Cartoon Forum has announced the winners of its 2026 Tributes, the awards honouring key players in the promotion and development of European animation. The winners in the three established categories – Broadcaster, Investor/Distributor and Producer of the Year – were voted for by the professionals attending the event in Toulouse, which unspooled between 14 and 17 September. This year also saw the introduction of the Ecoprod-Cartoon Tribute, whose winner was selected by Ecoprod.

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The Broadcaster of the Year Prize went to the BBC (UK), while France’s Folivari International and Bobby Prod were crowned Investor/Distributor of the Year and Producer of the Year, respectively. France’s Gao Shan Pictures received the inaugural Ecoprod-Cartoon Tribute.

Founded in 2008, Bobby Prod has carved out a distinctive position in French animation, particularly with creator-driven projects targeting young-adult and adult audiences. Among its recent productions is The Broos, created by David Mirailles, which grew out of short-form content published on social media before being developed for television with ARTE France. The project was pitched at Cartoon Forum in 2024.

The BBC remains one of Europe’s key commissioners and co-producers of children’s animation through its CBeebies and CBBC brands. A number of projects previously presented in Cartoon Forum have subsequently found a home on the UK public broadcaster, including Duck & Frog, Maddie + Triggs, Piggy Builders, Pablo and Dungeons & Kittens.

Launched in 2024, Paris-based Folivari International handles the international distribution of Folivari productions as well as titles acquired from third-party producers. Led by Melissa Vega alongside Damien Brunner, Thibaut Ruby and Sarah Delmas, its slate includes animated titles such as Samuel, Pil’s Adventures and Ted & Paula’s Tadpole Journey.

The newly created Ecoprod-Cartoon Tribute went to Gao Shan Pictures, the French production company and animation studio founded in La Réunion in 2014. Since 2022, the outfit has structured its sustainability strategy around its studio operations, production methods and editorial choices, encompassing measures ranging from local recruitment and reduced travel to energy-efficient infrastructure and equipment reuse. At this year’s Cartoon Forum, Gao Shan presented the 2D teen series The Roots of My Hair.

The 37th edition of Cartoon Forum showcased 66 animated projects (read our news) selected from 111 submissions, representing 330 hours of prospective programming and a combined budget of €283.58 million.

The full list of this year’s Tribute winners is as follows:

Broadcaster of the Year
BBC (UK)

Investor/Distributor of the Year
Folivari International (France)

Producer of the Year
Bobby Prod (France)

Ecoprod-Cartoon Tribute
Gao Shan Pictures (France)