Herblock Prize & Lecture

Silver Tiffany TrophyTo commemorate Herb Block’s legacy, the Foundation awards the annual Herblock Prize for excellence in editorial cartooning. The Foundation created the Herblock Prize in 2004 to encourage editorial cartooning as an essential tool for preserving the rights of the American people through freedom of speech and the right of expression. Presented each spring at the Library of Congress, the prize is awarded by The Herb Block Foundation for distinguished examples of editorial cartooning that exemplify the courageous standard set by Herblock and is judged by a panel of outside experts.

Although the judges for the Herblock Prize always had a finalist chosen for the award, the finalist was not announced until the year 2011. The finalist in 2011 was Ann Telnaes of The Washington Post for her portfolio of animated editorial cartoons. In 2012, The Herb Block Foundation announced that past, present, and future finalists of the Herblock Prize would receive a $5,000 after-tax award.

The winner receives a tax free $15,000 cash prize as well as a sterling silver Tiffany trophy.

As of May 2022, the Herblock Prize winner will now receive a tax free $20,000 cash award and the finalist will receive tax free $7,500 cash award.

 

Winners and finalists include:

 

2024

Winner
caricature artist, political cartoonist, educator, and author
Finalist
political cartoonist
Lecture
Retired Supreme Court Justice

2023

Winner
Editorial Cartoonist, The Washington Post
Finalist
Editorial Cartoonist, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Lecture
Maryland’s 8th Congressional District

2022

Winner
Editorial Cartoonist with Andrews McMeel Syndication
Finalist
Cartoonist
Lecture
Weekend host of All Things Considered and host of the Consider This Saturday podcast

2021

Winner
Contributing cartoonist to Tinyview.com and Counterpoint
Finalist
Creator of the comic strip “Candorville,” co-creator of “Rudy Park"
Lecture
Chef and owner of ThinkFoodGroup; founder of World Central Kitchen

2020

Winner
Contributing cartoonist for both The Nib and Counterpoint
Finalist
Contributing cartoonist for The Nib

2019

Winner
Newsday
Finalist
Self Syndicated
Lecture
CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent

2018

Winner
Editorial Cartoonist for The Boston Globe
Finalist
illustrator, caricaturist and political commentator
Lecture
Host of NPR's Weekend Edition with Scott Simon

2017

Winner
Author of "Tom the Dancing Bug"
Finalist
Indian Country Today Media Network
Lecture
Representing Georgia's 5th District

2016

Winner
Self Syndicated
Finalist
Author of the Weekly Comic Strip “Tom the Dancing Bug”
Lecture
Political Analyst, PBS Newshour and Syndicated Columnist

2015

Winner
Editorial cartoonist for The Baltimore Sun and The Economist
Finalist
Editorial Cartoonist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lecture
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Graham Holdings Co.

2014

Winner
The Austin Chronicle
Finalist
Editorial Cartoonist for The Chattanooga Times Free Press
Lecture
Associate Editor of The Washington Post

2013

Winner
Creator of This Modern World
Finalist
Editorial Cartoonist for The Sacramento Bee
Lecture
Moderator and Managing Editor of Washington Week, co-anchor and co-managing editor for PBS NewsHour

2012

Winner
Cartoonist, Journalist and Editor
Finalist
Jensorensen.com
Lecture
Creator of Doonesbury

2011

Winner
Editorial Cartoonist for The Washington Post
Finalist
Editorial Cartoonist for The Washington Post
Lecture
Executive Editor and Anchor, PBS NewsHour

2010

Winner
Editorial cartoonist for Politico
Lecture
Writer, Director, Producer, Playwright and Author

2009

Winner
Cartoonist for The Salt Lake Tribune
Lecture
Broadcast Journalist, Former Anchor for Nightline

2008

Winner
The Camera of Boulder, Colorado
Lecture
Former Managing Editor and Moderator of Meet the Press

2007

Winner
Miami Herald
Lecture
Author; Special Correspondent for NBC News

2006

Winner
Rutland Herald in Rutland, Vt.
Lecture
Associate Justice, Retired Supreme Court of the United States

2005

Winner
The Philadelphia Inquirer

2004

Winner
Journal News of Westchester County, N.Y.
Lecture
Former Executive Editor of The Washington Post