Portfolio Showcase for Illustrators ($100)

Our annual Winter Portfolio Showcase will be held on Friday, January 16, 2026 in New York, New York. This award is a career-launching opportunity for children's book illustrators! The juried showcase is a terrific way to get your illustrations in front of the top publishing professionals working today.

Portfolios are judged as a whole, not on any individual image. The judges are looking for:

• Children’s book publishing appropriateness.
• Consistency of a strong illustrative “voice” throughout.
• Fresh and unique styles.

SCBWI reserves the right not to award any prizes at its sole discretion.

Read below for details on how to enter your work in the Portfolio Showcase and how to be considered for the Tomie de Paola Mentorship which is awarded along with the showcase prizes. Please review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) at the bottom of this page.

Spaces are limited. Last year this event completely sold out! Please register early to secure a spot.

The Portfolio Showcase is open to all conference attendees who are PREMIUM MEMBERS. There is an additional $100 fee to participate.

Please read through these requirements carefully.

• Each portfolio showcase participant must read the online release form at registration check-out and check the box indicating approval before completing their registration. 
• Portfolios must be the participant’s own artwork.

Drop off and Pick Up

• All portfolios must be dropped off on Friday, January 16 between 12pm and 1pm at the 5th Floor Salon Foyer of the Marriott Marquis Times Square hotel. 
• You must pick up your portfolio in the Salon between 7:45pm and 9pm on Friday, January 16. (During or immediately after the Portfolio Browse). SCBWI is not responsible for any portfolios or promotional materials left behind. 

What to exhibit:

Portfolio, promotional postcards, dummy (optional)

Portfolio:

• You must be a Premium Member to enter the Portfolio Showcase
• Your name and contact information must be in or on your portfolio. Please indicate if you are represented by an agent. This helps industry professionals as they browse during the Portfolio Showcase.
• The portfolio you submit must be your own artwork. You may not submit artwork that was created by someone else.
• The artwork within your portfolio may not be created with AI. Portfolios that do not follow this guideline will not be considered for awards. Please review the SCBWI Policy on AI
• Only one (1) portfolio permitted
• Standard format only. Please submit portfolios within the guidelines listed below to be allowed entry into the Portfolio Showcase.
• Measurements when opened: Maximum width: 34 inches max. Maximum height: 17 inches max.
• Closed portfolio: 3 inches tall max.
• 10–15 images suggested
• Copies or prints only; no original art

PLEASE NOTE: Portfolios that do not follow these requirements will be disqualified from prize consideration.

Business or Promotional Cards:

• Size: up to 5” x 7” vertical or horizontal
• 100 cards suggested
• Only one stack of cards will be placed beside the portfolio
• No cardholders permitted
• Bring cards in a disposable plastic bag or bound by a rubber band.

Dummy Book:

• One or two are permitted
• Optional, not a requirement
• Dummy may not, in any way, be a partially or fully published book.
• Dummy must be attached to your portfolio (string, yarn, and ribbon work well).
• The dummy may or may not include your own writing. Please do give author credit where credit is due.
• The dummy is simply an opportunity to display your ability to create a children’s book.
• This can be an addition to your portfolio, not a replacement for your portfolio.

Please note what IS NOT PERMITTED on the table:

The following items are not allowed to be submitted to be placed on the table:

●     Oversized portfolios (whether oversized in length, width, or height).

●     Non-secured portfolios (images not securely attached to the portfolio).

●     Original art

●     Framed art

●     Published books are not allowed on the table.

●     3-D art

●     Easels, stands, or props of any kind. Nothing vertical off of the table.

●     Portfolios in unusual novelty formats, such as boxes.

Follow the rules and let your artwork shine!

Questions?

Please email TeMika Grooms at [email protected].

Special showcase opportunity at the International Bologna Book Fair for each of the winners!

One image from the Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners’ portfolios will be displayed in a special showcase in the SCBWI booth at the 2026 Bologna Children’s Book Fair along with their name, website, and country of origin. There will be more than 30,000 people and 1500 exhibitors from 100 countries at this renowned book fair. Learn more about the SCBWI Booth at the Bologna Children's Book Fair https://www.scbwi.org/scbwi-at-bologna.

1 Gold Award (1) winner will receive:

• Two phone/virtual meetings with art directors/agents who will provide guidance and feedback on your portfolio,
• Free admission to the next in-person New York Conference (room and airfare not included),
• A one year renewal of your SCBWI membership, and
• Two images from your portfolio will be showcased in the SCBWI booth at the 2026 Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

1 Silver Award winner will receive:

• Two phone/virtual meetings with art directors/agents who will provide guidance and feedback on your portfolio,
• A one year renewal of your SCBWI membership, and
• One image from your portfolio will be showcased  in the SCBWI booth at the 2026 Bologna Children’s Book Fair. 

2 Bronze Award winners will receive:

• One phone/virtual meeting with an art director or agent who will provide guidance and feedback on your portfolio.
• One image from the winner’s portfolio will be showcased in the SCBWI booth at the 2026 Bologna Children’s Book Fair. 

The showcase winners and honor recipients will be announced at the Welcome and Awards session on Sunday, January 18th.

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 and industry leaders who will offer feedback on revisions, on craft, and on the publishing process. Mentees will also be advised on effective promotion and social media strategies.

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 2026 In-Person New York Winter Conference and participate in the Portfolio Showcase.

How to apply:

SCBWI premium members must first sign up for the 2026 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, January 17th, 2026. 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.) 

Congratulations to this years Conference Artist, Merrill Rainey. Learn more about his work at https://www.scbwi.org/members/merrill-rainey