It’s anyone’s game.

Visual arts, media, and design today are in a state of daily evolution, cross-pollinating ideas between their many disciplines. Industry categories that once defined the creative professional—photography, illustration, graphic design, architecture, fashion, advertising, the list goes on—have expanded to include newly synthesized versions of these fields. These days, a spirit of hybridization is on the rise, bucking tradition to fuse any number of creative pathways in search of a new direction. At the forefront of this ongoing revolution, the minds of ambitious young visionaries are at work and in play.

ADC Young Guns exists to identify the vanguard of creative professionals who let loose their imaginations, shattering conventions and breaking boundaries with a dash of brilliance and personal flair. Those of you who’ve set your minds to making a name for yourself, raising new standards from within cubicles, conference rooms, cramped apartments, and studios across the world—this is your chance to put those battle cries in action. If you’re under the age of thirty and have two years of the working life under your belt, we’d like you to show us what it’s all about.

On a quest to identify the brightest young professionals across myriad creative disciplines, ADC Young Guns has become more than just a competition—it now comprises a community network of rebels and prodigies, unsung heroes and rising stars. Over the years, our roster has grown to include five classes of exceptional talent, among them Stefan Sagmeister (YG1), Rei Inamoto (YG4), James Victore (YG1), Ryan McGinness (YG2), floto+warner (YG5), Alexander Gelman (YG1), Deanne Cheuk (YG4), Todd St. John (YG1), Scott Stowell (YG3), and Mike Mills (YG1). And this year, for the first time in the history of the competition, “old” Young Guns will serve as the jury and select the fifty new creative wonders that will form the class of ADC Young Guns 6.

Ready to join the ranks of ADC Young Guns? Answer the call. Entries are being accepted April 3–June 2; honorees will be notified in August. Full details here.

If you like our philosophy but want the full scoop on how we got to be where we are today, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our history.