Little Moa announces the 2025 Margaret Mahy Illustration Prize Shortlist
Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand, Little Moa, and the Margaret Mahy Estate are delighted to announce the three shortlisted illustrators for the 2025 Margaret Mahy Illustration Prize.
Launched in 2019, the Margaret Mahy Illustration Prize is one of New Zealand’s leading illustration awards, attracting over 2,200 registrations with all winners going on to illustrate Margaret Mahy’s books.
This year, entrants were tasked with reimagining the swashbuckling classic The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate. The judges praised the illustrators’ interpretations of this much-loved story with particular praise for the vibrancy, imagination, and humour seen in the submissions.
Bridget Mahy of the Margaret Mahy Estate said: “The story is about a sea of possibility and imagination. The illustrators put their best blue, teal and cyan on display, capturing the sea’s joy with exuberant skill.”
She added: “The Prize is vital for nurturing emerging illustrators in New Zealand, helping them build confidence and strong visual storytelling skills while supporting the creation of homegrown work.”
The winner will be announced on Thursday 28th August 2025.
This year, entrants were tasked with reimagining the swashbuckling classic The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate. The judges praised the illustrators’ interpretations of this much-loved story with particular praise for the vibrancy, imagination, and humour seen in the submissions.
Bridget Mahy of the Margaret Mahy Estate said: “The story is about a sea of possibility and imagination. The illustrators put their best blue, teal and cyan on display, capturing the sea’s joy with exuberant skill.” She added: “The Prize is vital for nurturing emerging illustrators in New Zealand, helping them build confidence and strong visual storytelling skills while supporting the creation of homegrown work.” The winner will be announced on Thursday 28th August 2025.
Please see following the Margaret Mahy Illustration Prize Shortlist 2025
Emma Collicot
Judges comment: “Engaging details, bright watercolour and deliciously Kiwi aspects – the imagery is absorbing with lots of little treasures to find on the pages.”
Emmie Wu
Judges comment: "Emmie’s backgrounds and landscapes were beautifully handled, the ocean felt vast and awe inspiring. Excellent draftsmanship and pacing with a sophisticated, yet playful use of mark-making.”
Matthew Hock
Judges comment: “Matthew translated the sparkle of Mahy’s words into illustration. The details in his visual storytelling brought joy to the page.”
Important dates to note
Launch date Monday 24th March 2025
Entries close Thursday 24 July 2025
Finalists announced Thursday 21 August 2025 at 12pm
Winner announced Thursday 28 August 2025 at 12pm
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens after I register?
Once you register, we will send you everything you need to get started: story text, brief with rubric and a storyboard template.
While the illustration prize is running we will email you with helpful hints, tips and guidance from our publishing team and previous winners to help you formulate the strongest submission you can. The information provided in the emails will be a helpful guide for future submissions.
Why do you ask for a full storyboard and two final art spreads to be submitted?
With picture books, one strand of the story is told via words and the other through the art. The storyboard allows the judging team to see how you will tell the story from page to page, beginning to end.
The final art showcases your use of colour and space and the little details that indicate you know your audience.
Our aim is to publish a picture book the following year using the winning submission as the first step in the publishing process.
What happens if I win the illustration prize?
Our publisher will talk to you and the Mahy Estate about the opportunity to develop your submission into published work. When agreement between all parties is met, a publishing contract, with standard advances and royalties on top of the prize money, will be offered.
You will also receive $2000 cash and $500 worth of Hachette books.
Are there further opportunities?
Since the inception of the Margaret Mahy Illustration Prize in 2019, we have published all five illustration prize winners:
- 2019 winner Sarah Greig, The Boy With Two Shadows
- 2020 winner Lily Emo, The Boy Who Made Things Up
- 2021 winner Minrui Yang, There’s a King in the Cupboard
- 2022 winner Jessica Twohill, The Witch in the Cherry Tree
- 2023 winner Alba Gil Celdrán, 17 Kings and 42 Elephants
All entrants are considered for further illustration projects. See below for details.
- 2021: The Fairies’ Night Before Christmas, illustrated by Sarah Greig
#1 NZ Children’s bestseller
Smith and Caughey’s Christmas Window
Inspiration for The Coaltion For Books 2021 Christmas Catalogue - 2021: A Stick and A Stone, illustrated by 2019 Runner Up, Hilary Jean Tapper
Published in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and the USA.
Foreign language rights sold to Turkish publisher - 2022: Hachette Australia contracted Hilary Jean Tapper to illustrate What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say, written by the award winning Davina Bell
- 2022: The Fairies’ Night Before Christmas Activity Book, illustrated by Sarah Greig
Also available in te reo Māori, Ngā Ponimatarau me te Pō i Mua i te Kirihimete He Puka Ngohe - 2022: The Chaos Before Christmas, illustrated by Lily Emo
Smith and Caughey’s Christmas Window
Featured on Seven Sharp
Foreign Language Rights sold to Polish Publisher - 2023: The Fairies’ Easter Egg Surprise, illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper
- 2023: Hachette Australia have contracted Hilary Jean Tapper to illustrate the sequel to What To Say When You Don't Know What To Say.
- 2023: The Gnomes’ Very Berry Christmas, illustrated by Minrui Yang
- 2024: The New Zealand Easter Activity Book, illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper
- 2024: The Very Best Words, illustrated by 2021 and 2022 Runner Up Sarah Trolle
- 2024: Let Me Be Frank, illustrated by Minrui Yang
- 2024: Miles and Jones: The Anaconda Attack, illustrated by 2020 and 2022 Runner Up Cesar Lador
- 2025: Miles and Jones: The Blizzard of Blobs, illustrated by 2020 and 2022 Runner Up Cesar Lador
There are more in the works, so watch this space.
