The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists has published the deadlines and links to various Award and Prize opportunities for Editorial Cartoonists.
A few, including The Pulitzer and The Divisional Reubens, have January deadlines.
The deadline for Canada’s National Newspaper Awards is only days away.
National Newspaper Awards (Canada)
Deadline: January 9, 2020
Rules and entry form available online: http://www.nna-ccj.ca
Open to cartoons appearing in daily Canadian newspapers (or their online editions) in 2019. Entry fee: $40*NEW* National Cartoonist Society Divisional Reuben Awards
Deadline: January 23, 2020
Rules and entry form available online: https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2019/12/20/ncs-divisional-reuben-awards-2019-call-for-entries/
While the Reuben is not a new prize, the National Cartoonist Society has only recently thrown open their annual awards to any professional cartoonist — not just NCS members. Editorial cartoonists should submit exactly 8 samples of 2019 published work (published in print or online by a third party client with proof of date) with bio and entry forms to the respective recipient. See the Daily Cartoonist link above for complete details. No entry fee.The Pulitzer Prize
Deadline: 5pm EST, January 24, 2020
Rules and entry form available online: http://www.pulitzer.org
Awarded for a distinguished drawing or portfolio published during 2019. $75 entry fee. Please check the Pulitzer site for new rules for cartooning for 2020.*NEW* Annual Cartoonist Studio Prize
Deadline: January 31, 2020
Rules and entry form available online: https://slate.com/culture/2019/12/cartoonist-studio-prize-2019-announcement-entry-forms.html
Each year Slate and the Center for Cartoon Studies gives two awards to work that exemplifies excellence in cartooning in print and online. While the award is not specifically for political cartooning, so what — if the Pulitzers can give an opinion award to what is clearly enterprise reporting, Slate can honor a collection of political work. No ENTRY fee.The “Best Cartoon” Award (the Award formerly known as Thomas Nast)
Deadline: January 31, 2020
Rules and entry form available online: http://www.opcofamerica.org/
Annual award from the Overseas Press Club of America for “best cartoon” on international affairs published during 2019 in a U.S.-based publication or for a U.S.-based audience. $200 entry fee. Organizer Patricia Kranz notes, “If it is difficult for you to pay the full $200 entry fee, contact me at patricia@opcofamerica.org about financial help.”
Other deadlines, like The Herblock Prize and The RFK Award, follow quickly in early February.
Bookmark or print the AAEC page as a reminder when to enter these contests throughout the year.
Rules are subject to change so don’t assume that last year’s rules are the same this year.
Pulitzer Prize Editorial Cartooning — Eligibility and Proof of Publication:
- A new question (“Where has this work been published?”) has been added to the Editorial Cartooning questionnaire. Please list all publications in which your entered work has appeared.
- A proof-of-publication PDF file is still required for Editorial Cartooning.
- Syndicators do not keep readily available publication records. It is incumbent upon entering cartoonists to submit eligible clips.
- Personal websites and/or social media accounts generally are not eligible. Please contact us at pulitzer@pulitzer.org for an assessment if the work that you intend to enter appeared in these venues.
- Organizations that disseminate editorial cartoons as a public service while maintaining a syndication component (i.e. Cagle Cartoons) are eligible; however, work that is only available for syndication in publicly inaccessible venues (such as the Tribune Content Agency) does not satisfy our criteria until it appears in an eligible publication.