The Chesley Awards were established in 1985 by the
Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists to recognize individual artistic works and achievements during a given year. The Chesleys were initially called the ASFA Awards, but were later renamed to honor famed astronomical artist
Chesley Bonestell
Chesley Knight Bonestell Jr. (January 1, 1888 – June 11, 1986) was an American painter, designer and illustrator. His paintings inspired the American space program, and they have been (and remain) influential in science fiction art and illustr ...
following his death in 1986. The awards are presented annually, typically at the World Science Fiction Convention (
Worldcon
Worldcon, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, durin ...
).
Chesley Award categories
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Chesley Award for Best Cover Illustration – Hardcover
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Chesley Award for Best Cover Illustration – Paperback/Ebook
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Chesley Award for Best Cover Illustration – Magazine
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Chesley Award for Best Interior Illustration
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Chesley Award for Best Three-Dimensional Art
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Chesley Award for Best Color Work – Unpublished
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Chesley Award for Best Monochrome Work – Unpublished
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Chesley Award for Best Product Illustration
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Chesley Award for Best Gaming-Related Illustration
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Chesley Award for Best Art Director
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Chesley Award for Artistic Achievement
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Chesley Award for Contribution to ASFA (through 2006)
Chesley Award results
Award Winners are listed on the ASFA website here: https://asfa-art.com/the-chesley-awards/past-winners/
Chesley Award Winners & Nominees for 2014
The following are the winners and finalists for works done in 2013 for the 2014 Awards.
Best Cover Illustration: Hardback Book
* Winner:
Todd Lockwood
Todd Wills Lockwood, (born July 9, 1957 in Boulder, Colorado, United States) is an American artist specializing in fantasy and science fiction illustration. He is best known for his work on the role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'', and for his ...
– A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan; Tor, Feb. 2013
Other Nominees:
* Jason Chan – Lost Covenant: A Widdershins Adventure by Ari Marmell; Pyr, Dec. 2013
* Kekai Kotaki – Quintessence by David Walton; Tor, March 2013
* Maurizio Manzieri – Book of Iron by Elizabeth Bear; Subterranean Press, Sept. 2013
* Michael Whelan – A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson; Tor, Jan. 2013
* Allen Williams – Light Reading, Queen Victoria's Book of Spells, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling; Tor, March 2013
Best Cover Illustration: Paperback Book
* Winner:
Kerem Beyit – The Scroll of Years by
Chris Willrich; Pyr, Sept. 2013
Other Nominees:
* Jason Chan – Harbinger by Phillippa Ballantine; Ace, July 2013
* Julie Dillon – Ancient Discovery; Crossed Genres Magazine 2.0 Book One; Crossed Genres Publications, April 2013
* Justin Gerard – Power Under Pressure (The Society of Steam) by Andrew P. Mayer; Pyr, Jan. 2013
* Dehong He – Shield of Sea and Space by Erin Hoffman; Pyr, May 2013
Best Cover Illustration: Magazine
* Winner:
Dan Dos Santos – Fables #136 Vertigo, Dec. 2013
Other Nominees:
* Julie Dillon – Elliptic, Clarkesworld, December 2013
* Maurizio Manzieri – The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March/April 2013
* Cynthia Sheppard – Bull Spec, Spring 2013
Best Interior Illustration
* Winner:
Brian Kesinger – Walking Your Octopus, July 2013; Baby Tattoo Books
Other Nominees:
* Robert Hunt – “Fire Above, Fire Below” by Garth Nix; Tor.com, May 2013
* John Jude Palencar – “A Terror” by Jeffrey Ford; Tor.com, July 2013
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John Picacio
John Picacio (born September 3, 1969) is an American artist specializing in science fiction, fantasy and horror illustration.
Biography
Picacio was born on September 3, 1969, in San Antonio, Texas. – “The Button Man and the Murder Tree” by Cherie Priest; Tor.com, May 2013)
* John Picacio – The Good Life; Popular Science Magazine, June 2013
* Greg Ruth – “Dragonkin” by Lavie Tidhar; Tor.com, July 2013
* Greg Ruth – The Running of the Bulls, The Running of the Bulls by Harry Turtledove; Tor.com, March 2013
Best Three-Dimensional Art
* Winner: Devon Dorrity – Cecaelia, Queen of the Ocean, clay
Other Nominees:
* Thomas Kuebler – Krampus the Yule Lord, mixed
* David Meng – Leatherback, resin
* Michael Parkes – Goddess of the Hunt, 1/2 life-size bronze
* Forest Rogers – Goblin Spider, Kato polyclay
* Vincent Villafranca – Star Smith, bronze
Best Unpublished: Color Work
* Winner:
Donato Giancola
Donato Giancola is an American artist specializing in narrative realism with science fiction and fantasy content.
Biography
Donato Giancola was born and raised in Colchester, near Burlington, in the state of Vermont. He currently resides in Bro ...
– Huor and Hurin Approaching Gondolin, oil on linen
Other Nominees:
* Rhea Ewing – Ancestor Series – Neanderthal
* Stephanie Pui-Mun Law – Ships Passing in the Night, watercolor
* Dave Leri – Death Squealer, oil on masonite
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Annie Stegg – Lilaia the Naiad, oil on paper
Best Unpublished: Monochrome Work
* Winner:
Ruth Sanderson – The Descent or Persephone, scratchboard
Other Nominees:
* Justin Gerard – The Fox Princess, pencil
* Rebecca Guay – Tender Morsels, graphite
* John Picacio – La Luna
* Travis Lewis – Bone Collector, graphite
Best Product Illustration
* Winner:
Julie Bell
Julie Bell (born October 21, 1958) is an American fine artist, illustrator, photographer, bodybuilder and wildlife painter. Bell is also a fantasy artist and a representative of the heroic fantasy and fantastic realism genres. Bell has won Che ...
&
Boris Vallejo – Jeannie's Kitten, IlluXCon 6 promotional art
Other Nominees:
* Mitchell Bentley – 2014 Space Art Calendar; Atomic Fly Studios and Alban Lake Publishing, December 2013
* Julie Dillon – 2014 Llewellyn's Astrology Calendar June 2013
* Justin Gerrard – “Morzag! Lord of Destruction” poster
* Iain McCaig – Call of the Muse, Spectrum 20 Call for Entries poster
* John Picacio – El Arpa (Loteria Card Illustration from Lone Boy)
Best Gaming-Related Illustration
* Winner:
Lucas Graciano – The Last Stand of Thorin Oakenshield for The Battle of Five Armies Board Game Ares Games
* Winner: Ryan Yee – Fruit of the First Tree for Fate Reforged Magic the Gathering WoTC 2016
Other Nominees:
* Tyler Jacobson – Ruric: Thar the Unbowed (2014 Core Set Magic card) WotC, July 2013
* Todd Lockwood – Observant Alseid (“Theros” Magic card) WotC, Sept. 2013
* David Palumbo – Serene Remembrance (“Gatecrash” Magic card) WotC, Feb. 2013
* Steve Prescott – Prognostic Sphinx (“Theros” Magic card) WotC, Sept. 2013
* Chris Rahn – Ashen Rider (“Theros” Magic card) WotC, Sept. 2013
Best Art Director
* Winner:
Irene Gallo – Tor & Tor.com
Other Nominees:
* Lou Anders – Pyr
* Lauren Panepinto – Orbit Books
* William Schafer – Subterranean Press
* Jon Schindehette – Wizards of the Coast
Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award
* Winner:
Jim Burns
Jim Burns (born 10 April 1948) is a Welsh artist born in Cardiff, Wales. He has been called one of the Grand Masters of the science fiction art world.
In 1966 he joined the Royal Air Force, but soon thereafter he left and signed up at the N ...
Other Nominees:
* Kinukyo Craft
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Diane Dillon
* Drew Struzan
Further reading
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The Chesley Awards: A Retrospective, John Grant and Elizabeth Humphrey. Artists' and Photographers' Press Ltd. 2003 ( It won a
Hugo Award in 2004).
References
External links
ASFA HomepageChesley past winners: https://asfa-art.com/the-chesley-awards/past-winners/*
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{{Science fiction
Science fiction awards
Visual arts awards
Lists of speculative fiction-related award winners and nominees
1985 establishments in the United States
Awards established in 1985