Winner : Adèle Labo, La Théorie des collisions

What the jury said: La Théorie des collisions immediately caught the jury’s attention with its graphic and narrative maturity. At barely 25, Adèle Labo delivers a highly coherent work, carried by a sober line, a carefully measured economy of words and precise visual staging. Her story deftly and discreetly addresses the contemporary malaise of a young woman seeking oblivion, reconstruction and anonymity in an overexposed world. Through expressive visual narration and finely chiselled dialogue, the author manages to say a great deal without saying too much, leaving valuable space for interpretation.

Synopsis: La Théorie des collisions follows Louve, a young woman who chooses to disappear to escape a traumatic past and seek a fresh start in anonymity. As her wandering unfolds, her memories and recurring dreams gradually reveal the buried wounds that drove her to flee. As in chemistry, it is collisions – emotional, human, intimate – that spark her slow, inner transformation.

Subject: The Leblanc Atomium Prize was launched 13 years ago by the Raymond Leblanc non-profit association, whose goal is to publish, collect and preserve all the cultural heritage created by Raymond Leblanc, founder of the "Tintin magazine", Éditions Le Lombard, Publiart advertising agency and the Belvision animation studios, among other things. Its goal is to reward the work of a young author who hasn't published more than two comic strip albums.

Prize: €20,000 (a grant of €10,000 awarded by the COCOF and €10,000 in advance on rights) as well as an alternating publishing contract with Éditions du Lombard, Futuropolis or Casterman.

Partners: Association Raymond Leblanc, Éditions Le Lombard, Futuropolis and Casterman.

More information: raymondleblanc.be

Winner: Romain Renard

What the jury said: The jury commends both the creator of a unique work in 2024 (Revoir Comanche) and the author's mid-career trajectory. They particularly appreciated this comic strip, which is a tribute without being one. The work stands out completely from the graphic and narrative style of the Comanche series, a classic Western created by Hermann and Greg for the Tintin magazine. This exceptional album, with its beautiful graphics and appeal to a diverse audience, marks a turning point in its creator's career.  

The jury hails the work of an author with international reach, making him an excellent ambassador for Belgian comics. In addition, Romain Renard has built an open body of work, marked by literary, cinematic and theatrical influences and produces “ cross-media” works that combine music, comics and other art forms. A master storyteller, as perfectly illustrated by his Melvile series, Romain Renard is also an author driven by a form of belief and attention to spirituality, aspects that nourish his uniqueness as an artist. His work takes comics beyond the simple medium of paper.

Subject: The Wallonia-Brussels Federation Atomium Prize is awarded to an author or group of authors working in Brussels and Wallonia who have already produced an original and innovative graphic work and who intend to continue doing so. The prize may be awarded for a recent work or for an author's oeuvre. Since its inception, the prize has been awarded based on strict gender parity, with the winners alternating every year. The prize is decided by the Minister of Culture, on the recommendation of a jury made up of specialists from the ‘Commission des Écritures et du Livre’ cultural advisory body. No application is required. The Atomium prize is also one of the ‘Espiègles’ literary awards presented annually by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

Prize: €10,000

Members of the jury :
- Léonie Bischoff, comic strip author-illustrator and winner of the 2024 prize
- Daniel Couvreur, comic strip journalist
- Quentin Delvoye, specialist comic strip bookshop owner
- Michel Dufranne, writer and comic strip columnist
- Clément Fourrey, comics strip expert 

Partners: Ms Elisabeth DEGRYSE, Minister-President of the Government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation responsible for Budget, Higher Education, Culture, International and Intra-Francophone Relations.

More information: bandedessinee.cfwb.be          

Winner: Le Seau – Souvenirs dessinés d’une guerre, by Koenraad Tinel (Seuil)

Shortlist :
-Krimi – Tout le monde est devenu un assassin, by Thibault Vermot and Alex W. Inker (Sarbacane)
-Rébétissa, by David Prudhomme (Futuropolis)
-Impénétrable, by Alix Garin (Le Lombard)
-Marcie – Le point de bascule, by Cati Baur (Dargaud)
-Katya – La Guerre. Partout. Toujours., by ntoine Schiffers (Casterman)
-Electric Miles, by Fabien Nury and Brüno (Glénat)
-Le Seau – Souvenirs dessinés d’une guerre, by Koenraad Tinel (Seuil)
-Connexions Tome 2 – Châteaux de sable, by Pierre Jeanneau (Tanibis)
-Les clients d’Avrenos, by Jean-Luc Fromental and Laureline Mattiussi
(Dargaud)
-Crénom, Baudelaire ! Tome 2 – Les Fleurs du Mal, by Dominique Gelli, Jean Teulé andTino Gelli (Futuropolis)

What the jury said: Le Seau is a total work of art, where content and form intertwine with power and coherence. An intimate and moving testimony, the book takes the shape of a graphic journal in which Koenraad Tinel, on the advice of David Van Reybrouck, chose to draw rather than write his story. The result is a powerful, deeply expressive work, whose dark and distinctive drawings carry the weight of memory with striking accuracy. Artistic, experimental and profoundly human, Le Seau stands out for its formal originality and masterful graphic lines. First published in Dutch by Oogachtend, the famous Leuven-based publisher, it now finds a new resonance in French, giving the French-speaking public access to this memorable account. A rare work that moved the jury with its aesthetic strength and historical significance.

Synopsis: Le Seau is a powerful autobiographical narrative recounting the childhood memories of 6-year-old Koenraad Tinel during the invasion of Belgium in May 1940, in a pro-Nazi family forced to flee to Germany and then Czechoslovakia with only a bucket as luggage. Through a graphic journal of 240 dark, expressionist drawings, the author reveals without pathos the guilt, memory and shame tied to his family history, offering a rare testimony from the perspective of a child in a family complicit with Nazism.

Subject: This prize recognises a work of outstanding visual and graphic excellence. Factors taken into consideration include the quality of the artwork, layout, typography and overall design, as well as the way in which these visual qualities transcend and enhance the narrative.

Prize : €5000

Partners: the Atomium, the Design Museum Brussels, Librairie Flagey and visit.brussels

Winner: Sibylline, chroniques d’une escort girl, by Sixtine Dano (Glénat)

Shortlist :
-Le masque du Renard, by Ewen Blain (Glénat)
-La veuve, by Glen Chapron (Glénat)
-Sybilline – Chronique d’une escort girl, by Sixtine Dano (Glénat)
-Krimi – Tout le monde est devenu un assassin, by Thibault Vermot et Alex W.Inker (Sarbacane)
-L’héritage fossile, by Philippe Valette (Delcourt)
-Marcie - Le point de bascule, by Cati Baur (Dargaud)
-Caballero Bueno, by Thomas Lavachery and Thomas Gilbert (Rue de Sèvres)
-Katya .La guerre. Partout. Toujours, by Antoine Schiffers (Casterman)
-Eclore, by Aude Mermilliod (Casterman)
-Dix secondes, by Max de Radiguès (Casterman)

What the Jury said: “I was captivated for many reasons. First, the ink and charcoal drawing, the eye-catching dynamism in the art and panels. Next, the fact that Raphaëlle/Sibylline is an escort girl but, above all, a young student. Addressing these social issues – the insecurity of life as a student and the prostitution of young people – so accurately, and basing it on testimonies, makes this graphic novel all the more powerful. The touching preface and the postface with statistical data reinforce this idea. Then, the evolution of Raphaëlle/Sibylline: her choices, flashbacks, encounters that change her view of herself and others. Beyond these aspects, I also note the richness and authenticity of the slices of life and the characters around Raphaëlle. For me, this graphic novel is a true success, combining sensitive drawing, finely handled social themes, rhythmic language and realistic dialogue.” (Bénédicte, La Première listener and jury member) 

Synopsis: At just 19, Raphaëlle seems like any other young woman her age. Newly arrived in Paris for her architecture studies, she juggles classes, sleepless nights working on models, evenings serving beer or remaking the world with her new best friend. But what her classmates don’t know is that on certain nights Raphaëlle slips between the sheets of Parisian hotel rooms to earn some extra money on the side.

Subject: RTBF (Belgian Radio-television of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation) launched this new prize in 2017, to reward a genre that resonates with listeners of La Première.

Prize: €20,000 in advertising space, as well as considerable editorial presence on the media channels of La Première.

Partner: La Première — RTBF (Belgian Radio-Television of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation).

Winner : Barcelona, âme noire, by Jakupi, Lapière, Pardo, Pellejero and Torrents (Air Libre)

What the jury said: After heated debates, the jury’s choice finally fell on this saga, with its rich storytelling and complex main character. Because its treatment – both narrative and graphic – is compelling and although it avoids any easy options, this comic speaks to a wide audience. It was an ambitious gamble: a historical narrative and crime story, Barcelona, âme noire also explores human relationships, notably filial ones. The final act, in this respect, is breathtaking. What also appealed to the jury was this intimate, violent intertwining of a man struck early by personal tragedy and a city marked by Francoism. The young Carlitos Moreno who would become the fearsome Don Carlos and Barcelona form a pair whose darkness is matched only by their determination – one to accept fate, the other to escape it.

Synopsis : Orphan, prominent industrialist, mobster, sincere lover or drug baron: Carlitos – who became the powerful Don Carlos – defies simple definition. Perhaps he is all of these things at once. In a Barcelona gripped by Franco’s dictatorship, witness a destiny rich in adventure, love and colour, brought to life by authors at the height of their powers: Denis Lapière and Gani Jakupi, joined by a trio from Barcelona: Ruben Pellejero, Eduard Torrents and Martín Pardo. Don Carlos is a character you will not forget in a hurry. 

Subject: The Cognito Atomium Prize for historic comic strips is awarded to the best historical comic strip. The prize is designed to reward authors who, through their work, shed light on a period of history.

Prize: €3,000 

Partner: Cognito Prize

Winner: Et soudain le futur, by Mathieu Burniat and Dominique Mermoux (Rue de Sèvres)

Shortlist :
-Et soudain le futur, by Mathieu Burniat and Dominique Mermoux (Rue de Sèvres)
-Travailler demain, by Muriel Penicaud, Mathieu Charrier and Nicoby (Glénat)
-Darna, by Zineb Benjelloun (Ça et Là)
-Mecs in progress, by Lauraine Meyer (Steinkis)
-Maison Blanche, by Cartillier Lebhour et Massot (Delcourt)

What the jury said: Degrowth? It’s this century’s utopia, the hope of a sustainable future, a possible path for the planet. But how can it be implemented? Mathieu Burniat and Dominique Mermoux brought together two physicists, an astrophysicist and an environmental science engineer for their experiment on the Île de la Cité, in the heart of Paris. The authors drew the balance sheet of this political, economic and social adventure behind closed doors in a graphic novel filled with hope and humanity. Et soudain le futur casts a joyful poetry over tomorrow’s challenges.

Synopsis: “Infinite growth is impossible in a finite world.” Are we doomed to endure the environmental and economic crises of our era or is there a more desirable, liberating path? That path is degrowth. Mila and Carl discover all its facets and benefits in the heart of the Île de la Cité in Paris, transformed for the occasion into an autonomous degrowth community. In collaboration with four experts: François Graner (physicist), Emmanuelle Rio (physicist), Roland Lehoucq (astrophysicist) and Aurélien Ficot (environmental science engineer).

Subject: Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir has always been the newspaper par excellence for comic strips. With this prize, it recognises an exemplary work that has examined the world around us in the form of a news report comic strip.

Prize: €20,000 in advertising space, as well as considerable editorial presence on the media channels of the newspaper Le Soir.  

Partner: Le Soir.

Winner: BNJI (Benjamin Jimenez) - Mets ton slip

What the jury said: The editorial team chose this gag by BNJI (Benjamin Jimenez) entitled ‘Mets ton slip’ (Put on your underpants) because its author managed to capture the essence of what has made Journal Spirou so successful since 1938: the fact that its publications are suitable for all ages and the rather perilous exercise of creating a gag on a single page. The notion of suitability for all ages is fundamental to Spirou and Éditions Dupuis in general. It reflects a clear and well-defined editorial philosophy: to create works that are accessible to all, appealing to both children and adults, often candid, sometimes with a touch of utopianism. This approach aims to avoid both simplicity and excess while offering rich and varied content. All in a spirit of bringing generations together. As for the one-page gag, it is an exercise in precision, conciseness and balance that is particularly complex to achieve. This format requires the author to capture the reader's attention immediately and deliver an effective message in a limited space. Although he is not yet a professional comic book artist, for Journal Spirou, BNJI has demonstrated a certain mastery of these two essential concepts.

Subject: The Spirou Atomium Prize recognises short comic strip stories (maximum of four boards). Prize for over 18s who have published a maximum of three comics.

Prize: Story published by Spirou magazine, and all publications will be paid at the going professional rate.

Partner: Spirou magazine.

Winner: Une BD qui parle de cul, by Marie de Brauer and Lucymacaroni (Leduc Graphic)

Shortlist :
-À moindres risques, by Mat Let (La Boîte à Bulles)
-Avancer et se reconstruire à deux après un AVC, by Céline Theraulaz (Vents d’Ouest)
-Brigade Babylone, by Pauline Guéna and Mahi Grand (Denoël Graphic)
-Dans ses yeux, by Marc Cuadrado (Grand Angle)
-Il déserte, by Antoine de Caunes and Xavier Coste (Dargaud)
-Impénétrable, by Alix Garin (Le Lombard)
-Journal inquiet d’Istanbul, vol. 2, by Ersin Karabulut (Dargaud)
-L’Orangeraie, by Larry Tremblay, Pierre Lecrenier (Rue de Sèvres)
-Le Dernier Costume n’a pas de poches, by Laurent Galandon et Paolo Castaldi (Futuropolis)
-On ne parle pas de ces choses-là, by Marine Courtade and Alexandra Petit (Casterman)
-Petit Traité d’écologie sauvage (intégrale), by Alessandro Pignocchi (Steinkis)
-Sa Majesté des mouches, by Aimée de Jongh (Dargaud)
-Un Petit Expresso sans sucre, by Abdel de Bruxelles et Alexandre de Moté (L’Ilot)
-Une BD qui parle de cul, by Marie de Brauer, Lucymacaroni (Leduc Graphic)
-Voie de garage, by Sophie Adriansen and Arnaud Nebbache (Dargaud)

What the jury said : Une BD qui parle de cul – and so much more! Behind a catchy, provocative title, this work deftly tackles a host of topics that go far beyond the simple question of sex. Didactic, sincere and joyfully open, the narrative offers an uninhibited look at relationships, bodies and individual choices, celebrating tolerance with humour and intelligence. Thanks to its accurate, inclusive tone, original format and artwork perfectly aligned with the subject, this comic provides multiple levels of identification, particularly for younger generations shaped by social networks. It destigmatises, addresses fatphobia, highlights often taboo subjects and affirms a joyful, contemporary sense of citizenship. A refreshing read that showed the jury how engagement can also come through pleasure – without heaviness and with a genuine open-mindedness.

Synopsis : This largely autobiographical story blends humour, frankness and intelligence. It explores the author’s romantic and sexual experiences – failed encounters, long periods of abstinence, moments of questioning – while giving voice to people with diverse sexualities and to sexologist Claire Alquier, who enriches the discussion. The tone is uninhibited, sincere and full of self-mockery, supported by fresh, sparkling artwork that enhances the narrative.

Prize: €5,000

Partner: The jury, chaired by André Querton, is made up of committed members of civil society, representative of the various Belgian intellectual movements with particular sensibilities that have a universal and general resonance.  

Winner: Souvenirs de l’éternel présent – The Obscure Cities Volume 11, by Benoît Peeters (writer) and François Schuiten (drawings), Casterman 2025

Shortlist :
-Garulfo – Complete volumes 1 to 6, by Alain Ayroles, Bruno Maïorana and Thierry Leprévost (Delcourt Codex, 2024)
-Blotch, by Blutch (Dargaud, 2024)
-Valentina – Volume 4, by Guido Crepax (Champaka Brussels, 2024) 
-Fluide Glacial : 50 ans de couvertures, by Jean-Christophe Delpierre (Fluide Glacial, 2024)
-Toby mon ami, by Grégory Panaccione (Delcourt Shampooing, 2024)
-Souvenirs de l’éternel présent – The Obscure Cities Volume 11, by Benoît Peeters (writer) and François Schuiten (drawings), Casterman 2025
-Deux tueurs followed by Mickey Mickey, by Michel Pirus and Mezzo (Delcourt, 2024) 
-Les incroyables aventures de Gribouillis, by Turf (Delcourt, 2025) 

What the jury said: The reissuing of the Obscure Cities saga continues with this album, which has been out of print for several years. The book was born of the authors' meeting with Belgian animation pioneer Raoul Servais, who was preparing his feature film Taxandria, an experimental film steeped in Belgian surrealism and inspired by the works of Magritte and Delvaux. The jury chose this album for its multiple connections to the concept of heritage. It not only allows readers to rediscover a segment of the Obscure Cities, but also reveals elements of cinematic heritage - with Raoul Servais' work on Taxandria - while highlighting connections to the visual arts heritage of painters Delvaux and Magritte. It masterfully and originally renews the world of the Obscure Cities. The historical context and careful editing demonstrate to readers the importance of comic book heritage in relation to other visual and narrative arts.

Subject: This prize recognises work that honours and supports efforts to preserve and promote European comic strip heritage. This new prize is part of an ambitious, long-term initiative to protect the best of the ninth art, highlighting exceptional projects. It rewards efforts focused on promoting historical works, preserving archives and reissuing and distributing heritage comic strips, thereby fostering the transmission of this cultural heritage to future generations.

Prize : €5000

Partners : Catherine Schoemann Projects, Point of View