Check out the 2026 Concept Art Awards Finalists 🏆

2026 CAA Finalists Announced!

Here we go! It’s just over six week until LightBox Expo and the eighth annual Concept Art Awards! We are deep in prep for the big day on October 24th, but we wanted to share some special announcements with you first. Krystina Arielle and Greg Hopwood are back to host this year's show and our Lifetime Achievement recipients are Disney legend Eyvind Earle and anime visionary Yoshitaka Amano.

Every year we are blown away by the level of talent in the entries. You all do not make it easy on the judges! A huge thanks to our judges and sponsors: Wacom, Procreate, BRIC Foundation, The Art Director's Guild, Costume Designers Guild, Nodebrush School, ImagineFX Magazine, West Studio, Super Hero Project, and of course, LightBox Expo. 

We can’t wait to see you all next month back at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium! We will be there all weekend, booth number 1309, with some fun programming featuring our community every day.

Lots of love
Nicole, Rachel, and the CAA Team

2026 Concept Art Awards Finalists

Animated Film- Character Finalists

Nibbles Maplestick - Zootopia 2 - Ami Thompson

Will - GOAT - Tony Siruno

Milton Lynxley - Zootopia 2 - Ami Thompson

Young Mabel - Hoppers - Ke Yang

Animated Film- Environment Finalists

Arctic Region - GOAT - Léa Pinto

Sneaker Shop - GOAT - Gabriel Gomez

Leaves in Air Bison Valley - Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender - Anna Gong

Buzz Island - Toy Story 5 - Carlos Felipe León

Animated Film- Visual Development Finalists

Franks’ Apartment - GOAT - Léa Pinto

Subway Entrance - GOAT - Léa Pinto

Arctic Walk - GOAT - Jay Thakur

Shopping Day - The Twits - Nacho Molina

Animated Film- Color Keys Finalists

Flashback - Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender - Aaron Loftis

Color Script - The Treasure of Barracuda - Pakoto Martinez

Confronting Tagah - Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender - Aaron Loftis

Color Script - Toy Story 5 - Carlos Felipe León

Animated Series- Character Finalists

Fern - Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake S2 - Thomas Herpich

Caitlyn - Long Story Short - Jing Ouyang

Layla - Sofia the First: Royal Magic - Anoosha Syed

Pyke Captain - Star Wars: Maul- Shadow Lord - Aaron Cobb

Animated Series- Environment Finalists

Hawkins Sciences Classroom- Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 - Morgan Prost

Hawkins Arcade Palace- Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 - Morgan Prost

Alien Wet Market Bazaar - Rick & Morty - Tiffany Kao

Janix Spaceport - Star Wars: Maul- Shadow Lord - Ben Bryant

Live-Action- Film- Character Finalists

He-Man: Masters of the Universe - Christopher Brändström

Kara Zor-El- Supergirl - Crystal Jade Vaughan

Varang- Avatar: Fire and Ash - Joseph Pepe

Embo- Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu - Aaron McBride
 

Live-Action- Film- Keyframe Finalists

A Quiet Moment for Grogu- Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu - Brett Northcutt

Elphaba meets the Wizard- Wicked: For Good - Gerard Dunleavy

Varang and the Ash People- Avatar: Fire and Ash - Dylan Cole

Varang on her Nightwraith- Avatar: Fire and Ash - Dylan Cole

Live-Action- Film- Environment Finalists

Shakari Arena- Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu - Anton Grandert

Nal Hutta Environment - Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu - Jama Jurabaev

The Yosemite of Pandora- Avatar: Fire and Ash - Dylan Cole

Nal Hutta Morning- Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu - Richard Lim
 

Live-Action- Series- Character Finalists

Mother- The Boroughs - Jerad Marantz

Lacerta Legate- Fallout - Imogene Chayes

Cat Hardy- Spider-Noir - Imogene Chayes

Rave Uhura- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Greg Hopwood
 

Live-Action- Series- Keyframe Finalists

Homotherium - Stork Encounter- Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age - Jonathan Opgenhaffen

Golden Fleece - Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Fernando Acosta

Geralt vs Ogre - The Witcher - Martin Topolski

The Fair- The Witcher - Martin Topolski

Live-Action- Series- Environment Finalists

Refuge Camp- The Witcher - Martin Topolski

Mat’aarXII City Flyover- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Daniel Burns

Continental Exec Office Building- The Studio - Henry Fong

The Vault- For All Mankind - Andres Parada
 

Live-Action Creature Finalists

Ashley aka Nightwraith - Avatar: Fire and Ash - Zachary Berger

Rocky- Project Hail Mary - Kristafer Anka

Kids Designs- The Boroughs - Jerad Marantz

Giant Ilu - Avatar: Fire and Ash - Constantine Sekeris
 

Vehicle Finalists

Windtraders Gondola- Avatar: Fire And Ash - Jonathan Bach

The Blip A- Project Hail Mary - Will Htay

Grogu’s Pram- Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu - Richard Lim

Light Skimmer Design- Tron Ares - George Hull
 

Prop Finalists

Orange Tree- Tron Ares - Fernando Acosta

Beetle- Project Hail Mary - Dan Walker

Republic City’s General Goods Cart- Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender - Clare Sim

Cockpit Commander Seat- Project Hail Mary - Dan Walker
 

Live-Action Storyboard Finalists

Fishing Trip Prep- Project Hail Mary - Warren Leonhardt

Fishing Trip - Project Hail Mary - Richard Phelan

Cerberus Tank Chase - Spider-Man: Brand New Day - Soren Bendt

Intro Montage- Spider-Man: Brand New Day - Soren Bendt
 

Animation Storyboard Finalists

Reptile Ravine - Zootopia 2 - Melissa Sheng

The Breakup - Zootopia 2 - Hikari Toriumi

Playtime- Toy Story 5 - Tessa Abrams, Esteban Bravo, Charles Choo

Don’t Turn Around- Hoppers - John Cody Kim

Video Game- Character Finalists

Rhuk- Star Lancers - Vinod Rams

Yone- Ghost of Yōtei - Lola Zhang

Mythic Tale Storyteller Ugetsu- Ghost of Yōtei - Lola Zhang

Vex- Borderlands 4 - Sergi Brosa

Video Game- Creature Finalists

Warlock- Doom: The Dark Ages - Revelations - William Bao

Starbear- Star Lancers -Vinod Rams

Ripper Queen Guard- Borderlands 4 - Sergi Brosa

Thanatos- Spellcasters Chronicles - Daniil Goncharov & Raphael Masalimov
 

Video Game- Environment Finalists

Red Crane Inn- Ghost of Yōtei - Min Guen

Coastal Fort- Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced - Sina Hayati

Hell’s Core- Doom: The Dark Ages - Revelations -Gavin Manners

The Silvermoon Bazaar- World of Warcraft: Midnight - Catarina Pulli
 

Key Art for Tabletop

The Endstone- Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities - Ryan Pancoast

Astelli Reclaimer- Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities - Carly Milligan

Limited Edition Cover- Dungeons & Dragons- Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn - Dominik Mayer

Wilds Unknown- Disney Lorcana Trading Cards Game - John Loren
 

Concept Illustration for Tabletop

Spectacle Summit- Magic: The Gathering Secrets of Strixhaven - Andreas Zafiratos

Rusted Dragon- Dungeons & Dragons- Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn - Alexander Ostrowski

The Artificer V3- Dungeons & Dragons- Eberron: Forge of the Artificer - Michael Broussard

The Artificer V2-Dungeons & Dragons- Eberron: Forge of the Artificer - Michael Broussard

Beacon Character Finalists

Cupid - Kali Reyes

The Lesson - Hardy Fowler

Alasdair Penhaligon for The Perilous North - Anna Mihhailovskaja

Galactic Fashion Icon - Salidat Abakirova
 

Beacon Creature Finalists

Sphinx Of Ash - Robbie Trevino

Tales of Divine Retribution - Nagaraku -Rui Qian Teow

Snake Bug - Alexander Cox

Skrimps - Daniel Dana
 

Beacon Environment Finalists

Hi-Score - Jonathan del Rosario

Always Running - Klaus Pillon

The Diesel Cat Pub - Nikita Gritsun

God Valley - Jannis Mayr
 

Student Character Finalists

Tobio Tenma - Monica Arroyo

Caento - Katharina Petrovskiy

Corrupted - Syan Belemkaddem

Home - Paul Wu
 

Student Environment Finalists

Atlas - Syan Belemkaddem

Stairwell - Paige Hardee

NOOR: The Tragedians - Jerry Yu

Hunkered Down - Diego DeLaRosa