The Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest has established itself as a significant occasion for illustrators passionate about the franchise, offering aspiring artists an opportunity to have their artwork featured on an official Pokémon card.
This year’s contest generated an exceptional amount of discussion, mostly fueled by the initial participation of numerous AI-generated pieces. One individual submitted AI artwork while exploiting multiple aliases to circumvent entry limitations.
Fortunately, the AI-generated art has been disqualified, and The Pokémon Company has announced the final results, leading to excitement among fans and artists regarding the selected winners.
This year’s contest spotlighted several Pokémon, including Pikachu, Feraligatr, Absol, Melmetal, and Flygon. The various cards awarded with the “Judge’s Award” and “First Runner-Up” title were impressive, but the Grand Prize was claimed by Kazuki Minami for his enchanting Pikachu illustration.
Under the announcement video on YouTube, a flood of comments expressed joy over the winning artworks and recognized the talents of the top entrants. Many applauded the disqualification of AI-generated submissions. One comment reads, “Congrats to all winners, these are so gorgeous!” while another adds, “Congrats to those who win and to those who tried! Such beautiful art.”
Addressing the earlier controversy, fans shared sentiments like, “Oh boy, I hope none of these are AI” and “So glad the top featured weren’t those AI illustrations,” with others affirming that Pokémon “banned” all AI entries.
The Grand Prize-winning entry from Kazuki Minami
The reception has been largely positive among fans, with one person noting that the entries possess the “proper heart and soul of a real artist.”
However, not everyone concurs with the chosen winner. One individual commented, “Of course the winner has Pikachu…” and another remarked, “How did that Pikachu even win?”
Nonetheless, many supporters praised the Grand Prize, stating that the pose reflects the “natural” movement of animals, similar to cats, highlighting that the Pikachu artwork “captured the pose so well.”
I am so excited and honored to be given a Judges award for this year’s Pokémon Illustration contest! I love Feraligatr so much, and I’m in love with the work from all of the award winners. This means so much to me. Thank you @Pokemon 🙏🏻 🩵 #PTCGIC2024 pic.twitter.com/WelZtyhJcr
— Alex Braun (@AxBraun) September 22, 2024
In closing, several top entrants have taken to X to celebrate their accomplishments, such as artist Alex Braun with their Feraligatr, Kaeos Art with another Feraligatr, and Devin Elle Kurtz featuring their autumnal Eevee design.
As we anticipate next year’s competition, you can explore amazing new Pokémon cards and delve into our guides on the best Pokémon card packs to purchase, the upcoming set Surging Sparks, and our Pokémon TCG Stellar Crown review.
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