The Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Artists (ASFA) awarded their 25th annual Chesley Awards (for works done in 2009) at ReConStruction, this year’s North American Science Fiction Convention, in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The winners are:
Best Cover Illustration: Hardback Book: Matthew Stewart for The Valley of Shadows by Brian Cullen (Tor)
Best Cover Illustration: Paperback Book: Scott Altmann for The Mysterious Mr. Spines: Flight by Jason Lethcoe (Grosset & Dunlap)
Best Cover Illustration: Magazine: John Picacio for Asimov’s September 2009
Best Interior Illustration: Gary Lippincott for “On Turtles, On Hares” from Come to the Fairies’ Ball by Jane Yolen (Wordsong)
Best Color Work: Unpublished: Raoul Vitale for Unrequited
Best Monochrome Work: Unpublished: Justin Gerard for Steampunk Wizard of Oz
Best Three-Dimensional Art: Vincent Villafranca for The Switching Hour
Best Product Illustration: Matthew Stewart for Battle Under the Mountain
Best Gaming-Related Illustration: Lucas Graciano for Silverwing
Best Art Director: Irene Gallo of Tor Books
Contribution to ASFA: Ingrid Nielson, for 20+ years helping with the Chesleys
Lifetime Artistic Achievement: Greg Hilderbrandt
The Chesley Awards were established in 1985 as ASFA’s peer awards to recognize individual works and achievements during a given year. The Chesleys were initially called the ASFA Awards, but were later renamed to honor famed astronomical artist Chesley Bonestell after his death in 1986.
[Edited 8 August 2010: added Best Art Director category. Our apologies for inadvertently leaving it out.]