2021 Chesley Awards Winners
The 2021 Chesley Awards winners were announced by the Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Artists (ASFA) in a virtual ceremony:
Best Cover Illustration: Hardcover
- WINNER: Corinne Reid for Encounters with the Imaginary Vol. 3, Jeszika Le Vye & Kira Night, eds. (Boneshaker)
- Tommy Arnold for Harrow the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir (Tor Books)
- Iris Compiet for The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra, Adam Cesare (Insight)
- Jason Mowry for Red Dragon, Thomas Harris (Suntup)
- John Picacio for Black Sun, Rebecca Roanhorse (Saga)
Best Cover Illustration: Paperback or Ebook
- WINNER: Charles Urbach for Ghost Riders in the Sky, Timothy Zahn (Swallow’s End)
- Rovina Cai for The Fourth Island, Sarah Tolmie (Tordotcom)
- Scott Discher for Ashes of the Sun, Django Wexler (Orbit)
- Madolyn Locke for Valian Styrke: Knight of Fate, Reiter (Sylver Quill)
- Ben Zweifel for The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn, Tyler Whitesides (Orbit)
Best Magazine Illustration
- WINNER: Francesca Resta for Clarkesworld #169
- Arjun Amky for Clarkesworld #170
- Evan Cagle for Stranger Things: Into the Fire #4 (Dark Horse)
- Tithi Luadthong for Lightspeed #123
- Tim O’Brien for Time (August 2020)
- Rodion Shaldo for Clarkesworld #168
Best Interior Illustration
- WINNER: Iris Compiet for The Dark Bestiary, Adam Cesare, Brian Froud, Wendy Froud, Iris Compiet (Insight)
- Audrey Benjaminsen for Hearts in the Ground, G.V. Anderson (Tordotcom)
- Ejiwa Ebenebe for “Boundless Unrivaled” (FIYAH #16)
- Micah Epstein for The Case of the Somewhat Mythic Sword, Garth Nix (Tordotcom)
- Sija Hong for Monstrous Tales: Stories of Strange Creatures and Fearsome Beasts from around the World (Chronicle)
- Michael Komarck for The Crippled God, Steven Erikson (Subterranean)
- Jason Mowry for Red Dragon, Thomas Harris (Suntup)
Best Color Work: Unpublished
- WINNER: Kai Carpenter, “The Selkie” (Oils)
- Marcela Bolívar, “Hothouse” (Digital)
- Bruce Brenneise, “Garden of Solitude” (Digital)
- Amelia Leonards, “Melody of Shattered Bars” (Watercolor/Ink)
- Rachel Quinlan, “Luminous” (Watercolor/Ink)
- Danny Schwartz, “Lily court” (Acrylic on Board)
- Charles Urbach, “Chapters Infinite” (Color pencils)
Best Monochrome Work: Unpublished
- WINNER: Ashley Hankins, “Unmasked” (Digital)
- Daria Aksenova, “? (Yáng)” (Pen and Ink on hand-cut, suspended, layered paper in a hand-built, gilded Italian frame)
- Julia Lundman, “Spring Ghosts” (Graphite)
- Gary Villarreal, “Romantic Storyteller” (Graphite)
- Marta Witkiewicz, “Enchanted” (Graphite)
Best Three-Dimensional Art
- WINNER: Lisa Sell, “The Birdcage Bandit” (Mixed Media)
- Sara Felix, “Air Tiara” (Mixed media, resin and metal patinas)
- Thomas Kuebler, “Black Widow” (Mixed Media)
- Tach Pollard, “Wind Walker” (burnt hawthorn)
- Leia Powell, “Flight into Fantasy” (Stained Glass)
- Forest Rogers, “Dream of Quan Yin” (Clay / Mixed Media)
- Karl Deen, Sanders “Siren” (Bronze upon an Onyx base)
Best Gaming-Related Illustration
- WINNER: Lindsey Look, “Sublime Epiphany” (Magic: the Gathering Core Set 2021 )
- Joanna Barnum, Overlight: The Lost Spire of Tziuhquatl (Renegade Game Studios)
- Seb McKinnon, “Cuombajj Witches” (Magic: the Gathering Commander Legends)
- Christian Piccolo, “Roswell Skateboard” In-game and real world skate board deck art for Tony Hawk Pro-Skater 1 & 2 (Vicarious Visions)
- Charles Urbach, “The Whispering Heart” Tabletop RPG Solo Gaming Adventure Das Schwarze Auge (The Dark Eye), Ulisses Spiele
- Jabari Weathers, Dissident Whispers cover (Whisper Collective)
Best Product Illustration
- WINNER: Wylie Beckert, “A Clockwork Orange” (MONDO poster)
- Jason Edmiston, “The Invisible Man” (MONDO poster)
- Te Hu, “Nine songs” (Mural for the 14th China International Comic Festival in Guangzhou)
- Heather Kreiter, Genevieve Plush Mascot Plush (Licensed for Gen Con)
- Vanessa Lemen, “Psyche” (Promo for Reckless Deck: PSYCHE)
- John Picacio, La Maceta / The Flowerpot Loteria card (Lone Boy)
- Greg Ruth, “Ad Astra” (MONDO poster)
Best Art Director
- WINNER: Irene Gallo
- Neil Clarke
- Rebecca Dornsife
- Lauren Panepinto
- Nadine Schäkel
- Megan Walker
Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award
- WINNER: Richard Corben
- Gregory Manchess
- Iain McCaig
- Wendy Pini
- William Stout
- Allen Williams
For more information, see the ASFA website.
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