Ukrainian illustrators Margaryta Winkler and Alina Kovtun have won the World Illustration Awards 2026, as announced on the competition’s website. The awards received over 4,500 entries globally, with 200 advancing to the shortlist.
Winkler won in the Professional Animation category for her animated short film Dreamtracks, inspired by train journeys and the longing for home. She described it as a “love letter” to train travel through Ukraine, capturing a dreamlike state of being in transit.
Kovtun was honored in the Professional Book Covers category for her alternative cover design of Mona Awad’s novel Bunny. She aimed to reflect the book’s unsettling atmosphere and dark humor through a surreal visual language.
Winkler is a visual artist based in Vancouver, while Kovtun works out of Kyiv. Their awards underscore a growing recognition of Ukrainian talent in the global illustration scene, following recent honors, including two Merit Awards received by fellow artist Masha Foya.
