TAWA NEWS POST

- Award honors world-renowned automotive artist Bill Neale who passed away in 2021

- 1st, 2nd, 3rd Place winners hail from Wisconsin, Michigan and Oklahoma

- In a world where AI increasingly threatens traditional creative arts, award seeks to advance automotive fine art among the next generation 

 

Tyler, TX - (March 26, 2026) -  The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS! The award honors the legacy of world-renowned automotive artist Bill Neale by recognizing and encouraging excellence in automotive fine art among high school students. TAWA thanks all of the students who participated in the 3rd annual competition that asked entrants to create a Bill Neale-inspired road rally, automotive or racing event poster.  

"Automotive art is about more than just machines. It tells stories of innovation, design, and human passion,” said Marc Newman, President of the Texas Auto Writers Association. “These awards celebrate young  artists who transform movement into feeling and engineering into lasting works of art."

 

In a world where AI-generated art is quickly changing the creative landscape, the award also seeks to keep traditional automotive fine art alive in its truest form by advancing the next generation of artists passionate about cars and art.

 

“Drawing and painting by hand are fine motor skills that are known to enhance brain development and critical thinking. We established The Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students to encourage young artists to continue developing these talents in an increasingly led AI world and hone their artistic skills by exploring the genre of automotive art,” said Leslie Neale, daughter of Bill Neale. “Our father, Bill Neale, would be so proud of the creativity and artistry from this year’s winners! As our dad always said, ‘Keep painting!’”

Wisconsin 12th grader Felix Bucaro took top honors this year, winning 1st place with his entry “Road America 500”.

 

“I am grateful for the opportunity to honor the legacy of Bill Neale. For the piece, I used acrylic on canvas with contrasting color to give a feel for how the Road America 500 was in its day.” - Felix Bucaro, 1st Place Winner.

Winners
1st: Felix Bucaro - 12th grade, Wisconsin, “Road America 500” -  $1000 cash prize

2nd: Joel Murphy - 12th grade, Michigan, “Monaco” -   $500 cash prize

3rd: Emily Eilers - 12th grade, Oklahoma, “Race Against Time” -  $250 cash prize

 

1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners also receive $100 in BLICK Art Materials Gift Cards.

Honorable Mentions (tie)
William McElhoes, 11th Grade, Idaho -  “North Idaho Winter Rally”

Madison Randick, 12th Grade, Michigan “Momentous Macchina Match”
  

To view these students’ exceptional artwork, visit BillNealeAward.org. 

Sponsors

The Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students would not be possible without the generous support of the following sponsors: BLICK Art Materials, Carroll Shelby Foundation, Terlingua Racing Team and the Texas Auto Writers Association. 

Award Beneficiary

For 2026, the award continued its support of art education with a donation to the Texas Cultural Trust’s Art Box project, an initiative within the nonprofit’s Arts Access program. Our donation supported efforts to provide more than 200 Art Kits to Hunt ISD (Texas) students directly impacted by the Texas Hill Country flooding in July 2025.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Amy Plemons amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com.

About the Texas Auto Writers Association  

Founded in 1987, the Texas Auto Writers Association has grown to become one of the most recognized and reputable automotive press organizations in the industry. TAWA’s mission is to promote quality and accuracy in automotive journalism and to disseminate information about the automotive industry through news-related print, online and broadcast media. In addition to promoting journalism opportunities and professionalism internally, TAWA funds scholarships to journalism students.