Over 1,000 Entries Last Year! Worldwide Illustration Contest “Next ILLUST Award 2025” – Submissions Open from September 1, 2025

PIE International Inc. (Toshima-ku, Tokyo), in collaboration with COMICUP (Shanghai, China), will launch the worldwide illustration contest “Next ILLUST Award 2025” starting on Monday, September 1, 2025. Following the success of last year’s “Next ILLUST Award 2024,” the judging panel will once again feature three renowned illustrators—Range Murata, Mai Yoneyama, and sakusya2—along with the S/Small S Editorial Team, the PIE Comic Art Editorial Team, Kinokuniya USA, Kinokuniya Asia-Pacific, COMICUP, and PROJECT AINS.

The top-winning entries will be announced in Small S Vol. 85 (scheduled for release in April 2026) and exhibited at Kinokuniya USA stores, Kinokuniya Asia-Pacific stores, and Gallery ecrii. In addition, winners will receive a range of prestigious prizes. We encourage you to submit your own original illustrations and take this opportunity to shine!

Message from the Organizer

Many illustrations have been submitted to “S” and “Small S (SS)” magazines, published by PIE International, since they were first launched. Those who have submitted work in the past have gone on to become active in the world of illustration, manga, anime, and gaming. This body of work is a visual collection derived from manga, anime, and gaming that originated in Japan and has spread all over the world, and we feel that now people overseas enjoy Japanese-style illustration and have begun to draw such illustrations themselves. In 2023, we jointly organized the “COMICUP ×S magazine Illustration contest” in both Japan and China, and witnessed this development firsthand in the submissions from China. This contest has now expanded to become the “Next ILLUST Award”, accepting entries from Japan, China, and English-speaking countries, so that people from all over the world can participate. The 2024 winners were esoratetora, who created a realistic landscape using colored pencils, 徐从晖, who created portraits of beautiful women in traditional Chinese clothing, and _grumpypotato, who created a charming drawing of forest animals.

“ILLUST” (pronounced “irasuto” in Japanese) is a word unique to Japan that creators use to refer to visuals in the style of manga, anime and gaming. That is why we included “ILLUST” (“irasuto”) in the contest name in the hopes that people around the world will become aware of this style. This is a large-scale global project carried out by “S” and “Small S (SS)” magazines, which have been keeping a close eye on the activities of up-and-coming creators for over 20 years. The winners will not only be featured in the magazine, but their works will also be exhibited in China and Japan and will be featured in interview articles and original illustration projects. Through this contest, we hope to spread “ILLUST” (“irasuto”) worldwide, build a bridge for people to connect with one another, and to support the next generation of creators who want to try drawing their own illustrations. We thank you for your support.

PIE International / S Editorial Team

How to Apply

📅Submission Period
September 1, 2025 –December 25, 2025 at 23:59 (JST)

👤Eligibility
Open to everyone—any age, nationality, or background.

🎨Theme
Submit an illustration on any theme of your choice.

🖼️Number of entries
Maximum 2 entries per person

📮Submission Platform
S Official Website
PIE Discord Server
COMICUP Special Website

📌Submission Rules
1. Please include the following when you submit (Only for submissions from Discord):
・Nickname (name to appear in magazine)
・Social Media Account (if you have one)
・Country
・Tools Used
・Comment on your artwork
2. File Requirements:
・Format: JPG or PNG
・Resolution: 300 dpi or higher
・File Size: Under 10MB
3. Only original works created by the applicant themselves will be accepted.
*“Original Work” shall mean artwork depicting characters independently created by the artist from the ground up, and shall not include fan art that references or is based on any specific existing works or characters.
4. Any medium is allowed—both digital and analog works are welcome.
5. Previously published works (social media, contests, etc.) are welcome.
*If your work is currently under review for another contest, please check that contest’s rules before submitting here.

⚠️Important Notes
Entries will not be accepted or will be disqualified if:
they use AI-generated content (images or text).
they infringe on copyrights, portrait rights, or other third-party rights.
they are traced from someone else’s work or are suspected of being traced.

Prizes

🥇Gold award: 1 person
・3 year subscription for CLIP STUDIO PAINT PRO(2 device plan) / UDongMan
・Featuring your specially drawn artwork in S magazine (paid)
・1 art/illustration book from PIE International

🥈Silver award: 2 persons
・2 year subscription for CLIP STUDIO PAINT PRO(2 device plan) / UDongMan
・Featuring your specially drawn artwork in S magazine (paid)
・1 art/illustration book from PIE International

🥉Bronze award: 4 persons
・1 year subscription for CLIP STUDIO PAINT PRO(1 device plan) / UDongMan
・1 art/illustration book from PIE International

🎥Project AINS Award: 1 person
・Gift Card worth approx. ¥30,000

🏅Jury award: 8 persons
・1 art/illustration book from PIE International

Results Announcement

Scheduled to be published in Small S Vol. 85
・Asia/Oceania Release: April 2026 (TBD)
・Europe Release: TBD
・Worldwide Release: TBD

Exhibition Sites for Selected Works

Gallery ecrii (Japan / Schedules to be announced)
Kinokuniya USA store (United States of America / Schedules to be announced)
Kinokuniya Asia-Pacific store (Southeast Asia and others / Schedules to be announced)
*Details for China and other countries are currently being finalized.