Megan Herbert humbly asked for a recount when she received the call she’d won the 2024 Political Cartoonist of the Year award.

She was presented with the honour at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House (MoAD) on 28 November.

It was also the unveiling of the exhibition of the finalists’ work, Behind the Lines 2024: No Guts, No Glory.

Ms Herbert is a cartoonist, illustrator and writer whose career has spanned more than 20 years, with her cartoons regularly featuring in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

The judges praised her work for demonstrating a sophisticated range of visual techniques and commenting on a broad range of issues in an even-handed way that connected with and involved her audience.

In her acceptance speech, Ms Herbert said she was overwhelmed.

“The imposter syndrome is real. And yes, I did demand a recount,” Ms Herbert said.

“I was incredibly grateful for this honour, but I’m also grateful to be part of the cartooning world.

“And also, to have the incredible platform in the newspapers to say things that feel important to me, I don’t take this for granted. It’s a huge privilege to do that.

“If this award means that some of my ideas are connecting with people, then I’m happy about that because that’s what I try to do with my work.”

Ms Herbert told CD much of her work focused on climate.

“It is one of my main focuses and it’s usually the news story that is at the front of my mind,” she said.

Chair of the Board of Old Parliament House, Barrie Cassidy said the venue was a natural home for the annual exhibition.

“Just as sporting events come alive in the great stadiums, we think Old Parliament House is the ideal venue for an annual exhibition of political cartoons,” he said.

“Those who come for the cartoons can stay on and explore more of the building and the displays on our political and democratic history.”

The exhibition’s curator, Matthew Jones said in what proved to be a golden Olympic and Paralympic year for Australia in Paris, there could be no more appropriate theme for 2024’s retrospective than sport.

“The exhibition draws a dynamic connection between the grit, strategy, and resilience of sport and the equally charged arena of politics,” Mr Jones said.

“Much like elite athletes competing for glory, politicians navigate high-stakes moments, strive for victory, and face relentless scrutiny.

“The individual cartoons explore topics that have preoccupied Australian audiences and dominated political debate. These include cost-of-living pressures, housing affordability, the war in the Middle East, climate change, asylum seekers, Australia Day, nuclear power and the impact of domestic violence.”

Mr Jones told CD that two researchers trawled through about 3000 cartoons from the major dailies for the competition.

The special guest for the day was comedian Sammy J.

“I was just taking some photos during some of our earlier speakers and I realised why there are no politicians here, and why some might not appear for the entire duration of this beautiful exhibition: because there’s only one thing worse than knowing that there is an exit sign above a politician in a photograph and that’s a giant ‘no guts’ or indeed ‘no glory,’” he said.

“But that’s why we’re here, to celebrate these incredible artworks.”

Behind the Lines 2024 will remain open at MoAD for one year. More information on the exhibition can be viewed at moadoph.gov.au