From May 4 to July 2, 2026, editorial cartoonists will be able to submit their work for the seventh edition of the European Cartoon Award. Submitted cartoons must have had their first publication date between June 2, 2025, and July 1, 2026, with a media outlet from a country within the Council of Europe, plus Belarus, and Russia.
Founded in 2019, the European Cartoon Award has one of the highest monetary prizes for cartoonists, granting its winner a prize of 7.000 euros. Two runners-up will receive 1.500 euros each.
The cartoons can be submitted via this link: https://europeancartoonaward.com/submit-your-cartoon/
About the European Cartoon Award
The European Cartoon Award was founded in 2019 to encourage cartoonists in their essential work for freedom of expression.
Emanuele Del Rosso, head of the ECA: “Humour has a special power: showing us that the emperor wears no clothes, it shatters the fear through which he oppresses us. Political cartoons share this power, and in difficult times like the ones we’re facing, they help us come together, look in the eye whoever is against democracy, and laugh at their face.”
Essential for democracy
Cartoons are an indispensable part of the public debate. In the universal language of the image, they transcend borders and put their finger on the sore spot. Averse to conventions, challenging, creative, and playful, cartoons are the hallmark of an open European society.
Valentino Vondenhoff, head of Studio Europa Maastrich says: “In a world full of conflicts, where international law is losing its influence, and fewer and fewer people live in democracies, the work of cartoonists is indispensable. Not only do they hold up a critical mirror to society, but they also highlight European values such as freedom, human rights and the rule of law. Using humour as their weapon, they challenge those in power and defend these values in an accessible and powerful way.”
The Panel of Judges of the ECA 2026
The jury for the 2026 edition consists of: the winner of the European Cartoon Award 2025, the Dutch Tjeerd Royaards; Danish Professor Stine Jensen; American scholar Akudo McGee; Chinese-American activist and journalist Melissa Chan; and Tanzanian cartoonist Gado.
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