Illustration Contest

RULES OF THE II INTERNATIONAL ILLUSTRATION COMPETITION “CARDENAL MENDOZA”

Bodegas Sánchez Romate Hnos., with the aim of promoting artistic creativity in connection with Jerez brandy, hereby announces the II International Illustration Competition “Cardenal Mendoza”.

Participation in this competition implies full acceptance of the following rules:

1. The competition is open to any natural person of legal age, of any nationality.

2. The artwork must illustrate one of the four award-winning micro-stories from the 2025 edition of the “Cardenal Mendoza” International Micro-Story Competition. These stories are titled: “Noche jerezana”, “Sobrevivir a papá”, “Instrucciones para la melancolía” and “La travesía del holandés”.

3. The illustration must be original and must not have been published in any medium or format. It must not have previously received any award or runner-up prize in any other competition.

4. The artwork must be A3 size in vertical format. It must be submitted in .jpg or .pdf format, in CMYK colour mode, with a resolution of 300 dpi.

5. From all submitted works, a selection of 10 finalists will be made, from which the three winning illustrations will be chosen.

6. Participants are free to use any technique and style, with one exception: any use of generative artificial intelligence is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification.

7. To ensure compliance with the above, each finalist will be required to submit at least 5 images documenting the creative process of their illustration. These may include photographs, screenshots or videos, covering stages from initial sketches to the final piece. Failure to provide these materials, or if they are not sufficiently clear or explanatory, will result in disqualification, and another illustration will take its place among the finalists (at the discretion of the jury).

8. All works must be submitted exclusively in digital format.

Entries must be sent to the following email address: ilustracion@romate.com

The subject line must read: II Certamen Ilustración Cardenal Mendoza, and two files must be attached.

File naming should follow this format:

• Illustration file: .jpg file named with the title of the illustration
• Pseudonym (plica) file: .doc or .docx file named title_plica

Example: If the illustration is titled “Soleado”
Illustration file: Soleado
Plica file: Soleado_plica

Illustrations must be signed with a pseudonym.

The plica file must include: title, pseudonym, full name, date and place of birth, full address, nationality, ID number (or national ID/passport), telephone number and email address.

The organisation will not maintain correspondence with participants.

9. The competition awards are as follows:

• First Prize: €2,000
• Second Prize: €1,000
• Third Prize: Cardenal Mendoza Non Plus Ultra gift set (or its monetary equivalent if shipment to the winner’s country is not possible)

Applicable tax withholdings will be applied in accordance with current legislation.

10. The submission period opens on 1 April and closes on 30 September 2026.

11. The jury will consist of three professionals of recognised artistic standing and two professionals from the Jerez brandy sector. Its composition will be made public after the competition has concluded.

12. The jury’s decision will be announced publicly during Cardenal Mendoza Golden Week, between 25 and 31 October 2026, via the website:
https://www.cardenalmendoza.com/es/golden-week/illustration-contest

13. The jury reserves the right to declare any prize void if the submitted works do not meet the required standard.

14. The authors of the winning works will grant Bodegas Sánchez Romate Hnos. the rights of reproduction, exhibition, dissemination, adaptation and public communication on any medium for promotional purposes of the competition for a period of 12 months from the publication of the results, without prior notice. Content published on archives and social media during this period may remain indefinitely. Any further use will be subject to a separate agreement and contract.

15. Finalists will grant exhibition rights for their works during Golden Week 2026. Content published on archives and social media during this period may remain indefinitely. Any further use will be subject to a separate agreement and contract.

16. Participants are personally responsible for the legitimate ownership and originality of their work, in accordance with the Spanish Intellectual Property Law, guaranteeing that the work is original and unpublished.

17. Participation in the competition implies full acceptance of these rules, agreement with the jury’s decisions, and waiver of any claims.

Legal Notice

In compliance with Organic Law 15/1999 of 13 December on the Protection of Personal Data, we inform you that all data and information provided to SÁNCHEZ ROMATE HNOS., S.A. will become part of a file owned by the company and will be used solely for the management of this illustration competition.

You may exercise your rights of access, rectification, cancellation and objection at Calle Lealas 26, 11404 Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), Spain.

SÁNCHEZ ROMATE HNOS., S.A. shall not be responsible for the legality, accuracy or truthfulness of the data provided. It is the sole responsibility of the participant to notify any changes to such data.

Providing the requested information is mandatory and implies express consent to the processing of personal data for the stated purposes. Completion of other information is optional.