2026 FRANK R. PAUL AWARD NOMINEES
2026 FRANK R. PAUL AWARD NOMINEES
The judges for the Frank R. Paul Awards are pleased to announce the nominees for works published in 2025:
NOMINEES FOR BEST BOOK COVER ART
Pascal Blanche, Cover Art for: Year's Best Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction, Vol. 3, Edited by Stephen Kotowych
Rovina Cai, Queen Demon by Martha Wells
Lindsey Carr, Honeyeater by Kathleen Jennings,
Tristan Elwell, Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher
Maurizio Manzieri, The Year's Top Robot and AI Stories, edited by Allan Kaster
Kurt Miller, Behind the Veil by John Ringo and Lydia Sherrer
Kurt Miller, The Presence Malign by Michael Mersault
Kim Myatt, I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang
Eleonor Piteira, A Curse Carved in Bone by Danielle L. Jensen
Stephen Youll, The Folded Sky by Elizabeth Bear
HONORABLE MENTIONS FOR BEST BOOK COVER ART
Paul Davey (Mattahan), Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi
Jeff Langevin, Sky on Fire by E.K. Johnston
Kurt Miller, Dancing with Destruction, edited by Jason Cordova
John Picacio, The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio
Cynthia Sheppard, Angel Maker by Elizabeth Bear
NOMINEES FOR BEST MAGAZINE COVER ART
Gal Barkan, Star*Line, Summer 2025
Pascal Blanche, Clarkesworld, Issue 222
Thomas Elliott, Cosmic Horror Monthly, June 2025
Natasha Ilincic, Apex Magazine, Issue 151
Tithi Luadthong, Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 179
Maurizio Manzieri, Asimov's, July-Aug 2025
Alexandra Petruk, Nightmare Magazine, October 2025
Alex Rommel, Clarkesworld, Issue 220
Warmtail, Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 183
Eldar Zakirov, Analog, Nov-Dec 2025
HONORABLE MENTIONS FOR BEST MAGAZINE COVER ART
Pascal Blanche, Clarkesworld, Issue 227
Hamish Frater, Clarkesworld, Issue 221
Tithi Luadthong, Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 178
Tomislav Tikulin, The Dark, Issue 116
Tomislav Tikulin, The Dark, Issue 118
The awards will be presented at Philcon on Nov. 20, 2026, and will include both a trophy (featuring a 3D print of the “Tiger-bot” smashing a car, from FRP’s cover for the September 1935 Wonder Stories), and an honorarium of $500.
RULES: Any cover art for any genre (science fiction, fantasy or horror) book or magazine is eligible. No only are professional publications eligible, but also semi-pro, self-published and fan publications.
AI-generated images and art from stock image companies (or derivatives thereof) are ineligible. For each category (Best Magazine Cover Art and Best Book Cover Art), no more than two works from any individual can be nominated; for Best Magazine Cover Art, the covers for no more than two issues can be nominated. The remainder, if scoring high enough, are listed in honorable mentions. No artist is allowed to win three years in a row. Works created earlier than the year under consideration are eligible if not previously published as a magazine or book cover. Artists, writers, editors, publishers and readers are encouraged to nominate their own or others' works.
Please see the award website: https://www.frankwuwrites.net/frank-r-paul-awards for more information. For additional instructions on how to submit work for consideration for next year’s awards (for the 2026 calendar year). Please contact the chief award administrator, Frank Wu, at fwu@frankwu.com for questions and submissions.
The judges and administrators are: Frank Wu, Brianna Wu, Linda Pierce, and Eliza Catherina Engle (FRP’s great-granddaughter).
