Brussels, 20 September, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Brussels Atomium Awards have named seven winners for 2026, recognising comic-strip creators across young talent, graphic design, historical storytelling and current-affairs reporting. The prizes were announced on Saturday, 19 September, at the opening of Brussels’ BD Comic Strip Festival at the Bourse.
Seven Atomium prizes awarded in Brussels
Adele Rhoads received the Leblanc Atomium Prize for Young Artists for V.A.. The award is worth €20,000, comprising a €10,000 COCOF grant and €10,000 advance on rights, together with a publishing contract. Her project is due to be published by Casterman.
Pascal Matthey won the €10,000 Wallonia-Brussels Federation Atomium Prize for Du pain blanc et du chocolat, published by L’Employé du Moi.
Désirée and Alain Frappier received the €4,000 Atomium Prize for Graphic Design for L’oiseau chanteur, while Laurie Agusti won the Première Atomium Galaxies BD Prize for Rouge signal. Agusti’s prize includes €20,000 worth of advertising across RTBF media and editorial support from La Première.
Juries highlight storytelling and visual design
In its newly published assessment of Rhoads’ V.A., the Leblanc jury called the project “a genuinely artistic and ambitious work”, praising its distinctive creative voice and command of graphic storytelling. The story follows an 11-year-old girl visiting her grandmother in Virginia and draws on childhood memories, family history and the relationship between nature and the human body.
The jury for Agusti’s Rouge signal highlighted the book’s treatment of contemporary violence and radicalisation, saying the graphic novel achieves “a striking balancing act between thriller and documentary” without simplifying the issues it examines.
Historical and current-affairs comics recognised
Ersin Karabulut received the €5,000 Cognito Atomium Prize for Historic Comic Strip for Journal inquiet d’Istanbul. The autobiographical work follows the cartoonist as political developments in Turkey increasingly affect his life and creative work.
Charles Berberian and Michèle Standjofski won the Le Soir Atomium Prize for New Report Comic Strips for Et toi, comment ça va ?. Their illustrated correspondence between Paris and Beirut explores war in Lebanon through personal experiences and drawings. The award provides €20,000 in advertising space and editorial exposure through Le Soir.
Maxence Jacquin, a 27-year-old illustrator who has not yet published a graphic novel, won the Spirou Atomium Prize for Charles & Cie. His three-panel strips will be published in Spirou during 2027 and paid at professional rates.
Atomium prizes provide support for comic creators
Organisers say the eight-prize programme provides more than €85,000 in financial awards, advances, advertising support and paid publication opportunities. The Atomium prizes have recognised excellence in comics since 2017 and form part of Brussels’ wider effort to support comic-strip creation.
Final heritage prize to be announced in December
One Brussels Atomium Awards winner remains to be decided. Fifteen works have been shortlisted for the €5,000 Catherine Schoemann Atomium Prize for Comic Strip Heritage.
The heritage winner is scheduled to be announced in early December 2026 in Paris in partnership with the SoBD Festival, completing this year’s eight-prize programme.
