CARTOONISTS RIGHTS opens award nominations as we prepare to once again recognize the exemplary bravery of a cartoonist facing threats to their human rights.
Since 2022 CARTOONISTS RIGHTS has worked with its partner organization in Geneva, the FREEDOM CARTOONISTS FOUNDATION on an alternating pattern of bi-annual award presentations recognizing the contribution made by cartoonists exemplifying the spirit of free expression and continuing to work despite difficult circumstances or direct threats to their human rights.
Last year, the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation gave the Kofi Annan Courage in Cartooning Award to Rachita Taneja (India) and Zunzi (Hong Kong). The year prior, we gave the Robert Russell Courage in Cartooning Award to Abecor (Bolivia). In 2025 award duties fall to us once more, so we seek your nomination of a cartoonist or cartoonists who have shown remarkable courage while suffering a violation of their human rights, especially their freedom of expression as defined by Article 19 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
You may suggest cartoonists who have encountered one or more of the following problems during the last twelve months:
- physical violence, or the threat of violence, to self or family
- criminalization e.g. charges of sedition, obscenity, support of terrorism etcetera
- arrest, detention or imprisonment by police, military personnel or other agencies of state
- forced displacement from home
- censorship
- vexatious litigation (“SLAPP” suits)
- online harassment e.g. hacking, DDoS attacks, mass trolling etcetera
- verbal or physical abuse or intimidation based on age, gender, race or sexual orientation
Please remember that this award cannot be given on matters of professional or creative rights, for example misappropriation of intellectual property or dispute over terms of employment.
Your email should contain a brief description of the problems faced by the cartoonist. And if possible please include contact information for them, a family member or other representative. Please be aware that self-nominations are not accepted! The cut-off date for nominations is Monday, February 10th at 00.00 EST
Our Board of Directors will consider the nominees and select a recipient. The award’s announcement and presentation will take place at a date and time to be confirmed later this year.
Disclaimer: This not a competition about freedom of expression; send us no cartoons on this topic. Our organization concerns itself solely with cartoonists’ human rights., therefore we make no judgement upon an award nominee’s professional status nor the aesthetic merit of their work. However we will not consider cartoonists whose output advocates violence and/or evidences hate speech. Also this award is not given posthumously, so please do not nominate a deceased person.
