Award Categories
The Fish Art Program offers many different award categories to recognize our participant’s unique talents and to focus on important conservation topics and issues.
Only one entry may be submitted per person but an entry can qualify for multiple awards.
Specialty Awards
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![Assorted bottles, containers, and electronic components scattered on a surface with a blue and black color scheme.]()
IGFA Debris Division Award
This Debris Division must utilize the plastic waste or found objects collected during habitat cleanups to create a game fish.
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![Underwater scene of a lionfish with striped fins swimming near coral, with small yellow fish nearby and sunlight filtering through the water.]()
Invader Crusader Award
Created to raise awareness about the impact of aquatic invasive species on fish, fishing, and habitat.
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![A painting of two fish swimming underwater near rocks and submerged logs, with a landscape of trees and water in the background.]()
Great Lakes Fish Award
Created to celebrate fish species that are native to the Great Lakes and raise awareness of non-native species that negatively impact the ecoystem.
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![Painting of a large great white shark swimming underwater with smaller fish surrounding it.]()
Guy Harvey Shark Award
Created in partnership with the Guy Harvey Foundation to celebrate sharks and their important role in ocean ecology.
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![A painting of a large fish, likely a salmon, swimming underwater amidst rocks, with a mountainous landscape and pine trees above the water.]()
Western Trout Award
Created to celebrate the diversity and variety of native trout species in the western United States.
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![Text discussing gyotaku, Japanese art form of fish rubbing, its history, cultural significance, environmental message, and role in conservation advocacy.]()
Fish Habitat Writing Award
Created in partnership with the National Fish Habitat Partnership to focus on the importance of protecting and restoring natural fish habitat.
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![Colorful watercolor and ink painting of a dragonfly with striped orange, green, blue, and brown wings, flying amid a dark blue background with white and blue circular splashes.]()
Mighty Minnow Award
The Mighty Minnow Award celebrates the creativity and talent of Kindergarten participants in the K-3 age group.
State Specialty Awards
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Alaska Fish Heritage Award
Created to celebrate Alaskan’s unique relationship with Sockeye Salmon though sport fishing, subsistence fishing or commercial fishing.
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Go Fish! Georgia Award
Created by the Georgia Go Fish! Education center to celebrate fish species native or introduced to the state that are commonly sought by anglers.
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Florida Native Fish Award
Created by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to celebrate fish species native to Florida’s inland and marine waters.
National Awards
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Best of Show
Dedicated to Seth Thomas Spradlin, the winner of the 2008 Best of Show and Art of Conservation Awards, who tragically passed away with his brother in a float plane accident while working for the Alaska National Park Service. This Award is given to the judges’ overall top favorite piece of artwork for the contest year.
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Art of Conservation Award
The Art of Conservation® Award is given to the entry that best illustrates the unique conservation needs of their chosen state-fish species. Both artwork and essays are taken into account when selecting this award.
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Smile Award
Created to celebrate one artist’s unique perspective on fish.
This award is given to the student whose piece makes the judges ‘smile’ inside and out!
Award for Educators:
Richard M. Hart Educator of the Year
Know an outstanding educator? Nominate them for the opportunity to win:
Limited edition “Richard M. Hart Educator of the Year” Fish Art Print
$1,000 Amazon gift card for educational supplies
$900 stipend toward a Fishing or Aquatic Education Seminar / Field Trip for classroom