Eligibility Requirements

• There is no entry fee to submit an entry.

• Competition is open to U.S. High School Students and U.S. Citizens enrolled in high school internationally as a result of a parent serving in the U.S. military (“Entrant”) enrolled in grades 10-12 of September 1, 2025.

• Entry from student (“Entrant”) or parent/guardian (“Participant”) must be original, signed by the Entrant and if under 18, their parent/guardian “Participant” and completed with the time frame allotted.

• Only one entry is allowed per Entrant.

• Entry must be automotive in nature and follow guidelines set by the contest theme.

• Submitted entry must fall within Fine Art Painting (watercolor, acrylic, and oil mediums.)

• Entry style may vary (contemporary, realistic, impressionist, various.)

• No digitally created artwork will be accepted.

• No commercial copyrighted logos of any kind are allowed in artwork and will disqualify the entry.

• Artwork must not contain personally identifiable information of any person other than the Entrant or Participant. Should the Artwork include personally identifiable information of Entrant or Participant, Entrant or Participant acknowledges and agrees such information will be publicly disclosed, and Entrant and Participant are solely responsible for any consequences thereof on behalf of the Entrant.

• Entry must not infringe any copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity or other intellectual rights of any person or entity.

• Artwork may not contain any material or elements that are not owned/created by Entrant or Participant and/or that are subject to the rights of any third parties.

• Artwork may not contain content that is lewd, obscene, sexually explicit, pornographic, disparaging, defamatory, libelous, or otherwise containing inappropriate content or objectionable material as determined by the judge panel, in its sole and unfettered discretion.

• Artwork cannot have been previously published, won previous awards, exhibited, or displayed publicly (i.e., disclosed beyond the Entrant’s or Participant’s immediate circle of friends and family) through any means.

• Artwork submitted without a signed or completed Entry Form is ineligible.

• NEW FOR 2026: Entrants must submit a photo of themselves with their artwork and by submitting a photo give their permission for its use in all award promotional materials. No royalty, fee or other compensation will be payable to Entrant for their use.

HOW TO ENTER

Create the Artwork: Entrant creates an original drawing by hand using watercolor, acrylic or oil mediums in the tradition of fine art painting. 

Project Brief: :Bill Neale was well-known for his posters promoting automotive events, races and road rallies. The 2026 Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students asks entrants to create an original, signed poster depicting one of the following:

• Road Rally, Automotive or Racing Event.

Original artwork should incorporate:

• Race cars, trucks or collectibles in motion with a driver.

• Event/Race/Road Rally “Title” real or fictional, of entrants choice. Dates and details not necessary.  Event “Title” can be hand-drawn or digitally applied.

• Artist signature on the front of the artwork

Complete the Entry Form and submit via online link: Artwork, together with a completed “Entry Form,” is collectively called a “Submission.” Entrants or Participants should submit their entry online via the Submission form link on www.billnealeaward.org.

Submission dates: Submissions will be accepted by the Contest from October 15, 2025 through February 12, 2026 at  11:59pm.  (“Contest Period”).  

Hand-Drawn Artwork:   Artwork must be original and drawn entirely by hand using fine art mediums of watercolor, acrylic and oils.  Artwork measurements should be between 15.7 X 21.7 inches (400mm X 55mm) and 8.5 X 11 inches. Paper color, material and shape can be chosen freely but should not be thicker than 5mm. Paper size 11X17 is recommended.  

Other guidelines:

• Entries may be submitted as either a JPG, PNG or PDF.

• Digital photo files should be between 1MB and 5MB in size. 

• Uploaded Artwork image files must be titled in the following way: [LAST NAME, FIRST NAME-Artwork Title].

• Artwork must be accompanied by a written description of the Entrants Artwork.

• Artwork must be signed by the Entrant.

• All entries by minors (under the age of 18) must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.

• Proof of U.S. High School eligibility status is required with a digital upload of a school ID. A school ID is also required for home schooled students and  U.S. citizens who are students attending school in grades 10-12 internationally as a result of a parent serving in the U.S. Military. Please contact us if unable to provide this type of ID verification.

• NEW FOR 2026: Entrants must submit a photo of themselves with their artwork and give their permission for its use in promotional materals.

JUDGING CRITERIA/PROCESS

All eligible Artwork received by Sponsor will be judged by a panel of qualified judges (“Judges’), as determined by Sponsors, based on the following criteria: 

• Artistry of Concept (Skill): 25%

• Interpretation of Theme: 25%

• Overall Artistic Impression: 25%

• Uniqueness/Originality: 25%

WINNERS: 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will be named based on the entries with the top three highest calculated totals. The entry with the highest total will be deemed the potential winner, the 2nd and 3rd highest totals the 2nd and 3rd place potential winners. A winner is deemed potential until eligibility is verified.

Winners will be announced March 26, 2026.

PRIZES: Prizes are awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

• 1st place winner: $1000 Cash Prize + $100 In BLICK Art Materials Gift Cards

• 2nd place winner: $500 Cash Prize + $100 In BLICK Art Materials Gift Cards

• 3rd place winner: $250 Cash Prize + $100 In BLICK Art Materials Gift Cards

ELIGIBILITY

The Contest is open to residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia as well as U.S. citizens enrolled in international high schools as a result of a parent serving in the U.S. military. All students must be enrolled in grades 10-12 at the time entry is submitted. Eligible entries of high school students (“Entrant”) under the age of 18 must be submitted by a parent or gaurdian (“Participant”). 

CONTEST DATES

• The 2026 Call For Entries begins October 15, 2025. Entries may be submitted through February 12, 2026 at 11:59 pm CT.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

• By participating in and submitting Artwork in the Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students, (“Contest”), each student (“Entrant”) and parent/guardian if under 18 (“Participant”) agrees (on behalf of themselves and Entrant): (a) to abide by these Official Rules and decisions of Judges and The Shelby Foundation, Mecum Auctions, Terlingua Racing Team and the Texas Auto Writers Association (“Sponsors”), the Texas Auto Writers Association (“Host”) and Texas Cultural Trust (“Award Beneficiary”), which shall be final and binding in all respects relating to this Contest; (b) to release, discharge, indemnify and hold harmless Sponsors, their parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, private distributors, dealers and their respective advertising and promotion agencies; and all of the above’s respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents and representatives of the forgoing (collectively, “Released Parties”) from and against any and all claims, costs (including attorneys’ fees), fines, injuries (up to and including bodily injury and death), liability, losses and damages of any kind to persons, including death, or property resulting, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from (i) Entrant or Participants’ participation in the Contest or any Contest-related activity; (ii) the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any Prize (iii) the Released Parties’ violation of rights of publicity or privacy, claims of defamation or portrayal in a false light or based on any claim of infringement of intellectual property; and (iv) any typographical, human or other error in the printing, offering, selection, operation or announcement of any Contest activity and/or Prize; and (c) except where prohibited by law, to the use of Entrant’s and his/her Participant’s names, voices, performances, photographs/videos, images and/or likenesses for programming, advertising, publicity and promotional purposes in any and all media, now or hereafter known, worldwide, including, but not limited to, on the Internet, and in perpetuity by Host, Sponsors, Award Beneficiary and their designees, without compensation (unless prohibited by law) or additional consents from Entrant or any third party and without prior notice, approval or inspection, and to execute specific consent to such use if asked to do so. Entrant and Participant agrees not to release any publicity or other materials on their own or through someone else regarding their participation in the Contest without the prior consent of the Sponsors, which it may withhold in its sole discretion. In the event Sponsors are prevented from continuing with the Contest by any event beyond its control, including, but not limited to, fire, flood, epidemic, earthquake, explosion, labor dispute or strike, act of God or public enemy, communications or equipment failure, utility or service interruptions, riot or civil disturbance, terrorist threat or activity, war (declared or undeclared), interference with the Contest by any party, or any federal, state, local or provincial government law, order, or regulation, order of any court or jurisdiction, or other cause not reasonably within Sponsors’ control (each a “Force Majeure'' event or occurrence), Sponsors shall have the right to modify, suspend or terminate the Contest or any Prize. Host and Sponsors additionally reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion: (a) to modify, suspend or terminate the Contest should causes beyond Host and Sponsors’ control corrupt or interfere with the administration, integrity, operation, security or proper play of the Contest; or (b) to disqualify any Entrant or Participant found to be, or suspected of: (i) tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest; (ii) acting in violation of these Official Rules; or (iii) acting in an un-sportsmanlike manner.

CONTEST PRIZES

• Three cash prizes will be awarded pending winning Entrants’ confirmed eligibility.  Limit one (1) First Place Prize, (1) Second Place Prize and (1) Third Place Prize.  Prizes will be awarded to Entrant and, if under the age of 18, their Parent/Guardian on behalf of the Entrant.  The winner with the highest Judge score will receive a $1000 cash prize. A parent/guardian “Participant” must join any Entrant winner under the age of 18. The second highest Contest winner will receive a $500 cash prize.  The third highest Contest winner will receive a $250 cash prize. The total value of the Cash Prizes that will be awarded is $1,750. 

• 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will also receive $100 in BLICK Art Materials gift cards.

• Winners will be announced March 26th, pending confirmation of eligibility.

OTHER PERMISSIONS  

All Entrants give the Host, Sponsors’ and Benefciary permission to use their art and likeness in social media, website, email and other promotional materials for the Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students. Entrant understands that no royalty, fee or other compensation will be payable to Entrant for their use in these marketing materials.

Amy M. Plemons / Award Chair

amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com