The press doesn’t function in a vacuum; it needs various elements to support the cause of journalism and free speech.
In struggling democracies and in scenarios where censorship holds firm ground, caricatures play a critical role.
At this year's World Press Cartoon Awards, the main winners were unsurprisingly depictions of the figures who dominate headlines: Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
Let’s break down the three category winners and understand what they tried to portray through their caricatures that surprised readers globally.
This year, a drawing by a cartoonist hailing from Montenegro, Darko Drljevic, clinched the first prize in the Editorial Cartoon category.
The caricature depicts the Statue of Liberty with her mouth stitched, silencing her.
On closer look, the stitches bear an eerie resemblance to Donald Trump’s statement signature, the one he doesn’t shy away from flashing on camera, always signed in black marker whenever he seals an executive order.
The award-winning cartoonist Darko explained his reasoning behind making this caricature.
He said, “In my opinion, Trump has suspended all the freedoms of the American people and wanted to make sure that each of his signatures shut the mouths of all free people. He also banned the publication of cartoons in well-known daily newspapers such as the Washington Post or the New York Times.”
Meanwhile, the 2025 Caricature category award goes to a German cartoonist, Frank Hoppmann, who portrayed Vladimir Putin.
The work was published on the very first day of the year's edition of Italien magazine.
Hoppmann is an accomplished cartoonist who had already snagged the Grand Prix in the 2020 edition with a caricature of the then British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
Hoppmann commented on her style of caricature, saying, “What I like, when I paint or draw, is to provoke a strong reaction, not necessarily a positive one, but one that moves the viewer.
And lastly, the first prize in the Humorous Drawing category was awarded to Iranian Nahid Maghsoudi, whose work hinted at International Women’s Day on March 8.
Her work was published by a Dutch digital publication, Cartoon Movement; it depicts a bloodied burqa hanging on a coat stand, next to an equally bloodied speech bubble, thus spotlighting the silencing of women in some parts of the world.
The exhibition has resumed after a break of two years; it was organized for the first time in 2005.
This year, the World Press Cartoon (WPC) is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a new venue, relocating to Palacio Anjos in Alges, Portugal.
It brings together around 300 drawings from all over the world, which are displayed at the Palacio Anjos in Alges, Portugal, until February 8, 2026.
Caricatures, critical drawings, and critical media have long been essential tools to counter the press censorship while also reflecting the evolution of modern-day societies and documenting it for generations to come.
