The annual international competition garnered 5,517 entries from aspiring design and media entertainment artists; a panel of more than 150 judges and industry professionals selected winners based on criteria including creative, technical, and presentation skills as well as complexity and raw talent.
Winners for the 13th Annual Rookie Awards, a competition for aspiring design and media entertainment artists, have been announced, having garnered 5,517 entries from international digital artists from 106 countries. The competitors consist of both individuals and teams of artists.
The awards feature a range of categories that celebrate the best in each major creative industry. The coveted "Rookie of the Year" recognizes exceptional individual artists in 10 creative fields, including 2D Animation, 3D Animation, Visual Effects, Concept Art, Game Development, Immersive Media, 3D Motion Graphics, Product Design, Architectural Visualization, and Virtual Fashion.
The "Film of the Year" category includes outstanding works in Visual Effects, 2D Animation, and 3D Animation, showcasing exceptional storytelling and cinematic achievements, and the "Game of the Year" category celebrates the best games crafted by individuals and teams across multiple platforms, including PC & Console, Mobile, and Immersive Media.
Submissions are scored based on criteria including creative skills, technical skills, presentation, variety of skills, complexity, raw talent, and employment potential by a panel of 152 judges and industry professionals.
"The 13th edition of the Rookie Awards demonstrates the unstoppable creativity of young artists worldwide,” said Andrew McDonald, co-founder of the Rookie Awards. “We are proud to celebrate their exceptional achievements and foster a global community of creative talent."
This year’s event had four major sponsors: Autodesk, Epic Games, Dell Technologies, and Adobe – and three major studio sponsors - Wētā FX, Outpost VFX, and EA Sports.
To see the complete list of winners, please visit the links to each of the following categories:
Rookie of the Year – Winners:
- 2D Animation
- 3D Animation
- Visual Effects
- Concept Art
- Game Development
- Immersive Media
- Motion Graphics
- Product Design
- Architectural Visualization
- Digital Fashion
Film of the Year – Winners:
Game of the Year – Winners:
Career Opportunities – Winners:
- Outpost VFX
- EA Sports
- Wētā FX
- Ghost VFX-London
- Ghost VFX-Copenhagen
- PlaySide Studios
- ON Animation Studio
- That’s No Moon
- 2G Studio
- Unsigned Studio
- beloFX
- BINYAN
- INDG
- Blowfish Studios
- realworld one
- Mighty Kingdom
Source: The Rookie Awards
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
