Writers and Illustrators of the Future contest winners

Now in its 41st year, the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest has been shaping the next wave of genre storytellers—turning starry-eyed dreamers into published sci-fi and fantasy authors with a legacy that’s as cosmic as the stories themselves. Find out more about the contest here.

The winners are always announced at an Oscar-like gala in Hollywood, which this year took place at the Taglyan Cultural Complex and celebrated over four decades of winners of the L. Ron Hubbard Writers and Illustrators of the Future, now totaling 988 from 51 countries.

Check out the awards below…

All winners of the contest get their short stories and illustrations included in the anthology for that year – this year is Volume 41 –  and this year the cover artwork (above) was illustrated by Illustrators of the Future Contest Judge Craig Elliott, entitled Creature of the Storm, and inspired the story “Under False Colours,” written by Writers of the Future Contest Judge Sean Williams. Voice actors Jim, Tamra, Taylor Meskimen, and Kirby Heyborne recorded the audiobook for Volume 41.

Randyn C. J. Bartholomew with his story “Ascii,” was named the 2025 Grand Prize Golden Pen Writer Winner of the content, and Jordan Smajstrla with her illustration of the story “Kill Switch,” from Boerne, TX, was named the 2025 Illustrator Grand Prize Golden Brush Winner.

The writer winners included: