Sardine Contest 2026, one of Portugal’s most recognizable international creativity competitions, has officially announced the winners of its 16th edition. Organized by EGEAC – Lisboa Cultura, the annual contest once again celebrated imagination, cultural storytelling, and artistic originality through the iconic symbol of the sardine.
Held under the 2026 theme “What’s Your Story?”, this year’s competition attracted significant international participation, receiving a total of 3,128 artistic proposals from 66 countries around the world.
The selected winning works reflected a wide range of inspirations connected to Portuguese culture, including Fado music, local traditions, gastronomy, identity, and visual storytelling. Through creative interpretations, participating artists transformed the traditional sardine into a unique artistic language.
🏅 Winners of Sardine Contest 2026
- 🇺🇾 Hogue — Uruguay
- 🇧🇷 Eduardo Ferrão — Brazil
- 🇵🇹 Helder Teixeira Peleja — Portugal
- 🇧🇷🇵🇹 Letícia Amaral de Araújo — Brazil / Portugal
- 🇵🇹 Martin Narciso — Portugal
🇺🇾 Hogue – Uruguay
🇧🇷 Eduardo Ferrão – Brazil
🇵🇹 Helder Teixeira Peleja – Portugal
🇧🇷🇵🇹 Letícia Amaral de Araújo – Brazil / Portugal
🇵🇹 Martin Narciso – Portugal
According to the organizers, the awarded artists ranged in age from 21 to 72 years old, highlighting the diversity and international character of the competition.
Over the years, the Sardine Contest has become one of Portugal’s most beloved cultural and artistic traditions, bringing together illustrators, designers, cartoonists, and visual artists from across the globe through a shared symbol deeply connected to Lisbon’s cultural identity.
Share this content:
Discover more from Feridun Demir
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
