Cartoonfestival Knokke-Heist

Last updated June 20, 2025

The Cartoon Festival of Knokke-Heist (Dutch: Cartoonfestival Knokke-Heist) is an annual, international festival in the Belgian municipality Knokke-Heist where visitors can see cartoons from all over the world.^[1] Various prizes are also awarded during the festival, the most important of which is the Golden Hat (Dutch: Gouden hoed). Furthermore, the Silver Hat (Dutch: Zilveren hoed) and the Bronze Hat (Dutch: Bronzen hoed) are also awarded. It is the oldest Cartoonfestival in the world, as the first edition was in 1962.^[2]^[3] Annually a book of 100 selected cartoons is also published.

History

The first festival was organized in 1962 with the theme of tourists. About 25 Belgian cartoonists were approached. Among them are the cartoonists Bob de Moor and Marc Sleen. Other participants included Cram, dani, GAL, GoT, hugOKE, Pil en Ploeg. The first festival was attended by 17,136 visitors. The first jury included Jos Ghysen, Gaston Durnez, Rik Sabbick and Luc Verstraete.^[4]

Awards 2024

Theme exhibition: Choose life^[3]

Golden Hat: Ernst (Austria)

Silver Hat: Jona Jamart (Belgium)

Bronze Hat: Oleksiy Kustovsky (Ukraine)

Awards 2023

Theme: Really?^[1]

Host: Inge Heremans

Golden Hat: Doede Okkema (Netherlands)

Silver Hat: Ghislain Vermote (Belgium)

Bronze Hat: Ludo Goderis (Belgium)

The Davidsfonds Prize: Ludo Goderis (Belgium)

Awards 2022

Golden Hat: Evandro Alves (Brazil)

Silver Hat: 'Fhoomp!' (Belgium)

Bronze Hat: Ba Bilig (China)

The Davids Fund Prize: Stefaan Provijn (Belgium)

Awards 2021

Golden Hat: Javad Takjoo (Iran)

Silver Hat: Philipp Sturm (Germany)

Bronze Hat: Engin Selçuk (Turkey)

The Davidsfonds prize: 'Fhoomp!' (Belgium)

Awards 2020

Golden Hat: Doede Okkema (Netherlands)

Silver Hat: Hamid Ghalijari (Iran)

Bronze Hat: Luis Demetrio Calvo Solis (Costa Rica)

The Davidsfonds Prize: Luc Vernimmen (Belgium)

Awards 2019

Golden Hat: 'Nirgen' (Israel)

Silver Hat: Dimitrios Georgopalis (Greece)

Bronze Hat: Agim Sulaj (Italy)

The Davidsfonds Prize: Alfons Vos (Belgium)

Awards 2018

Golden Hat: Saeed Sadeghi (Iran)

Silver Hat: Vasco Cargalo (Portugal)

Bronze Hat: Ivailo Tsvetkov (Bulgaria)

The Davidsfonds prize: 'Fhoomp!' (Belgium)

Awards 2017

Golden Hat: Xavier Bonilla (Ecuador)

Silver Hat: Zbigniew Wowniak (Poland)

Bronze Hat: Alexandrov Vasiliy (Russia)

The David Fund Prize: Luc Descheemaeker (Belgium)

Awards 2016

Golden Hat: Dalcio Machado (Brasil)

Silver Hat: Engin Selçuk (Turkey)

Bronze Hat: Slawomir Makal (Poland)

Awards 2015

Golden Hat: Vladimir Stankovski (Serbia)

Silver Hat: Klaus Pitter (Austria)

Bronze Hat: Mark Lynch (Australia)

The David Fund Prize: Alfons Vos (Belgium)

Awards 2014

Golden Hat: Dieter Bevers (Belgium)

Silver Hat: Kiliçaslan Musa (Turkey)

Bronze Hat: Katz Grigori (Israel)

Initially, the Iranian Mohammadreza Babaei had won the Silver Hat, but he was later disqualified as the cartoon he submitted was plagiarised from a design of Milton Graser.^[5]

Awards 2013

Golden Hat: Spiro Radulovic (Serbia)

Silver Hat: Nikola Hendrickx (Belgium)

Bronze Hat: Victor Crudu (Moldova)

Awards 2012

Golden Hat: Krzysztof Konopelski (Poland)

Silver Hat: Ahmet Aykanat (Turkey)

Bronze Hat: Markus Grolik (Germany)

Davidsfonds Cartoon Prize: Jo Van Damme (Belgium)

Public Prize: Virgil Militaru (Romania)

Awards 2011

Golden Hat: Pol Leurs (Luxembourg)

Silver Hat: Stefaan Provijn (Belgium)

Bronze Hat: Mohamad Ali Khoshman (Iran)

Knack Award: Vladimir Stankouski (Serbia)

Audience Award: Felipe Galindo (United States)

Davidsfonds Cartoon Prize: Herman Danneels (Belgium)

Awards 2010

Golden Hat: Ludo Goderis (Belgium)

Silver Hat: Pawel Kuczynsk (Poland)

Bronze Hat: Constantin Sunnerberg (Belgium)

Knack Award: Ren Jian (Cuba)

Public Prize: Pedro Mendez suarez (Cuba)

Davidsfonds Cartoon Prize: Luc Vernimmen (Belgium)

Awards 2009

Golden Hat: Musa Gümüs (Turkey)

Silver Hat: Ludo Goderis (Belgium)

Bronze Hat: Allessandro Gatto (Italy)

Knack Award: Michael Kountouris (Greece)

Public Prize: Pedro Mendez suarez (Cuba)

Davidsfonds Cartoon Prize: Luc Vermeersch (Belgium)

Awards 2008

Golden Hat: Pawel Kuczynski (Poland)

Silver Hat: Moacrir Gutteres (Brazil)

Bronze Hat: Pol Leurs (Luxembourg)

Knack Award: Masafumi Kikuchi (Japan)

Public Prize: Jean Uytterelst (Belgium)

Davidsfonds Cartoon Prize: Kenny Zoutendijk (Belgium)

Awards 2007

Golden Hat: Alessandro Gatto (Italy)

Silver Hat: Ari Plikat (Germany)

Bronze Hat: Yuriy Kosobukin (Ukraine)

Knack Award: Igor Kiyko (Kazakhstan)

Audience Award: Stefaan Provijn (Belgium)

Davidsfonds Cartoon Prize: Dieter Bevers (Belgium)

Awards 2006

Golden Hat: Yuri Ochakovsky (Israel)

Silver Hat: Khodayar Naroei (Iran)

Bronze Hat: Pol Leurs (Luxembourg)

Knack Award: Michael Permyakov (Russia)

Audience Award: Toon Beuckels (Belgium)

Davidsfonds Cartoon Prize: Ludo Goderis (Belgium)

Awards 2005

Golden Hat: Ciosu Constantin (Romania)

Silver Hat: Dieter Bevers (Belgium)

Bronze Hat: Hermann Poppe (Belgium)

Knack Award: Pawel Kuczynski (Poland)

Public Prize: Virgil Militaru (Romania)

Davidsfonds Cartoon Prize: Luc Vermeersch (Belgium)

Awards 2004

Golden Hat: Yuri Ochakovsky (Israel/Russia)

Silver Hat: Janusz Stefaniak (Poland)

Bronze Hat: Yevgeniy Samoylov (Ukraine)

Public Prize: Ludo Goderis (Belgium)

Knack Award: Osmani Simanca (Brazil)

Davidsfonds Prize for young talent: Sven De Bock (Belgium)

Awards 2003

Golden Hat: Michael Kontouris (Greece)

Silver Hat: Ross Thomson (United Kingdom)

Bronze Hat: Domenico Sicolo (Italy)

Knack Award: Constantin Ciosu (Romania)

Audience Award: Liviu Stanilla (Romania)

Panel/Jury

2024: Pieter De Poortere, Steven Degryse, Laura Janssens, Karl Meersman, Prudence Geerts, Tine Anthoni, Steve Michiels, Kim Duchateau, cartoonist KIM, Toon Horsten
2012: Geert Hoste, Fleur Van Groningen, Jonas Geirnaert, Sam De Graeve, Inge Heremans, Urbanus, Katrien De Vreese
2011: Frank JMA Castelyns, Kurt Valkeneers, Steven Degryse, Steve Michiels, Luc Janssen, Katrien De Vreese, Guido Packolet
2010: Rudy Gheysens, Katrien De Vreese, Steven Degryse, Guido Packolet, Pieter De Poortere, Bart Stolle
2009: Karl Meersman, Kim Duchateau, Steven Degryse, Katrien De Vreese, Rudy Gheysens
2008: Bob Vincke, Ludo Goderis, Kurt Defrancq, Katrien De Vreese, Dieter Bevers
2007: Marec, Kim, Peter Nieuwendijk, Bob Vincke, Hein De Meyere, Katrien De Vreese
2006: Guido Depraetere, Karl Meersman, Lies Maertens, Quirit, Ilah, Katrien De Vreese
2005: Guido Depraetere, Jeroom, Canary Pete, Steve, Marec
2004: Guido Depreatere, Inge Heremans, Bart Schoofs, Karl Meersman, Carry Goossens, Peter Frison
2003: Guido Depraetere, Peter Van Straaten, Stefan Verwey, Dirk Denoyelle, Kim Duchateau, Zaza

1 2 NWS, VRT (2023-07-08). ""Echt?": Cartoonfestival Knokke-Heist opent de deuren". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-03-06.
↑ "CARTOONFESTIVAL KNOKKE-HEIST | Knokke Heist". www.knokke-heist.be. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
1 2 "CARTOONFESTIVAL KNOKKE-HEIST | Knokke Heist". 2024-03-06. Archived from the original on 2024-03-06. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
↑ "CARTOONFESTIVAL KNOKKE-HEIST | Knokke Heist" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-04-02.
↑ NWS, VRT (2014-04-10). "Iraanse laureaat cartoonfestival gediskwalificeerd na plagiaat | VRT NWS: nieuws". VRTNWS (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-06-17.

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[:0-1] 1 2 NWS, VRT (2023-07-08). ""Echt?": Cartoonfestival Knokke-Heist opent de deuren". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-03-06.

[2] "CARTOONFESTIVAL KNOKKE-HEIST | Knokke Heist". www.knokke-heist.be. Retrieved 2024-03-06.

[:1-3] 1 2 "CARTOONFESTIVAL KNOKKE-HEIST | Knokke Heist". 2024-03-06. Archived from the original on 2024-03-06. Retrieved 2024-03-06.

[4] "CARTOONFESTIVAL KNOKKE-HEIST | Knokke Heist" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-04-02.

[5] NWS, VRT (2014-04-10). "Iraanse laureaat cartoonfestival gediskwalificeerd na plagiaat | VRT NWS: nieuws". VRTNWS (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-06-17.

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