Cartoonfestival Knokke-Heist

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. 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) will also be awarded. It is the oldest Cartoonfestival in the world, as the first edition was in 1962. Yearly 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.

Awards 2024
Theme exhibition: Choose life

Winners to be announced in July. Nominees known.

Awards 2023
Theme: Really?

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

Silver Hat: Pole Zbigniew

Bronze Hat: Alexandrov Vasiliy

The David Fund Prize - Luc Descheemaeker

Awards 2016
Golden Hat: Dalcio Machado

Silver Hat: Engin Selçuk

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

Silver Hat:

Bronze Hat:

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