2026 Carnegie Medal for Illustration

Kate Rolfe won the 2026 Carnegie Medal for Illustration for Wiggling Words, a picture book she both wrote and illustrated. The result was announced on June 23, 2026, at the Carnegies ceremony in London. The separate Shadowers' Choice Medal for Illustration, voted on by young readers, went to Lord of the Flies: The Graphic Novel, which Aimée de Jongh adapted and drew from William Golding's novel. The eight-book shortlist, picked by librarians from CILIP's Youth Libraries Group, also included The Playdate illustrated by Clara Dackenberg, The Endless Sea illustrated by Linh Dao, The Sleeper Train illustrated by Baljinder Kaur, Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto, Freedom Braids illustrated by Oboh Moses, and The Paper Bridge illustrated by Seng Soun Ratanavanh.