WASHINGTON, DC, Wednesday, March 8, 2023 – Ann Telnaes has been named the winner of the 2023 Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning.
Ann Telnaes creates editorial cartoons in various mediums — animation, visual essays, live sketches and traditional print — for The Washington Post. She was the first to be recognized as a finalist for the Herblock Prize in 2011. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 2001 for her print cartoons and the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year for 2016. She was awarded the international EWK Award, named after the legendary Swedish cartoonist Ewert Karlsson in 2021 and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her illustrated reporting and cartooning in 2022.
Telnaes’ print work was shown in a solo exhibition at the Great Hall in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress in 2004. Her first book, Humor’s Edge, was published by Pomegranate Press and the Library of Congress in 2004. A collection of Vice President Cheney cartoons, Dick, was self-published by Telnaes and Sara Thaves in 2006. Her most recent book, Trump’s ABC, was published by Fantagraphics in 2018. Telnaes’ work has also been exhibited in Paris, Jerusalem, and Lisbon.
Telnaes attended California Institute of the Arts and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, specializing in character animation. Before beginning her career as an editorial cartoonist, Telnaes worked for several years as a designer for Walt Disney Imagineering. She has also animated and designed for various studios in Los Angeles, New York, London, and Taiwan.
Other awards include: The National Cartoonists Society Reuben division award for Editorial Cartoons (2016), The National Press Foundation’s Berryman Award (2006) – The Maggie Award, Planned Parenthood (2002) – 15th Annual International Dutch Cartoon Festival (2007) – The National Headliner Award (1997) – The Population Institute XVII Global Media Awards (1996) – Sixth Annual Environmental Media Awards (1996)
Her television and radio appearances include: – The Newshour with Jim Lehrer – C-Span – NPR – BBC radio -Sirius XM Radio- The Editors, World Affairs Television, Canada.
Telnaes is a past president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC) and is a member of the National Cartoonists Society (NCS).
The Herblock Prize is awarded annually by The Herb Block Foundation for “distinguished examples of editorial cartooning that exemplify the courageous independent standard set by Herblock.” The winner receives a $20,000 net cash prize and a sterling silver Tiffany trophy. Ann Telnaes will receive the Prize on May 8th in a ceremony held at the Library of Congress. Congressman Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability will deliver the annual Herblock Lecture at the awards ceremony.
Judges for this year’s contest included Lalo Alcaraz, winner of the 2022 Herblock Prize; Signe Wilkinson, best known for her editorial cartoons in the Philadelphia Daily News; and Steven Artley, editorial cartoonist for over 40 years syndicated throughout the U.S. and Canada. Artley said, “Ann Telnaes' combination of expertly-crafted renderings and sharp wit consistently convey throughout her stunning portfolio.” Alcaraz added “Telnaes is a maestra of editorial cartooning, and her portfolio here is a tour-de-force. Her skill in detail and caricature are amazing and untouchable by other cartoonists. Ann is at the top of her game!”
Wilkinson remarked “Ann Telnaes' elegant line and critical eye combine to eviscerate Donald Trump and dozens of his marauding January 6th entourage and enablers in a tour de force masterpiece that includes 35 caricatures. If that weren't enough, online it was enhanced by interactive bios of every character. This groundbreaking work was the judges' immediate first choice--even before getting to her other, simpler but also powerful drawings. Bravo.”
The Herblock finalist for 2023 is Michael Ramirez who will receive a $7,500 net cash prize. Artley said “Michael Ramirez's submissions for this year's Herblock award clearly demonstrate his mastery of blending political satire with stunning imagery.”
The Herb Block Foundation seeks to further the recognition and support of editorial cartooning: www.HerbblockFoundation.org.
Herb Block is among the world’s best known and most admired political cartoonists. Born on October 13, 1909, the native Chicagoan spent his 72-year career fighting against abuses of the powerful.