2026 ART DOLLS AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
​Rules of Entry

The ART DOLLS Awards of Excellence (AAE) competition recognizes and encourages excellence in the design and creation of dolls. It also has special categories open to repaints and face-ups, doll fashions, and reborn dolls/silicone kits. Photos of all entries are reviewed and rated by professionals within the doll industry, who evaluate each submission on overall aesthetic appeal; excellence in concept, design, and execution; quality of materials; and workmanship.
​RULES OF ENTRY 
​Entries that do not conform to the following rules will not be processed or seen by judges. The period for entering runs from May 16 through October 31, 2026. If you have questions not addressed here, please email [email protected].
​ELIGIBILITY 
​All entries for the 2026 AAEs must have been first introduced on or after January 1, 2025, and must not have been entered in past DOLLS AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE (DAE) competitions. Dolls introduced and made available for sale in 2025 or 2026 that have already been sold are eligible to enter. 
​Each entry must be a new, original design and not a variation or re-costuming of a previous design. Any substantial changes made in costume, materials, or retail price from the original entry are grounds for disqualification of the entry.
You may enter as many dolls as you wish in the appropriate category, but each doll can only be entered once. 
​Note regarding multiple production runs: It is common practice, especially in the BJD market, to use the same sculpt in multiple production runs using different skin colors for each run. In such cases, only one doll from each production run can be entered.​  ​For example:
Doll X (tan) and Doll X (pale) could each be entered. However, if Doll X (tan) is a limited edition of five and the artist gave each doll in the edition a different combination of face paint, outfit, and accessories, only one example of Doll X (tan) may be entered in the competition. ​
For your protection, please do not submit entries in the image of or with the name of trademarked characters unless you hold a license to create the characters. 
If a submission entered into a category is deemed inappropriate by the staff of ART DOLLS Magazine, the magazine reserves the right to disqualify the entry or move it to a different category. 
​2026 RULES & DEFINITIONS 
​For the purposes of this contest, dolls are defined as jointed or unjointed playthings or collectibles, produced from any materials, in a human image (anthropomorphic designs may be entered in one of the Fantasy categories). The awards are divided into seven Standard Categories and three Special Categories (defined below). 
​STANDARD CATEGORIES
​Entries in categories 1-7 must be designed and completed by the submitting artist or manufacturer, from original sculpt to finished doll. Collaborations are permitted, provided all contributing artists are credited, but dolls made from kits or altered versions of an existing doll must be entered in the appropriate Special Category (see below). 
​Categories 1-3 are open to dolls reproduced in open or limited editions. This includes individual dolls whose bodies have been reproduced in any medium and that have then been costumed and finished uniquely, as well as dolls released with minor variations, such as ball-jointed dolls (BJDs) sold with a random wig or pair of eyes. 
​Categories 4-7 are open to one-of-a-kind (OOAK) dolls. Each entry in these categories must have an original, unique sculpt that has not been reproduced, along with a unique costume and finishing details. 
​    The 7 Standard Categories 
  1. Fantasy Doll (Limited or open editions) 
  2. Baby/Child Doll (Limited or open editions) 
  3. Teen/Adult Doll (Limited or open editions) 
  4. OOAK Fantasy Doll (Unique sculpt and finish) 
  5. OOAK Baby/Child Doll (Unique sculpt and finish) 
  6. OOAK Teen/Adult Doll (Unique sculpt and finish)
  7. OOAK Fiber – Textile Art (Unique textile art in cloth or fiber medium)​
SPECIAL CATEGORIES
​Dolls entered in the Reborn Doll/Silicone Kit or Repaint/Face-Up categories can be made from kits or molds or by altering an existing doll. The original artist/manufacturer of the doll, mold, or kit must be named in the Additional Credits portion of the entry form. 
​Fashion entries must have been offered for sale separately from a doll released by an artist or manufacturer or have been created by a third-party artist or designer. Please enter the name of the fashion in the Entry Name portion of the form, rather than the doll name. Dolls used to model entries in the Doll Fashion category should be properly credited in the Additional Credits. 
    The 3 Special Categories
  1. ​Doll Fashion (Note: Entry may be a single item of clothing or a complete outfit. You may submit two full-length photos showing the fashion from different angles or one full-length and one close-up showing detail.
  2. ​Reborn Doll/Silicone Kit
  3. Doll Repaint/Face-Up (Note: Depending on the extent of the customization, you may choose to submit two close-up photos rather than one full-length and one close-up photo.) 
​NOTES 
​If there are insufficient entries in a category, ART DOLLS Magazine staff reserves the right to eliminate the category from this year’s competition and reclassify those entries into another appropriate category.  At a minimum, there must be at least two entries to a category to be considered a competition. 
​In order to ensure that the awards reflect the diversity of the field and to encourage new artists, ART DOLLS Magazine staff also reserves the right to restrict the number of awards an artist may win to a single category.
​HOW TO ENTER
​Once you have read the full rules, click on the payment link at the bottom of this page to purchase your entries (the links will go live May 16, 2026).  No entry will be accepted without payment being verified from the on-line purchasing site.
ENTRY FEES
​The fee for all categories is $50 for the first entry and $35 for each additional entry.  Payment must be made from the ART DOLLS Magazine payment site (both credit card and PayPal account payments are available). These fees are nonrefundable. Fees are applied to the contest’s administrative, awards, and publicity costs. 
​ENTRY INFORMATION 
​When preparing to enter online, have the following information ready for each entry: 
  • Name of doll/fashion being entered ​
  • Height in inches 
  • Edition size (examples: Open, LE35, OOAK) 
  • Body material
  • Eye color and material 
  • Costume materials and description 
  • Special features (including credits for any collaborating designers/artists) 
  • Two photos (see Photo Requirements)
​Make sure the information entered into the online form is complete and accurate — and that you have uploaded both photos (see below) — before submitting each entry.  The information and photos will be used in the magazine and in promotional materials for submitted and winning entries.  Any entry form that is not accompanied by photos and an entry fee will be invalid and not viewed by the judges. A separate online form must be filled out for each piece entered. 
​PHOTO REQUIREMENTS 
Each entry must include two clear color photographs. One must be a full-length photo showing the dressed doll. The second photo should be a close-up — or, if the doll is sold as nude or in basic undergarments, the second photo can show the undressed doll. Note that nudity will be blurred in public-facing materials.  See individual category listings for other exceptions.
​Each photo should be taken at a resolution setting of 1280×960 pixels or higher, or with a quality setting of at least “high.”  Maximum size per file is 10 MBs. Do not include text or logos — these will be covered or removed.  If removal or the ability to cover text or logos is not possible, the entry will not be judged.  
​Entries should be photographed in front of a plain background. Each entry must be photographed separately. Only props or accessories sold with a doll should be in the photograph — if this is not possible because the doll has been sold, note in the Special Features box what is not included. 
​Please contact [email protected] if you have questions regarding the photo requirements or if you have any problems uploading the photos to the entry form. 
​Entry photographs become the property of ART DOLLS Magazine and may be used for promotional purposes. Photos of all entries will be published in ART DOLLS Magazine and may appear on the ART DOLLS Magazine website or other social media sites operated by ART DOLLS Magazine and its affiliates.
​JUDGING CRITERIA
​Entries must be received by end of day on October 31, 2026, to be considered.  Judges will rate dolls based on the following criteria: 
  • Overall aesthetic appeal 
  • Excellence in concept, design, and execution 
  • Quality of materials 
  • Workmanship
AWARD
​All judged entries will be included in the December 2026 issue of ART DOLLS Magazine with category winners featured.  Winning category entries will each receive a $100.00 cash award (payment via PayPal or check) and category winner certificate (suitable for framing).  Each entry will also receive a copy of their judging results via email when the AAE winners are announced.
​KEY DATES 
  • ​May 16 – October 31: Entry period for the 2026 ART DOLLS Awards of Excellence (AAE) competition ​
  • December: ART DOLLS AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE (AAE) Industry’s Choice winners will be announced in an online presentation and in the ART DOLLS Magazine 
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