The 2026 Thurber Prize for American Humor in Cartoon Art
Winner
About the Thurber Prize in Cartoon Art
The Thurber Prize for American Humor in Cartoon Art was initiated in 2024 and is one of the highest recognitions of the art of humor cartooning in the United States. It is a sister award to the Thurber Prize for American Humor in Writing, awarded since 1997.
The Thurber Prize in Cartoon Art was created in partnership with veteran New Yorker cartoonists Liza Donnelly and Michael Maslin. Each year, a national committee puts forward a slate of nominees, and a committee of judges selects one winner for this career achievement award.
During the annual award show, attendees are entertained with a host of hilarious surprises, including appearances from the honorees. The Thurber Prize for American Humor in Cartoon Art winner is announced before the award show. At the award show, the writing finalists and cartoon art winner are all celebrated on stage for their outstanding contributions to humor. The award show culminates with the live announcement of the winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor in Writing.
2026 Cartoon Art Winner
Emily Flake
Emily Flake’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, McSweeney's, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, and many others. Her weekly comic strip has been published in numerous alternative newsweeklies since 2002.
Emily is the author of several books, most recently Joke in a Box: How to Write and Draw Jokes. She created illustrations for the Broadway production All In, a comedy based on the short stories of fellow Thurber Prize winner Simon Rich.
Emily was nominated for a Writers Guild of America award for her work on Command Z, a web series directed by Steven Soderbergh. She is the founder and operator of St. Nell’s, a humor writing residency in Williamsport, PA. Emily received her BFA in Illustration from the Maryland College of Art.
2026 Thurber Prize for American Humor Award Show
May 7, 2026 | Columbus, Ohio
Hosted by 2014 Thurber Prize Winner John Kenney
Want to mix and mingle with the finalists and watch the winner be crowned live? Join us on May 7 in Columbus, Ohio for an evening of laughter, surprises, fun, and frivolity!
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Views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by event and program speakers in all mediums are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Thurber House, its affiliates, or its staff/board.