It is possible for one attendee to win multiple awards.

Announcement:

The winners of the Tomie dePaola Mentorship Award will be announced from the main stage of the New York Winter Conference on the morning of Saturday, February 1. The winners will then be invited to that afternoon’s Awards Lunch, where they will have the opportunity to meet their mentors and learn more about the mentorship process. (The Portfolio Award winners will be announced separately, from the main stage on Sunday morning.)