The European Cartoon Award (ECA) was presented last night at the Library in The Hague, honouring the prestigious award for political cartoons in Europe. Alongside the winner, the second prize and honourable mentions were also announced.
The first prize was awarded to Belgian cartoonist Steven ‘Lectrr’ Degryse for his work in the Belgian newspaper De Standaard. The shared second prize went to Tjeerd Royaards (Netherlands) and Victor Solís (Mexico). Honourable mentions were awarded to Elena Ospina (Colombia) and Peter Kuper (United States).
Navalny
Steven ‘Lectrr’ Degryse’s cartoon comments on the death of Russian politician and activist Alexei Navalny.
Cartoon: Steven ‘Lectrr’ Degryse – Winner of ECA’24
Like the other winning cartoons, Degryse’s work was part of a shortlist of 16 cartoons selected from nearly 400 entries from over 24 countries in Europe and beyond.
Second prize winners
The second prize winners, Tjeerd Royaards (published in the Dutch newspaper Trouw) and Victor Solís (published in the Spanish newspaper EFEVerde), comment on the farmers’ protests in Europe and plastic pollution in the oceans.
Cartoon: Tjeerd Royaards – Shared second prize ECA ’24
Cartoon: Victor Solís – Shared second prize ECA ‘24
Emanuele Del Rosso, Deputy Director of the ECA:
“This year’s winning cartoon addresses freedom of speech, epitomised by Alexei Navalny. His corpse on a mortuary table with a sewn-shut mouth represents the end of free expression in Russian society. It is a striking metaphor applicable to multiple countries.
The cartoons by Solís and Royaards tackle another urgent issue: our relationship with the environment and the necessity to combat pollution in the fight against climate change. I find these three cartoons particularly powerful.”
Honourable mentions
The jury awarded honourable mentions to Elena Ospina and Peter Kuper. Their cartoons were published in the French newspapers Le Monde and Charlie Hebdo.
Cartoon: Peter Kuper – Honourable Mention ECA ‘24
Cartoon: Elena Ospina – Honourable Mention ECA ’24
Announcement during ‘Cartoons Day’ 2024
The award ceremony for ECA 2024 took place during Cartoons Day at the Library in The Hague. This one-day event, supported by the Municipality of The Hague, the Journalism Stimulus Fund, and Beeld & Geluid, focused entirely on political cartoons.
During Cartoons Day, over a hundred attendees engaged with cartoonists, experts, and activists in various workshops and panels. The day concluded with the presentation of the European Cartoon Award. On stage, Emanuele Del Rosso, Deputy Director of the award, was joined by Saskia Bruines, Alderman for Finance, Culture, and Economy at the Municipality of The Hague. Terry Anderson, Director of Cartoon Rights, gave a lecture on the risks faced by cartoonists in their work. Zehra Ömeroğlu shared her experiences regarding issues with the Turkish government following the publication of one of her cartoons.
After the award ceremony, an exhibition showcasing the 40 cartoons that make up the longlist for ECA 2024 was opened on the second floor of the library.
Shortlist ECA ‘24
BJ Vonk (Netherlands), Marco Jeurissen (Netherlands), Pawel Kuczynski (Poland), Victor Solís (Mexico), Manuel Arriaga (Spain), Hajo de Reijger (Netherlands), Steven ‘Lectrr’ Degryse (Belgium), Marco De Angelis (Italy), Peter Kuper (United States), Ramsés Morales Izquierdo (Switzerland), Keyvan Varesi (Iran), Thiago Lucas (Brazil), Gustavo Caballero (Mexico), Gergely Bacsa (Hungary), Elena Ospina (Colombia), Tjeerd Royaards (Netherlands).
Longlist ECA 2024
In addition to the cartoonists on the shortlist above:
Oleksiy Kustovsky (Ukraine), Angel Boligàn (Cuba), Stellina Chen (Taiwan), Asier and Javier (Spain), Monireh Ahmadi (Iran), Mark Winter (United Kingdom), Zach (Philippines), Silvano Mello (Brazil), Maarten Wolterink (Netherlands), TRIK (Netherlands), Kevin KAL Kallaugher (United States), Marilena Nardi (Italy), Pierre Pauma (France), Paresh Nath (India), Harry Burton (Ireland), Vasco Gargalo (Portugal), Zehra Ömeroğlu (Turkey), Ahmad Rahma (Turkey), Christo Komarnitski (Bulgaria), Sinisa Pismestrovic (Austria), Rodrigo de Matos (Portugal), Kutoshi Kimimo (Italy), Plop & Kankr (France), Osama Hajjaj (Jordan).
Jury ECA 2024
The jury for the 2024 edition consists of: Ben Jennings (United Kingdom), winner of the ECA 2023; Catherine André (France), journalist and jury chair; Jip van den Toorn (Netherlands), cartoonist; Sanaz Bagheri (Iran), cartoonist; and Stine Jensen (Netherlands), philosopher.
About the European Cartoon Award
The European Cartoon Award was established in 2019, the year when The New York Times decided to cease publishing political cartoons, by Studio Europa Maastricht and the European Press Prize. In 2024, they were joined by Beeld & Geluid. Together, they reward courage and quality in the creation of political cartoons and stimulate debate on European integration.
Cartoons are a vital part of open debate: old ideas are challenged, and new ones are introduced. More than in any other form of journalism, cartoonists feel that their freedom of expression is increasingly eroding. To encourage cartoonists to continue their essential work, the European Cartoon Award, valued at €10,000, was established.
The European Cartoon Award is made possible by several foundations and organisations committed to promoting political cartoons in Europe: the Municipality of The Hague, the Journalism Stimulus Fund, and the Library of The Hague.
For more information about the ECA, visit www.europeancartoonaward.com.
For inquiries regarding the cartoons or the European Cartoon Award exhibition, please contact emanuele@europeanpressprize.com.
