This year’s Chesley Award Nominees have just been announced. Each year, members of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists nominate and vote on pieces of art that they recognize as exceptional works for that given year. This year’s years winners will be announced at the 71st World Science Fiction Convention, in San Antonio, Texas, on August 29th.

The nominees are:

Best Cover Illustration: Paperback Book

Dehong He: Lance of Earth and Sky by Erin Hoffman, Pyr, April 2012
Todd Lockwood: The Dusk Watchman by Tom Lloyd, Pyr, August 2012
John Jude Palencar: The Palencar Project edited by David G. Hartwell, Tor ebook, February 2012
John Picacio: The Creative Fire by Brenda Cooper, Pyr, November 2012
Elena Vizerskaya: Flying in the Heart of the Lafayette Escadrille by James Van Pelt, Fairwood Press, November 2012


Best Cover Illustration: Hardback Book

J.K. Drummond: Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson, Subterranean Press, March 2012
Bob Eggleton: Gods of Opar by Philip José Farmer & Christopher Paul Carey, Subterranean Press, June 2012
Donato Giancola: Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear, Tor, March 2012
Todd Lockwood: The Wild Road by Jennifer Roberson, DAW, September 2012
John Picacio: Hyperion by Dan Simmons, Subterranean Press, April 2012
Sam Weber: Quantum Coin by E. C. Myers, Pyr, October 2012


Best Cover Illustration: Magazine

Ken Barthelmey: Clarkesworld #74 November 2012
Julie Dillon: Clarkesworld #73 October 2012
Bob Eggleton: Famous Masters of Filmland #262 July/August 2012
Martin Faragasso: Clarkesworld #71 August 2012
David Palumbo: Creepy #9 Dark Horse, July 2012
Craig J. Spearing: Dragon #418 December 2012


Best Interior Illustration

Brom: Krampus by Brom, Harper, Voyager, Oct. 2012
Sam Burley: “Brother. Prince. Snake.” by Cecil Castellucci, Tor.com, July 2012
J. K. Drummond: Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson, Subterranean Press, Mar. 2012
Bob Eggleton: Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs, MBI/Easton Press, Dec. 2012
William O’Connor: Dracopedia The Great Dragons: An Artist’s Field Guide and Drawing Journal by William O’Connor, Impact, June 2012


Best Monochrome: Unpublished

Larry Elmore: “By the River,” oil
Travis Lewis: “Deep,” oil & mixed media
Joāo Ruas: “Sides,” graphite
Raoul Vitale: “Last of His Kind,” pencil
Allen Williams: “Fawn,” graphite


Best Color Work: Unpublished

Julie Bell: “A Passion for the Future,” oil
Donato Giancola: “Joan of Arc,” oil
Lucas Graciano: “Guardianship,” oil
Michael C. Hayes: “Procession,” oil
Mark Poole: “Waiting on a Memory,” oil
Soutchay Sougpradith: “Peacock Prophecy,” oil
Raoul Vitale: “Safe,” oil


Best Three-Dimensional Art

Dan Chudzinski: “Gus Gets a Jetpack,” mixed
Michael Defeo: “Octopus,” resin
David Meng: “Sashimi,” mixed
Michael Parkes: “Startled Sky Nymph,” half life-size bronze
James Shoop: “Ramautar,” bronze
Vincent Villafranca: “Spaceman on the Verge,” bronze
Cindy Wynn: “Alien Chair,” steel


Best Gaming-Related Illustration

Lucas Graciano: “Dragon Swarm” (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Artifacts & Legends) Paizo, October 2012
D. Alexander Gregory: “Chandra the Firebrand” (2013 Core Set Magic card) WotC, July 2012
David Palumbo: “Ereshkigal, Death Mistress” (“Legend of the Cryptids”) Applibot Inc., April 2012
James Ryman: “Princess of the Underworld,” (“Legend of the Cryptids”) Applibot Inc., April 2012
Sverlin Velinov: “Thundermaw Hellkite” (2013 Core Set Magic card) Wizards of the Coast, July 2012


Best Product Illustration

Jim Burns: “The Wanderers” (IlluXCon 5 promotional art) Munchkin Press, November 2012
Dan Dos Santos: “The Dragon Empress” (Dragon*Con promotional poster) August, 2012
John Harris: “The Search” (Illuxcon 5 promotional art) Munchkin Press, Nov. 2012
Iain McCaig: Concept and character design for John Carter, Disney, March 2012
John Picacio: La Sirena Loteria card 2012


Best Art Director

Lou Anders for Pyr Books
Irene Gallo for Tor
Lauren Panepinto for Orbit Books
William Schafer for Subterranean Press
Jon Schindehette for Wizards of the Coast


Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement

Brom
Larry Elmore
David Hardy
John Harris
Gary Lippincott


Give us your predictions in the comments section! There just may be a nice prize in store for whomever first guesses all the correct winners! (Or comes closest)