Cartoonfestival Knokke Heist Golden Hat Winners
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Yesterday we reported on the winners of the Press Cartoon Belgium Grand Prix that were announced during last weekend’s Cartoonfestival Knokke Heist 2026. The other prizes announced included the De Gouden Hoed (“Golden Hat”) winners. This is an international contest that included 545 submissions from 69 countries. The Golden hat is one of the largest cartoon competitions in the world.
This year’s Golden Hat went to Camila de la Fuente (Mexico), the Silver Hat went to Raúl Zuleta (Colombia) and Bronze Hat was awarded to Oğuz Demir (Turkey). The Prize of the Public went to Turkish cartoonist Engin Selçuk for his “combination of nostalgia and self-relativism.” Their cartoon submissions below.
Notes from Jury regarding Camila’s cartoon:
With a simple but powerful drawing in grey pencil tones, she shows how inequality between men and women often arises unconsciously. The image shows a boy standing on the rope of a girl’s kite, so that her kite can hardly take off. The boy doesn’t even notice it himself. With minimal means, the cartoon exposes a recognizable and confrontational reality.
Notes from jury regarding Raúl’s cartoon:
His cartoon shows Mary, Joseph and the newborn child in an anonymous apartment in a gray residential tower. The Biblical scene thus acquires a contemporary context that raises questions about refugees, exclusion and the search for shelter. The tranquil power and the open interpretation particularly touched the jury.
Jury notes regarding Oğuz’s cartoon:
In a graphically strong four-part painting, a sleeping cat slowly changes into a roaring tiger under the light of the moon, only to change back into an ordinary cat. The drawing subtly plays with time, shadow and symbolism and raises questions about inner strength, revolution and human nature.
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