Editorial cartoonist Joel Pett wins national human rights award for the second time

Joel Pett, the long-time editorial cartoonist for the Lexington Herald-Leader, has been awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Cartoon Award for 2023.

Judges of the annual award noted Pett’s decades of work drawing attention to issues of social justice, climate change and other crucial topics.

“For years [Joel Pett] has been speaking truth to power through excellent cartoons that synthesize art, humor, and commentary. For years, his award-winning work draws searing attention to social issues,” the judges said.

Pett also won the award in 1999. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1989 and 1998 before winning in 2000.

His 15-cartoon entry commented on the NRA, income inequality and feminism in the U.S. and abroad.

In a statement, Pett acknowledged the work of the other journalism winners, reporters who bring remarkable stories to light, and provide the subject matter for cartoonists. He also thanked the RFK Foundation for continuing to recognize editorial cartooning.

“I offer profound appreciation to the RFK Foundation for celebrating and amplifying our collective voices,” he said.

He is a past president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, and a past Pulitzer juror. He has conducted three overseas seminars on editorial cartooning as a guest speaker of the U.S. State Department.

The Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards honor “outstanding reporting on issues that reflect Robert Kennedy’s concerns, including human rights, social justice, and the power of individual action in the United States and around the world.”