The Billfish Foundation is proud to celebrate Steve Goione as TBF’s 2026 Artist of the Year, recognizing an artist whose career has been deeply connected to the offshore fishing community and the people, boats, and billfish that define it.
For more than three decades, Goione has captured the sportfishing lifestyle through his distinctive marine artwork. His work is immediately recognizable throughout the fishing community, making him a fitting choice to represent TBF during our 40th Anniversary year.
That connection to the sport is also reflected in Goione’s longstanding relationship with Pelagic, a dedicated partner of TBF and a brand built around the offshore fishing lifestyle. Goione’s artwork has become part of Pelagic’s identity through collaborations that bring his illustrations off the canvas and onto apparel worn by anglers around the world.
In a recent Pelagic video featuring Goione, the artist shares the story behind his career, his relationship with Pelagic, and the history they have built together. The feature offers a closer look at the person behind the artwork and the shared passion for fishing that has made their collaboration such a natural fit.
For TBF, it is especially meaningful to see our 2026 Artist of the Year and longtime partner Pelagic come together to celebrate the art, culture, and community surrounding billfishing.
Could You Be TBF’s 2027 Artist of the Year?
While we continue celebrating Steve throughout 2026, the search is officially on for TBF’s 2027 Artist of the Year.
Each year, TBF’s Artist of the Year program recognizes an artist whose work captures the spirit of billfishing, sportfishing, and the marine environment while helping connect art with TBF’s conservation mission.
Artists interested in becoming part of that legacy are encouraged to submit their work for consideration. Whether you are already established within the marine art community or looking for an opportunity to introduce your work to a larger sportfishing audience, we want to see what you create.
Think you could be next? Submit your work for consideration as TBF’s 2027 Artist of the Year and help us tell the story of billfish, fishing, and conservation through art.
