Hello everyone, the Keebtalk Artisan Awards Committee would like to present to you all the first, 2019 Artisan Awards!

Please refer to here for the rules on how the Artisan Awards will operate, as well as information on the organizational committee. The Committee has also come up with a FAQ to address some of the questions/concerns people have raised.

Before listing the nominations, we would like to provide a description to each category that the Artisan Awards Committee has agreed to recognize.

Artisan Keycap Maker of the Year

This category recognizes actively-producing artisan keycap makers who have demonstrated the highest quality of craftsmanship in significant contributions to the artisan keycap community during the eligible calendar year. The category encompasses aspects such as sculpting technique, casting prowess, attention to detail, and popularity/demand in the community.

Up-and-Coming Artisan Keycap Maker of the Year

This category recognizes newly introduced artisan makers who show promise based on their demand and popularity, number of releases, sculpting and casting quality, attention to detail, and sale popularity. The nominated makers must have started public sales of artisan keycaps during the eligible calendar year.

Best Improved Keycap Maker of the Year

This category recognizes artisan makers who began their journey in the craft prior to the eligible calendar year. The category recognizes makers whose improvements of existing sculpts, introduction of new sculpts, improvements in sculpting and/or casting technique and quality, and increased demand have shown the most progress and promise.

Sculpt of the Year

This category recognizes a sculpt whose debut sale must have occurred during the eligible calendar year. New versions of known sculpts (v1 → v2, v2 → v3,…) whose debut sale occurred during the calendar year also qualify. The nominees are selected from the sculpts that display exceptional technical prowess in sculpting ability and casting complexity requirements. Eligible sculpts demonstrate the forefront of sculpting in artisan keycaps, independent of colorway.

Artisan Keycap of the Year

This category recognizes the most highly-regarded artisan keycaps (sculpt and colorway) produced and released to the community during the eligible calendar year. Keycaps in this category are recognized for excellence in artistic and technical achievement. Sculpts designed prior to the award period are eligible, as long as the nominated colorway has been produced within the calendar year.

Technical Category

Nominees to this category have been selected solely by the Artisan Awards Committee. To help innovate and curate the artisan space even further, the Technical Category recognizes an artisan keycap-related resource or technical tool that significantly contributes to the education of, history, or production of artisan keycaps. Any available resource may qualify for this award regardless of time of introduction, but can win the Technical Category Award only once in its lifetime.

With the description of the awards out of the way, let us get to the nominations!

Artisan Keycap Maker of the Year

ArtKey – One of the newest makers to the scene, this group of 3 artisans from Vietnam have already made their imprint on the community with incredibly detailed sculpts, fantastic casting chops, and high production value.

– One of the newest makers to the scene, this group of 3 artisans from Vietnam have already made their imprint on the community with incredibly detailed sculpts, fantastic casting chops, and high production value. Bro Caps – An established maker brand, now with a collaborator sculptor, who continues to release iconic, popular sculpts and colorways each year.

– An established maker brand, now with a collaborator sculptor, who continues to release iconic, popular sculpts and colorways each year. GAF Caps – A relatively new brand from an established maker, GAF has quickly risen to the rarefied top of the craft, with complex, unique sculpts and an incredible demonstration of color separation and casting quality.

– A relatively new brand from an established maker, GAF has quickly risen to the rarefied top of the craft, with complex, unique sculpts and an incredible demonstration of color separation and casting quality. Hunger Work Studio – A consistent fan favorite over the years, this maker has conducted everything from large scale fulfillment sales to limited releases of popular sculpts, and continues to hone his craft.

– A consistent fan favorite over the years, this maker has conducted everything from large scale fulfillment sales to limited releases of popular sculpts, and continues to hone his craft. Nightcaps – One of the most prolific and popular makers, Nightcaps consistently releases great colorways across popular sculpts, and we can’t seem to get enough.

ArtKey

Bro Caps

GAF Caps

Hunger Work Studio

Nightcaps 0 voters

Up and Coming Keycap Maker of the Year

Bad and Booj Keys (badchad/chaddyrick) – A community member who returned after a bit of a break, and released the Daffy sculpt, now on its improved second iteration.

– A community member who returned after a bit of a break, and released the Daffy sculpt, now on its improved second iteration. Bludgeoned Kaps (Novice) – A humble community member who built a grassroots following for his Dante and Janus sculpts.

– A humble community member who built a grassroots following for his Dante and Janus sculpts. Level Caps (9999hp) – A rapidly maturing maker with some interesting sculpts, including the popular Joyboy.

– A rapidly maturing maker with some interesting sculpts, including the popular Joyboy. Wildstory Caps (Rachel) – An Asian maker who had a big hit with her Ama sculpt and continues to show promise.

Bad and Booj Keys (badchad/chaddyrick)

Bludgeoned Kaps (Novice)

Level Caps (9999hp)

Wildstory Caps (Rachel) 0 voters

Best Improved Keycap Maker of the Year

Alpha Keycaps – An Asian maker who has consistently been improving his sculpts leading to the recently popular Keypora.

– An Asian maker who has consistently been improving his sculpts leading to the recently popular Keypora. ArtKey – This group of makers from Vietnam has quickly earned their status as a top tier brand with their incredibly detailed “4 monsters” sculpts.

– This group of makers from Vietnam has quickly earned their status as a top tier brand with their incredibly detailed “4 monsters” sculpts. Death Caps – This maker has demonstrated his ability to improve both his sculpting and casting capabilities, with some great colorway releases and collaboration sculpts such as the Revthulhu.

– This maker has demonstrated his ability to improve both his sculpting and casting capabilities, with some great colorway releases and collaboration sculpts such as the Revthulhu. Keyforge – A community favorite who elevated his craft with Shishi, Orochi, and the latest Mulder sculpts, Keyforge has demonstrated his capability to execute intricate patterns and sculpts.

– A community favorite who elevated his craft with Shishi, Orochi, and the latest Mulder sculpts, Keyforge has demonstrated his capability to execute intricate patterns and sculpts. Prime Caps – A popular Canadian duo who have been releasing sculpts and blanks that improve with every sale. Check out their Lurv sculpt for a great example of sculpt evolution.

Alpha Keycaps

ArtKey

Death Caps

Keyforge

Prime Caps 0 voters

Sculpt of the Year

Bro Caps Last Pilot – An homage to the retired community member Lastpilot and a collaboration with the sculptor Trovarion to depict a character in original artwork by Toridamono on pixiv.net. Bro brings this sculpt to life with his casting ability.

– An homage to the retired community member Lastpilot and a collaboration with the sculptor Trovarion to depict a character in original artwork by Toridamono on pixiv.net. Bro brings this sculpt to life with his casting ability. GAF Caps Grimace V2 – An incredibly detailed, complex, and organic evolution of the Grimace v1, which has already become a classic among collectors.

– An incredibly detailed, complex, and organic evolution of the Grimace v1, which has already become a classic among collectors. GAF Caps Trash Panda – Arguably, the cutest trash panda around, and a great example of clean, consistent sculpting.

– Arguably, the cutest trash panda around, and a great example of clean, consistent sculpting. HWS Meet Popsi-Skull – A multi-mold sculpt that provides endless possibilities for this duo’s endless creativity.

– A multi-mold sculpt that provides endless possibilities for this duo’s endless creativity. Keyforge Mulder V3 – No one can deny the impressive, incredibly intricate work on this third iteration of the maker’s skull-themed sculpt.

– No one can deny the impressive, incredibly intricate work on this third iteration of the maker’s skull-themed sculpt. Retrochick x Tinymakesthings Keymo – An homage to BMO of Adventure Time, this popular collaboration demonstrates how even the simplest sculpt can achieve greatness.

Bro Caps Last Pilot

GAF Caps Grimace V2

GAF Caps Trash Panda

HWS Meet Popsi-Skull

Keyforge Mulder V3

Retrochick x Tinymakesthings Keymo 0 voters

Artisan Keycap of the Year

Booper Paranoid Halloween Keywok – Evolving the paranoid eye effect to higher levels

– Evolving the paranoid eye effect to higher levels Bro Caps Blazed Satan BBv2.5 – An impressive smoky colorway effect applied to an iconic sculpt

– An impressive smoky colorway effect applied to an iconic sculpt Bro Caps Silver Surfer Last Pilot – A great combination of color choice and casting complexity brings this sculpt to life

– A great combination of color choice and casting complexity brings this sculpt to life GAF Caps Pun in the Oven Trash Panda – A beautiful example of a natural colorway.

– A beautiful example of a natural colorway. GAF Low-Effort Leopard Garbo Puss – A perfect example of incredible color separation and complexity

– A perfect example of incredible color separation and complexity Keyforge Los Muertos Mulder V3 – Almost any color combination looks good on this intricate sculpt, but this is one of the most striking

– Almost any color combination looks good on this intricate sculpt, but this is one of the most striking Nightcaps No-Face Fugthulhu – Following up the trend he started on their own sculpts Fugu v3 and Eggface v2, this is a take of this colorway on a modern classic collaboration sculpt with Hunger Work Studio.

– Following up the trend he started on their own sculpts Fugu v3 and Eggface v2, this is a take of this colorway on a modern classic collaboration sculpt with Hunger Work Studio. Nightcaps The Green Hand of Gandalf Eggface V2 – A striking combination of resin writing and contrasting colors

– A striking combination of resin writing and contrasting colors Retrochick x Tinymakesthings Adventure Keymo – Cute, clean, and perfectly executed to set the new standard for simple profile sculpts

Booper Paranoid Halloween Keywok

Bro Caps Blazed Satan BBv2.5

Bro Caps Silver Surfer Last Pilot

GAF Caps Pun in the Oven Trash Panda

GAF Low-Effort Leopard Garbo Puss

Keyforge Los Muertos Mulder V3

Nightcaps No-Face Fugthulhu

Nightcaps The Green Hand of Gandalf Eggface V2

Retrochick x Tinymakesthings Adventure Keymo 0 voters

Technical Category

Keycap.info – An invaluable web-based resource that has served keycap collectors over the year with identification of thousands of sculpts and colorways across many popular makers, and continues to be maintained by beehatch and other contributors.