The American Institute of Graphic Arts — the AIGA — announced the winners of the 102nd 50 Books | 50 Covers competition last month, exploring the best of submitted covers (specifically) and books (as a whole) published during 2025. As is always the case with their selections, it’s a collection of interesting and thought-provoking material.
Book design competitions are ultimately about the most minute perceptions, which can only truly be evaluated by having the objects in hand. This year’s in-person jurying of the 50/50 competition was a necessary return to form — validated by the energy and engagement that filled the room during the two full days we shared together, surrounded by books and exchanging critiques, questions, and appreciations. At the end of the jurying, we walked away feeling we collectively chose a phenomenal and diverse selection of 50 books and 50 covers.
— Scott Vander Zee, 2025 Jury Chair
The “return to form” reflects this year’s less-popularly-styled selections — which is to say, more about excellence in design than excellence in Insta-clicks. Let’s take a look at some of the titles and see if there’s agreement.
From the 50 Covers category
Kraft paper with gold lettering and black ink. Timeless — in a handmade, caring, environmentally-friendly way. Even better when seen in person, but this might help visualize:
“Sometimes, it’s possible to be knocked askew awed by a simple idea,” I said in my Favorite Covers of 2025 post.
A wonderfully intentional look — the friendly croc, the slightly-misaligned-ink-plate-style, the texture — with a cascading title that highlights this collection of greatness.
A one-color triumph whose simplicity belies the story within. (Also on my ’25 Favorites list.)
A wolf amongst the trees, sure — but what a way to do it. (Bonus points for three typefaces in such a small area working together so well.)
This cover was actually a candidate for one of my 2025 Favorites, one that didn’t get chosen not because of how good it is or isn’t, but for what it represents. I know, that’s not fair — but since it’s come up . . . :
It makes me fear for further blurring between book cover and content, in the way that title sequences for television shows and movies are being shortened into oblivion or absorbed into — or an afterthought to — the “content.”
I miss amazing title sequences. (I miss longer attention spans, too, but that’s a discussion for another time.) Some of this is a ship that’s already sailed, but unlike a title sequence — decidedly outside of my wheelhouse — I’m going to fight for the artistry, the magnificence, that is a fantastic book cover.
From the 50 Books category
This would benefit from a 3D photograph so you could see the cover cutout and the little tufts of hair. (It’s still fun even if your first take is . . . something else.)
Note the subtle difference in typeface from the cover. Fab. As is probably known by now, I’m also a sucker for great contents design:
From Chicago, we move to Ecuador and New York:
I love the choice of drawing distinction between languages using color, and that the page itself is printed color — the paper is still white. (It is a pain for the printer, with its tight tolerances, but when done well . . . .)
Turning now to a “technicolor dreamscape”:
The first of an exceptionally interesting trend this year: exposed stitching on the binding — structural expressionism for the publishing industry. Nice.
“Exquisite corpse,” indeed . . . complete with florescent pink ink:
The second I’m featuring with exposed binding also boasts a clear cover that meshes with — and adds so much to — its cover:
Continuing on the subject of folks who can put together a collage — while adding a dose of architecture:
This title features a bonus, in the form of decorated page edges:
Also from the architectural area, an item that “reimagines the Yale School of Architecture’s annual journal as a set of unfolding conversations.”
Simple journal design this is not! (Note the decorated page edges on this one, too.)
More photography-centric is Olga Ignatovich. In the Shadow of the Big Brother, with a magnificent gate-fold-style cover that I’ve not seen before:
Fantastic choices inside and out. (Another great subject, too — I want to read several of these titles!)
From WWII Soviet photography we move to post-war Soviet architecture — some of which takes brutalism to a surprisingly beautiful conclusion:
The choice of pink to support this subject is unexpected (and welcome).
Don’t sneer at Soviet architecture in Tashkent, by the way. Some of it is awesome. (Further details here.)
Don’t feel like going to Uzbekistan? How about a trip to the ‘90s instead?
Almost thirty years ago now — long enough for a celebration!
We’ll close out with a two-fer from one of my favorite subjects, typography:
Love the fold-over cover . . . and pretty much everything about this title. Awesome. (Wait: is that another exposed binding!?)
It’s difficult to tell from this photo, but the jacket actually only covers the bottom three-quarters of this title. (It’s easier to distinguish in the three photos that follow.)
It’s not often I get to leave the phrase “insert text here” in the final post!
• • •
As usual, I’ve only plucked a few favorites. There are many more — some whose qualities are immediately obvious, some which require study or thought. All deserve scrutiny, an itch that is scratched with additional photographs of each title and, for some, text about the title or design.
See all 100 titles in the winners’ gallery.
It’s a very different set of winners than last year. There might, in fact, be something to that “return to form.”
The highlight this year was really all about the atmosphere. I loved walking into a room full of books for two straight days, watching everyone nose-deep in the books on the tables — sharing anecdotes, laughing, questioning, theorizing, and whittling our way down to the final 50 books and 50 covers. It’s fantastically fun, serious, and hard work — the best.
— Scott Vander Zee, 2025 Jury Chair
As with previous years, selections will become part of the AIGA collection at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia University’s Butler Library in New York, “entering a historic collection of book and book cover design,” according to the AIGA press release.
