Food is Art: Gault&Millau Launches Its First Illustrator Award
With the 2027 Illustrator Trophy, the Guide Jaune invites artists to capture the essence of gastronomy through their sketches. Exhibition, Gala menu, workshops: submissions are open until September 4.
On November 9, the Carrousel du Louvre will host the 2026 Gault&Millau Gala. For this edition, themed “Food is Art,” the Yellow Guide is introducing a brand-new award: the Illustrator Trophy. The goal is to honor an artist whose visual style captures the full richness of culinary creativity.
A pop-up gallery in front of 1,500 guests
Each selected artist will create an original work inspired by the theme in advance. It will be exhibited in the grand foyer of the Carrousel du Louvre during the cocktail reception preceding the gala dinner. Nearly 1,500 guests will discover this pop-up gallery. Among them will be French and international chefs, designers, interior architects, journalists, and partners ready to be dazzled.
Five menus, one signature chef selected
From among the entries on display, five finalists will be selected to illustrate the Gala menu—a four-course meal conceived by Jérôme Banctel, the evening’s Signature Chef. All will work with the same materials but have complete creative freedom.
The jury will make its decision a few weeks before the event, and guests will discover the winning entry that very evening, printed on all the menus. The illustrators will also be invited to transform the partners’ iconic objects into works of art as part of the Gault&Millau Living Workshops.
How to Apply?
This call for entries is open to illustrators, comic book artists, and art school students, with one entry per artist, accompanied by a portfolio of culinary illustrations. The jury will consist of the president of Gault&Millau, the director of Research, the Signature Chef of the Gala, and a renowned figure in the fields of illustration and visual arts.
Nominees will have their work exhibited at the Carrousel du Louvre on November 9 from 4:00 p.m. to midnight, receive a ticket to the ceremony and dinner, gain visibility on our social media channels, and be featured in Gault&Millau magazine #16. The winner will take the stage to receive their Food is Art trophy.
Application deadline: September 4, 2026.
