International Art & Design University, operated by the International General Education Institute (part of the NSG Group) (Location: Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture), is pleased to announce that two current students from its Game CG Department have placed in the national TOP 10 at the 3DCG contest "WHO'S NEXT?", aimed at students and amateurs aspiring to enter the CG industry. This marks the first time in Fukushima Prefecture that students have achieved three consecutive awards and won in all categories.
Background & Prop Division, 8th Place: Daiki Minagawa, Game CG Department
KEY FIGURES
WHO'S NEXT? 2026ver.01: Background & Prop Division, 8th Place - Daiki Minagawa, Game CG Department
[Minagawa's Comments]
I am extremely happy to have placed 8th in "Who's Next!?". In my creation, I focused on meticulously expressing light, atmosphere, and traces of life, aiming for a piece that would resonate with the viewer's memories and emotions. I feel I have grown significantly by facing many challenges during the production process. I am grateful to my instructors for their guidance and intend to use this experience as a foundation to continue challenging myself to create even better works.
"WHO'S NEXT?" is a 3DCG contest exclusively for students and amateurs, organized by "CGWORLD," a leading industry magazine.
It is considered a gateway for students aspiring to become CG creators, with over 30 CG production companies and top creators participating in judging, scoring, and providing feedback across a wide range of fields including games, animation, and live-action VFX.
The results were announced on the contest's recruitment website on June 25, 2026.
This time, the works submitted by our university were highly evaluated among all national entries, with two current students from the Game CG Department successfully achieving TOP 10 placement.
Furthermore, one of these students has now won for the third consecutive time, demonstrating that the technical skills and expressive power cultivated through daily production activities have been recognized by professionals active at the forefront of the industry.
WHO'S NEXT? 2026ver.01 Character Division, 7th Place: Ryoga Yokota, Game CG Department
WHO'S NEXT? 2026ver.01 Character Division, 7th Place - Ryoga Yokota, Game CG Department, recipient of three consecutive awards
[Yokota's Comments]
I am very pleased to have received an award at WHO’S NEXT. This time, I chose to compete based on the completeness of the modeling itself, rather than relying on composition or direction, so being evaluated on that aspect has given me great confidence. I also received a lot of advice and feedback from the judges, which helped me identify challenges I hadn't noticed myself. I intend to use this experience to further hone my skills and create works with even greater completeness.
In the Game CG Department at International Art & Design University, students learn practical skills necessary for 3DCG production, such as modeling, animation, and visual expression, and the department boasts a high employment rate in professional roles within the CG industry every year.
Through instruction from active creators and a practical production environment, students in the classes work on their projects with the goal of "making CG their career."
In recent years, the digital content industry, including games, video, and animation, has continued to grow globally, expanding the opportunities for CG creators both domestically and internationally.
This award represents a significant achievement, showcasing the technical skills and potential of students seriously studying CG in Fukushima.
International Art & Design University will continue to foster creators who will go on to make their mark on the world from Fukushima.
[Contest Overview] Contest Name: "WHO'S NEXT?" hosted by CGWORLD
Application Period: January 20, 2026 - May 18, 2026
Results Announcement: June 25, 2026 Eligibility: Students and Amateurs Content: 3DCG Work Contest Judging: By CG production companies, artists, etc., with review and feedback Target Fields: Games, Animation, Video, VFX, etc.
International Art & Design University, International General Education Institute
Location: 2-4-1 Katahachō, Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture
Representative: Hisahiro Ichida
URL: https://www.art-design.ac.jp/
<About NSG Group> https://www.nsg.gr.jp/
NSG Group is a corporate group composed of 101 organizations that, with education and medical/welfare/nursing care as its core, develops a wide range of businesses including health & sports, construction & real estate, food & agriculture, trading, advertising, ICT, hotels, apparel, beauty, human resources services, and entertainment. Aiming to make each region "the world's most prosperous and happy town," we are engaged in creating businesses that revitalize communities from a private sector perspective, with "people," "security," "work," and "attractiveness" as keywords.
FACT BOX
- Source: PR TIMES
- Category: 受賞
- Organizations: CGWORLD