Graphis AI Creative Awards 2026: Worldwide Professional AI Design Projects Due 27 October
A prize celebrating human-led AI creativity
Graphis has announced a final call for its AI Creative Awards, closing 27 October 2026. The international professional design competition focuses on artwork and visual storytelling that genuinely combines AI technology with original creative judgement from designers, artists and studios. Applicants may describe how generative systems, editing, visual direction and iterative decisions shaped the finished work. The awards are not simply a competition for whichever AI image generator produces a striking picture in a single prompt.
Real clients and verified intellectual-property permissions
The most important rule is that submissions must be work created, published or aired in the previous two years for a real client. Speculative projects, unauthorized use of existing brands and purely invented mock-client campaigns are not permitted. Student work belongs to the separately announced Graphis New Talent contest, even if a student used AI heavily. The creator must hold permissions relating to brands, models, collaborators and commissioned work, and should explain both AI's role and the human contribution in the creative brief.
Final-round fees are significant
The discounted early and regular phases have ended, so the official final-entry fees apply now: US$280 for a nonmember single artwork or US$450 for a series or video. Graphis member rates are US$140 and US$225 respectively. The organisation's terms say entry payments and membership payments are non-refundable. Applications should therefore only be prepared by professionals with an eligible commissioned project and a clear willingness to pay for competition visibility, not by an independent hobbyist expecting a free grant.
What recognition the awards offer
Graphis has published international award programmes and design archives for decades. The AI Creative Awards identify Platinum, Gold and Silver levels, as well as honourable mentions and possible website or newsletter promotion. A physical certificate for Platinum or Gold winners is included, while additional merchandise such as trophies may be purchased separately. No guaranteed cash prize or client commission follows automatically from selection. Read Graphis's rights and reproduction clauses before entering a sensitive commercial project.
Official organiser instructions and application links
Research and rules reviewed on 23 October 2026. Verify eligibility, fees, deadlines, recording/file rules, production costs and rights against the current organiser documents before submitting or paying.