Jack Nash from Arlington, VA, was named the 2024 Grand Prize Writer Winner and Tyler Vail from Bryan, TX was named the 2024 Illustrator Grand Prize Winner at an awards ceremony in Hollywood, CA on April 25.

The event commemorated the dual anniversaries of the 40th Annual Writers of the Future and the 35th Annual Illustrators of the Future L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards, with emcee Gunhild Jacobs, Executive Director of Author Services, Inc.

Winners from this year’s competitions hailed from all over the United States, as well as from Canada, China, Malaysia, The Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In the week before the Awards Gala, all the winners of the 2024 contests were mentored in seminars led by contest judges to prepare them for their respective professions.

Joni Labaqui, Director of the Contests for Author Services, Inc. who oversaw the presentations of the Grand Prize Awards, said, “The theme for our awards show this year is ‘Shaman Dreams,’ as depicted on the cover of the Volume 40 anthology created by Illustrators of the Future judge, Dan dos Santos, to which Writers of the Future judge S.M. Sterling has crafted a story about a young woman shaman, a Starcatcher, with magical powers.”

The event was streamed live via the website, www.writersofthefuture.com. John Goodwin, President of Galaxy Press, added: “According to United Public Radio Network, this year’s awards show was seen by 50,000 viewers on Roku, 10,000 on Amazon and was heard by 1.2 million listeners via the livestream broadcast.”

Writer’s Contest Coordinating Judge Jody Lynn Nye and Oson Scott Card announced writer Jack Nash as the 2024 Golden Pen Award winner, presenting him a trophy and check for $5,000 for his story, “Son, Spirit, Snake,” which was illustrated by Pedro N.

Coordinating Illustrator Contest Judge Echo Chernik and Bob Eggleton announced illustrator Tyler Vail as the 2024 Golden Brush Award winner presenting him a trophy and a check for $5,000. Tyler Vail illustrated writer John Eric Schleicher’s story, “Squiddy.”

The 12 Quarterly Winners who were presented with trophies and cash prizes included: Stephannie Tallent of Hermosa Beach, CA; Galen Westlake of Ontario, Canada; John Eric Schleicher of Missoula, MT; Rosalyn Robilliard (Rose Robilliard of Tameside, UK and Alice Robilliard of Norwich, UK); Sky McKinnon of Seattle, WA; James Davies of Mount Airy, MD; Lance Robinson of Ontario, Canada; Kal M of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Lisa Silverthorne of Las Vegas, NV; Jack Nash of Arlington, VA; Tom Vandermolen of Seattle, WA and Amir Agoora of Southington, CT.

The 12 Quarterly Winners of the 2024 Illustrator’s Contests who were presented with trophies and cash prizes, and one 2023 Quarterly Illustrator Winner included: Selena Meraki of Limburg, Netherlands; Carina Zhang of Providence, RI; Arthur Haywood of Tulsa, OK; May Zheng of Belle Mead, NJ; Tyler Vail of Bryan, TX; Ashley Cassaday of Trophy Club, TX; Jennifer Mellen of Layton, UT; Gigi Hooper of Newberg, OR; Pedro N. of Porto, Portugal; Guelly Rivera of Lemoore, CA; Steven Bentley of Portland, OR; and Connor Chamberlain of Corstophine, Dunedin, New Zealand. Additionally, Chris Arias of Cartago, Costa Rica, a 2023 Fourth Quarter Illustrator Winner and Guest Artist in Volume 40, received his awards, as he wasn’t able to attend last year’s awards ceremony.

Distinguished and renowned Writer Contest Judges in attendance included: Kevin J. Anderson, Dr. Gregory Benford, Orson Scott Card, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Katherine Kurtz, Todd McCaffrey, Rebecca Moesta, Mark Leslie Lefebvre, Larry Niven, Jody Lynn Nye, Dr. Nnedi Okorafor, Timothy Thomas “Tim” Powers, Dr. Robert J. Sawyer, S.M. Stirling and Dean Wesley Smith.

Distinguished and renowned Illustrator Contest Judges in attendance included: Echo Chernik, Lazarus Chernik, Bob Eggleton, Craig Elliott, Brian C. Hailes, Brittany “Bea” Jackson, and Rob Prior.

The annual Contests draw entrants from around the globe and are free to enter. Winners retain full rights to their work, and each is given cash awards.

[Based on a press release.]