The Starbucks® Illustration Club
Introducing 2026's Winning Artists
This year, The Starbucks Illustration Club invited illustrators, artists and doodlers from across the UK to transform the iconic Starbucks cup into a canvas for creativity.
The competition showcased an incredible breadth of talent, with 100s of entrants sharing imaginative and inspiring designs. A huge thank you to everyone who took part.
We're delighted to reveal this year's winning designs.
Meet Our Winner
Manii Basran, London
Congratulations to our overall winner, Manii. Inspired by the rich traditions of Mehndi art, Manii transformed an iconic Starbucks cup into a beautifully intricate henna design that celebrates creativity, heritage and culture.
Speaking about the winning entry, Manii said:
"I've been a huge Starbucks fan for years, so when I saw the Illustration Club competition announced, I knew straight away that I wanted to enter. Growing up in West London, Mehndi has always been part of the celebrations and traditions around me. It's an art form with such a rich history, so it feels incredibly special to bring something so meaningful to me into a new, modern and unexpected space."
Artist, designer and Illustration Club judge Yinka Ilori MBE commented:
"Design is for everyone, and art is for everyone. This artwork beautifully celebrates the beauty of art as a global language. Taking henna, a very traditional technique, and applying it to a Starbucks cup is genius."
With so much creativity to choose from, our judges also selected nine runners-up whose designs stood out for their originality and creativity.
Vinita Sagoo
Hazel Hui
Scott Collier
Claire Horgan
Maisie Francis
Claire Rogers
Catt Standen
Bonnie Tseung
Yuxuan Zhou
Thank you to everyone who entered and a huge congratulations to all our winners!
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow @StarbucksUK, create your design directly on a Starbucks hot cup, then share it on Instagram and tag @StarbucksUK.
Entries for the 2026 competition have now closed.
Create your artwork directly on a Starbucks hot drink cup. If you're selected as a winner, we'll ask you to provide your original artwork as an AI or PSD file after the competition closes.
Using the theme "Make Coffee Your Canvas", our judging panel will be looking for originality, creative interpretation, visual impact and overall execution.
Yes. If you're shortlisted, we'll contact you via the Instagram account you used to enter.
First Prize
One winning design will receive:
- A one-to-one mentorship with renowned artist Yinka Illori MBE
- Your work showcased on high profile advertising billboards nationwide
Runner-up Prizes
Nine runners-up will also have their artwork featured on advertising sites plus receive:
- A Starbucks Illustration Club cap
- A one-year membership to Cass Art
Entries are submitted through Instagram by tagging @StarbucksUK
Starbucks will only be using the artwork as part of the Starbucks® Illustration Club campaign. This includes promotion of the campaign on its social media channels, and showcasing the 10 winning entries in a national billboard campaign. All artwork will be credited.
It does not mean Starbucks owns your artwork. You retain ownership of your work and all intellectual property rights.
Starbucks will not use your artwork for new, unrelated commercial purposes outside the scope of the competition without obtaining any necessary permissions.
A perpetual licence allows Starbucks to keep content that has already been published as part of the Starbucks® Illustration Club campaign live on its social media channels indefinitely, rather than removing it after a set period of time.
Yes. All entries showcased by Starbucks on social media channels will be credited to the artist. In addition, the 10 winning artists whose artwork will be featured on billboards nationwide will also be credited by name. If you would prefer not to have your name published, please contact Starbucks and we will work with you to accommodate this request.