Misha Chernov’s winning illustration was chosen from more than 400 entries submitted by illustrators from around the world.

By Andrew Richard Albanese, Editor-in-Chief

The U.K.-based independent publisher The Folio Society has announced that Ukrainian illustrator Misha Chernov has won the 2026 Folio Book Illustration Award.

Chartered in 2022, the award celebrates “emerging illustration talent and the enduring role of exceptional artwork in book publishing,” and represents the Folio Society’s commitment to “discovering new artistic voices and championing the art of book illustration.” Founded in 1947, the Folio Society is renowned around the world for producing book editions of the highest quality.

For this year’s prize, entrants were invited to respond to the opening chapter of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Chernov’s winning entry was selected from a shortlist of 20 illustrators. In addition to Chernov’s winning illustration, Folio also named five runners up:  Maria Calderon, Tomislav Torjanac, Dillon Samuelson, Nikki Smetters, and Federico.

In all, the 2026 award received more than 400 entries submitted by illustrators from around the world. The competition is open to artists from across the globe over the age of 18 who have not previously worked on a Folio Society book.

The 2026 entries were judged by an expert panel including James Rose, Head of Editorial at The Folio Society; Sophia Schoepfer, Fiction Editor at The Folio Society; Dawn Xintong Yang, winner of the 2025 Folio Book Illustration Award; and artists’ agent Alison Eldred. In a statement, the judges said Chernov’s illustration was selected for its “technical skill, originality, and evocative storytelling.”

Chernov is a Ukrainian freelance illustrator whose main focus is on “book narratives (both fiction and nonfiction), book covers, and maps,” whose work features “historical, classical, and mythological themes with a twist, dark academia, mystical, or gothic flair.” He is an illustration graduate from Falmouth University in Cornwall, U.K.

As the winner, Chernov receives a £2,000 cash prize, £500 in Folio Society vouchers, and the opportunity for his work to appear in a future Folio Society publication.

You can view Misha Chernov’s winning illustration here and this year’s runners-up artwork here.