This weekend brought the triumphant return of Golden Demon. The standard is always exceptionally high at the most prestigious miniature painting competition in the world, and this time was no exception as the entrants outdid themselves.
The show was a true feast for the eyes, with a wide variety of categories, from single miniatures and entire units to dramatic duels and massive dioramas.
Each category could only have three winners, which gave the judges a monumental task. Below are those entries which the judges deemed worthy of Bronze, Silver, and Gold in each category – but there were many more entries of incredible calibre that we wish we could feature.
Single Miniature
Maxime Penaud won a well deserved Gold for a gloriously disgusting Nurgle abomination – a panoply of rot and decay. Alberto Mereto Font took second for a saturated Grot conversion with an exaggerated desert base, while Thibaut Rahm won Bronze with a gorgeous armoured Aeldari Autarch.
Squad
Alfonso Garcia Tovar rose to the task and took Gold with his immaculate Catachan squad featuring realistic foliage. Alessandro Marinone continued the jungle theme with his saturated Ork Kommandos, while John Keys nabbed the Bronze for his shambling Poxwalkers.
Vehicle
Multi-award winning David Soper returned to win Gold with a barnstormer Nurgle daemon engine, a grimy buffet of texture and detail. Joining him were Stephen Smith’s Cerastus Knight and Gregor Pilarski’s Deffkilla Wartrike , both exercises in combining pops of colour with lovingly rendered grungy metallic elements.
Large Model
Large model opens the gate for all the giant non-vehicle miniatures. Alfonso Garcia Tovar’s pale Nurgle Lord Discordant mixed bone, brass, and expert oxidation to win Gold. John Keys scored Silver for his looming Ruinstorm Daemon Brute, and Yohan Leduc took Bronze for a custom Daemon Engine made from a mind boggling array of bits.
Single Miniature
Albert Moreto Font triumphed with a Night Goblin Wizard that demonstrates a masterful control of blending on a tiny miniature. Sten Frödin took Silver with a Darkoath Chieftain who could be straight off the cover of a battletome or Black Library novel, while Luciano Rossetto’s mounted Vampire Lord combined supernatural flight with beguiling painting to earn Bronze.
Unit
Eric Gowing took Gold for his striking Daemonettes, which are made up from a variety of kits. Jiazhou Guan’s exquisite Ironjawz took Silver with some dramatic armour, while Lukas Wiggering combined posing and pro painting with a novel diorama for Bronze.
Large Model
The gods and monsters of Warhammer Age of Sigmar are perfect canvases for competition painting. Chris Clayton won a well-deserved Gold for a Slann Starmaster in Lord Kroak’s throne that ekes every possible tone out of green.* Dave Perryman’s Loonboss on Mangler Squig is an avalanche of colour and pitch-perfect highlights, and David Arroba breathed life into Kragnos for Bronze.
Middle-earth™ Strategy Battle Game
The heroes of Middle-earth™ are represented with a trio of magnificent miniatures. Sten Frödin won Gold with a superb, almost pastel rendition of Elrond. Adrian Bay earned Silver with an Aragorn that looks like he’s stepped right out of the films, while Adam Skinner netted Bronze with a mini diorama of Smeagol feasting on a fish.
Diorama
Yohan Leduc won Gold for an extensive conversion effort that brings to life Orion, Master of the Wild Hunt from the World-that-Was. Angelo Di Chello took Silver for Gotrek and Felix bursting out of a window as they take on a gaggle of perfidious skaven, while Pablo Lopez Jimeno won Bronze as the Atherlorn Avengers make history in a rendition of a Spike! Journal cover.
Duel
The Duel category demands that an entrant commands drama on top of painting skills, which Chris Clayton achieved with his Gold winning entry – a jaw-dropping fight between a Kraken-eater Mega-gargant and a Kharibdyss.** Anthony Smith secured Silver by portraying man versus alien in desperate battle, while Ryan Allen induced vertigo for Bronze.
Small Scale
The Small Scale category was dominated by magnificent flying machines this year. Dave Perryman scored Gold with a crisply painted Saim-Hann Phoenix Bomber. Alexis L’Huillier won Silver for his Thunderbolt Fighter parked on a runway, and James Davies earned Bronze for capturing two Ork Dakkajets flying low over the desert.
Youngbloods
The Youngbloods this year was chock full of awesome entries. Frankie Clarke won Gold for their take on the Dragon Emperor of Rhûn, which features beautiful burnished gold and weathered boots that sell the image of the procession. Emilio McFarlane-Green took Silver for a Murknob with Belcha-banna that looks right at home among a lush diorama base that invokes the wilds of Ghur and Daniel Swart bagged Bronze for a gorgeous Jain Zar.
Open Competition
Anything goes in the Open Competition, including entries from Warhammer staff. Tom Hugues won Gold for his life-like bust of a T’au Fire Warrior. David Arroba took Silver for his bust of a Stormcast Eternal Sequitor, a masterclass of textural metal and cloth work. Darren Latham earned the Bronze for his take on Ûthar the Destined, kitted out in gorgeous orange armour.
Slayer Sword Winner – Chris Clayton
Chris Clayton lifted the Slayer Sword for a fantastically kinetic duel. It’s Warhammer Age of Sigmar writ large, and acts as a fantastic companion piece to Gavin Garza’s Skink hero, to show the range of entries that can win a Slayer Sword.
Here’s what he had to say upon winning: “I go into Golden Demon because I enjoy painting, sculpting, and creating these pieces – that is hugely rewarding. If you want to enter Golden Demon, do it for the fun of it, for the enjoyment, and if you have a brilliant idea. Don’t expect to be the best straight out of the gate, just enjoy it… And practice! Practice, practice, practice!”
A heartfelt thank-you to every entrant, and congratulations to all the winners. This year’s Golden Demon UK is a wrap!
Feeling inspired to paint? There are two Golden Demon events coming in 2023. It will return to AdeptiCon in the US in March, while in the UK it will take place at a little old event called Warhammer Fest.
Wait… Warhammer Fest? That’s right – the flagship Warhammer event returns in 2023, complete with Golden Demon. We’ll have more details coming soon, so sign up for the Warhammer Community Newsletter
* Perhaps this is a pre-desiccated Kroak?
** Our money’s on the Mega-gargant.