Winners:  Cyril Legrais & Alice V.D.M - Les oies cendrées 

Subject: The Raymond Leblanc Prize was launched 13 years ago by the Raymond Leblanc non-profit association, whose goal is to publicise, collect and preserve all the cultural heritage created by Raymond Leblanc, founder of the "Tintin magazine", Éditions du Lombard, the advertising agency Publiart and the animation studios Belvision, among other things. Its goal is to reward the work of a young author that has not published more than two comic books. 

The jury’s opinion: "A delicate subject treated with sensitivity and tenderness... A love story between two men with a significant age difference is not commonplace in usual comic strip representations. The simple fact of featuring an older "hero" is not common. The strength of this project lies not only in the fact that it shatters taboos (sexuality of senior citizens, homosexuality, etc.) but also in the fact that it creates a beautiful story, enhanced by elegant cutting, which will soften the hardest hearts."

Prize: €10,000 in cash, a €10,000 advance and a publishing contract alternating between Editions du Lombard, Editions Futuropolis and Editions Casterman (Lombard in 2021). The winner will be published by Editions Futuropolis. 

Partners: Association Raymond Leblanc, Editions du Lombard, Editions Futuropolis and Editions Casterman

More information: www.raymondleblanc.be  

Winner: Emilie Plateau - L’épopée infernale – MISMA publications

Subject: The Wallonia-Brussels Federation Comic Strip Prize was launched in 2017. This prize is intended to reward the work of one or more authors from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation who have produced an original and innovative work. The goal of this prize is to reward the work of a comic strip author or even a collective of authors, who has produced something original, ambitious and innovative in the field of comic strips in Wallonia and in Brussels.

The jury’s opinion*: "L'épopée infernale" (éd. Misma, 2022) is a multiple choice book. Emilie Plateau uses the codes of "books in which you are the hero/heroine". It humorously and sensitively shows the trials and tribulations of her avatar, the author Emily D. Platew, as she finds her place in the comic book world. Emilie Plateau shows a constant willingness in her creative approach and in the graphic and narrative approach to complex subjects: gender identity, place of women in art and culture, recognition of graphic authors, treatment of minorities, etc. She was primarily noticed for "Noire, la vie méconnue de Claudette Colvin", an adaptation of a text by Tania de Montaigne (2019). Emilie Plateau also devotes a great deal of energy to collective fanzine and micro-publishing projects.
*The 2022 jury was made up of the members of the Comic Strip Session of the Writing and Books Commission of Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

Prize: €10,000 in cash.

Partners: Ms Bénédicte Linard, Minister of Culture of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

More information: www.bandedessinee.cfwb.be    

Winner: Denis Lapière, Daniel Couvreur & Christian Durieux - Le Faux Soir – éditions FUTUROPOLIS

Subject: The Brussels Atomium Prize is awarded to an author who has put Brussels in the spotlight in his/her work.

The jury’s opinion: In Le Faux Soir, Daniel Couvreur, head of the culture department of the newspaper Le Soir, conducts an investigation into the incredible history of this high point of the Belgian resistance. The journalist is accompanied in this story by the scriptwriter Denis Lapière, the cartoonist Christian Durieux and the editor Sébastien Gnaedig. The story alternates between the current investigation and recontextualised historical episodes. The jury was particularly impressed by the success of this before and after in Brussels. This comic book will remind all generations of the daring resistance operation carried out by the press department of the Independence Front. With the help of accomplices in the 'stolen Soir', the resistance secretly printed and distributed a fake version of Le Soir in Brussels newsstands on 9 November 1943. The Faux Soir openly mocked the Nazi occupiers through articles filled with the mocking spirit of the Brussels zwanze. Let us remember that the authors will pay for this act of non-violent resistance with their lives or their freedom.

Prize: €7,500 in cash. 

Partners:  Mr Rudi Vervoort, Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region.

More information: https://fetedelabd.brussels/prix-atomium  

Winner: JeanLouis Tripp - Le petit frère – éditions CASTERMAN

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

The jury’s opinion: The jury of the Première Graphic Novel Prize 2022 wanted to reward a work that, in sharing the most intimate part of a person, manages to touch on the universal. The mourning that JeanLouis Tripp recounts, the loss of his little brother, deeply moved our six jurors. One confided that he had to step away for a while before continuing his reading, another said he was overwhelmed, while yet another highlighted the silences that run through this work. JeanLouis Tripp tells the story of himself and his loved ones with sensitivity and precision, without pathos but also without concessions, and this is how he communed with everyone who read him - he spoke to them about their own story as well, a story of living with death. A story of presence despite absence.

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 French Community) 

Winner: Denis Lapière, Daniel Couvreur & Christian Durieux - Le Faux Soir – éditions FUTUROPOLIS

Subject: The Cognito Historical Comic Strip Prize is awarded by the Cognito Foundation to the best historical comic strip. This private foundation aims to help people discover or rediscover history through comic strips.

The jury’s opinion: The jury unanimously awarded the Cognito Prize to the book Le Faux Soir by Denis Lapière, Daniel Couvreur and Christian Durieux. The album vividly recounts how in 1943, a small group of Belgian resistance fighters wrote and distributed 50,000 copies of a satirical version of the newspaper Le Soir (which had been confiscated by the Nazis and used for German propaganda). This incredible adventure had an impact not only in Belgium but throughout Europe. At a time when we are invaded by lies and misinformation, we thought it would be salutary to remind ourselves how effective humour can be against all forms of political and intellectual dictatorship.

Prize: €3,000 in cash 

Partner: Cognito Foundation

More information: www.cognito-fondation.be  

Winner: Can Dündar & Anwar - Erdogan le nouveau sultan – éditions DELCOURT

Subject: The Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir has always been the reference newspaper in terms of comic strips. With this prize, it recognises the book that has stood out in examining the world around us in the form of a news report comic strip.  

The jury’s opinion: Who is behind President Erdogan? In a perfectly documented graphic novel, Turkish journalist Can Dündar and Egyptian cartoonist Jbr Anwar recount how this pious little boy, who dreamed of being a football star, became a political animal feared and idolised by an entire people. Since childhood, Erdogan has always had faith in his grip and in his destiny. In his mind, democracy was never a goal but a means to power. He removed the opponents to his ascent one by one, by force or by cunning, until he became the new sultan of the Republic of Turkey. Dündar and Anwar shed light on the meteoric career of this figure who is now a fixture on the international political scene. 

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: "Bravo Zulu" - Jean-Christophe Targa

Subject: The Atomium Spirou Young Authors Prize recognises short comic book stories (maximum of four boards) featuring Spirou and Fantasio. Prize for under 18s who have published a maximum of three comic books

Jury's opinion: "Each year, the Atomium Spirou Prize rewards a short story of a maximum of four pages. This is an important format for a journal like ours, which as well as providing one-page gags and long stories, must offer short stories each week that allow a different and more compact type of reading. As we choose to immerse ourselves in a short story, rather than in a novel. In 2022, the editors were won over by the freshness of the story "Bravo Zulu" by Jean-Christophe Targa, who gives pride of place to the imagination of children during the holidays and sprinkled his story with incredible inventions that a certain Count of Champignac would certainly not renounce. Lastly, we particularly liked the flowing lines worthy of the Spirou spirit chosen to relate this summer fantasy." As every year, we hope that this prize and this first short story will encourage others...

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

Partner: Journal Spirou

Winner: Judith Vanistendael (for her entire body of work)

Subject: Since 1977, this biennial award has been the most important distinction in the comic strip field in Flanders. It rewards a Flemish author for one or more works.

Jury's opinion: By a majority vote, the jury decided to award the Bronzen Adhemar Prize to Judith Vanistendael for her impressive body of work, her strong personality, her creativity, her immense talent as a cartoonist and the influential role she plays with the younger generation of comic book artists. It is therefore only natural that she should be awarded the most important comic book prize in Flanders in 2022. Vanistendael consistently delivers good comics with social relevance, each time in a different style that still bears her stamp. Not only is her work remarkable, but her influence on the younger generation of comic creators has not escaped the jury's notice. The Bronzen Adhemar 2022 jury consisted of Charel Cambré (Bronzen Adhemar 2020 winner), Ronald Grossey (Uitgeverij Vrijdag), Isabelle Debekker (Director of the Belgian Comic Strip Center), Peter Leysen (Cutting Edge comic strip critic), Michael Cornelissen (public relations coordinator at Turnhout Library) and Shamisa Debroey (illustrator, comic strip author and programmer at De Singel).

Prize: €10,000 and an exhibition in Turnhout.

Partner: Strip Turnhout/Stripgids.

Winner: Nicolas Wild - À la maison des femmes – éditions DELCOURT/ENCRAGES

Subject: The Atomium Citizens' Comic Strip Prize recognises a comic book that prompts ethical and social reflection, and that addresses contemporary social issues in a positive, constructive and noble-minded way; the subject of which has a local scope/resonance (local, Belgian, European).

Jury's opinion: "Violence against women is at the heart of this fantastic and moving spotlight on an institution located just outside Paris, La Maison des Femmes.  A work created with humility and without otherworldliness by an author who truly loves her subject, À LA MAISON DES FEMMES bears witness to the day-to-day commitment of true modern heroines. The comic book gives voice to a multitude of stakeholders and addresses an impressive array of different and complex issues, but never without hope and constructive solutions. Each situation is described by Nicolas Wild on a human level, without great flights of fancy or obscure language. Just with infinite sincerity."

Prize: €5,000 in cash

Partner: André Querton