This morning, from a pool of 800 entries representing 32 countries, AIGA announced the winners of its 50 Books | 50 Covers competition.
The jury was chaired by Michael Bierut, and judges included Hilary Greenbaum, Lisa Lucas and Silas Munro. All told, the awards program, which today features both book design and covers, dates back to 1923.
“Our world has changed since the inception of this competition—and even the judging, which took place in New York City on March 9,” AIGA Executive Director Bennie F. Johnson said in a release. “How we interact with books has shifted thanks to technological and societal advances, but it has not changed the power of a book. The elements that make up the entirety of a book play an important role in how we communicate and share knowledge.”
The books will become part of a permanent collection in the AIGA Design Archives, and print copies will be preserved in the AIGA collection at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia University.
Here are 10 selections we loved from the pool. For the full gallery of winners, click here.
Laura Coombs
Joseph Logan & Rachel Harrison
Design: Alban Fischer. Illustration: Cody Coppernoll.
Gustavo Piqueira & Samia Jacintho
Irma Boom
Ellen Lupton & J. Abbott Miller
Tyler Comrie
Design: Bianca Iberlucea. Illustration: Meghan Morrow.
Design: Juan Pablo Rahal. Photography: Rodrigo Fonseca.
Chris Ware