Rookie Awards 2023

Rookie Awards 2023

The Rookie Awards 2023 kicks off soon, so it's the perfect time to get your head in the game to make a big impact this year.

Ready to show the world what you can do?

Are you an aspiring student, self-taught artist, or hobbyist with a passion for games, animation, visual effects, immersive media, motion graphics, 3D visualization and similar creative industries? Then the 13th Annual Rookie Awards is the perfect platform for you to showcase your talent.

With a panel of industry professionals evaluating your work, you’ll receive valuable feedback and recognition that will boost your confidence and inspire you to pursue your passion with even greater determination.

It’s time to take a chance and show the world what you’re capable of! Enter the Rookie Awards and let your work speak for itself. Just like these amazing stories, you never know where it might lead you, but you’ll surely be one step closer to realizing your dream.

From certificates to badges, from career opportunities to random giveaways, the Rookie Awards have a truckload of prizes for you to win. So get ready to walk away with a smile on your face and a spring in your step.


Who can enter the Rookie Awards?

The Rookie Awards is open to all aspiring students, self-taught artists, and hobbyists with a passion for creative media.

Please note that this is an amateur contest, and for this reason, you must have less than 12 months professional experience in a related field.


We've got Prizes

We don't just give prizes to the best artists. Every single entrant has a chance to win prizes in the Rookie Awards, this includes our very popular Creative Media Starter Kit prize jammed packed with hardware, software and training.

The goal of this incredible prize is to encourage you to share their work, even if you don't think you have what it takes to win a category prize. We understand that not everyone is ready for a job, and we want to make sure everyone has an incentive to share their work online - no matter what level it is.

We have far too many prizes to mention, so please use the link below to visit the contest prize page and check out what is on offer by our incredible sponsors. Note: There are still more being added every day!

View all Prizes

Expand your network with Industry Pros

The Rookie Awards is lucky to be supported by more than 150 high profile industry professionals. They all dedicate their time to help review and nominate their favourite entries.

Over the years, we've had countless students be head-hunted by our judging panel and been directly introduced to the recruitment teams.

Entrants also have access to their LinkedIn profiles and can talk directly with judges on our Discord channel which provides a common ground to network and make friends.

If you are struggling to grow your network, this is their chance to start meeting industry professionals and other artists that they will work with during their careers.


Important Dates

Please refer to the following dates to make sure you don't miss out on this great opportunity.

March 7, 2022: Open for Entries
Eligible entrants are asked to create an entry page and upload their best work for the judges to review.

June 1, 2022: Closed for Entries
No extensions are ever allowed. This is a solid date, just like a production deadline. Don’t miss it!

July 9th, 2022: Finalists Announced
Our Judging panel reviews every entry, awarding them an industry ranking and selecting top people per category.

July 27th, 2022: Winners Announced
All judging completed and winners of jobs, internships, scholarships and People’s Choice are announced.


Contest Groups & Categories

Depending on your career aspirations, you can enter a bunch of different categories into the following groups. The goal is to choose the ones that best match your skills, and the industry you want to work in.

Rookie of the Year

Categories open to individual artists to showcase their skills.
2D Animation, 3D Animation, Visual Effects, Concept Art, Game Development, Immersive Media, Motion Graphics, Product Design, Architectural Visualisation, Virtual Fashion

Film of the Year

Categories open to individual artists and teams to show their films.
2D Animation, 3D Animation, Visual Effects.

Game of the Year

Categories open to individual artists and teams to show their games.
Immersive Media, Mobile, PC & Console

Career Opportunities

This category is open to individuals looking to launch their careers right now. Opportunities from studio internship, professional mentoring and more.

Specialty

Additional categories open to younger audience and schools.
Young Guns, School of the Year

*Schools don't actually enter, winners of this category are calculated based on the performance of entries submitted to Rookie of the Year Categories.


Join our Webinar Information Sessions

Thinking about getting your students involved? Good to hear. To help bring you up to speed we are running regular webinar information sessions that you can attend.

Alwyn Hunt will cover what the judges are looking for in an entry and run through how to create an entry. Why you should enter, even if you think you're not going to win. All the benefits of entering and recent success stories.

There will be a Q&A session at the end so come prepared with your questions.

Select Webinar Session

Tips & Advice

  • Students should create an entry page that shows off all their best work for the selected category. They should treat it similar to how they would apply for a job.
  • Make sure your students explain how they created their projects by including extra images, video, and text to help.
  • Get your students to watch our introduction video to make sure they create the best entry possible.
  • Review entries from last year and use them as inspiration.
  • Read our F.A.Q article to clear up any common confusion.
  • Suggest they ask questions on our Discord Channel and network with pros and entrants.
  • Follow us @therookiesco
  • Stay updated with #rookieawards2022.

Official Posters

Make sure to download all our official posters to help spread the word around your campus and online school. Download from Dropbox.

Here is a direct link to the Rookie Awards 2023 contest page. You will find everything they need right here.

Rookie Awards 2023
The 13th Annual Rookie Awards is open to young creatives in visual effects, animation, games, virtual reality, motion graphics and 3d visualisation. There is simply no better way to launch your career and start sharing your amazing work online.

To make sure you don't miss any announcements make sure to follow us on any of our social media pages:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube