Attentive to new technologies with roots in tradition, the award to LRNZ is also an encouragement to keep surprising us. »
The Sergio Bonelli Award 2025, presented at “Cartoons On The Bay,” has been awarded to Lorenzo Ceccotti. The selection was made by a jury composed of Davide Bonelli (son of Sergio Bonelli and president of Sergio Bonelli Editore), Roberto Genovesi (artistic director of “Cartoons On The Bay” and director of Rai Kids), Michele Masiero (editorial director of Sergio Bonelli Editore), Pierluigi Colantoni (director of Rai Creativa), and Maurizio Imbriale (director of Rai Distribution).
The jury’s decision was based on a careful evaluation of the complete range of artistic, audiovisual, and cross-media works – including films, video games, TV series, comics, cartoons, music videos, commercials, and theatrical or street performances – that embody the inspiration of the ninth art (comics) in their DNA.
This year, the choice fell on LRNZ, the pseudonym of the versatile Lorenzo Ceccotti. From graphic design to motion graphics, from animation and illustration to musical projects, from live streaming to VFX, there is no domain in the visual arts that Ceccotti hasn’t explored – always with outstanding results. His works include Golem, Astrogamma, Geist Maschine, and Monolith (for which he served as visual supervisor on the film adaptation), as well as a recent collaboration on the film Il segreto di Liberato.
“Attentive and curious about the developments of new technologies, yet with roots firmly planted in tradition – of which he is a knowledgeable connoisseur – Lorenzo Ceccotti approaches his work with extreme rigor, bordering on perfectionism,” says Davide Bonelli. “The Sergio Bonelli Award is not only a recognition of what he has accomplished so far, but also, and above all, an encouragement to keep surprising us. Here at the publishing house, we’re proud to channel into this award – bearing my father’s name – a spark, a snapshot of contemporary creativity, and our closeness to the artists whose spirit makes the award ceremony such an emotional moment.”
Now in its fourth edition, the award is a collaboration between “Cartoons On The Bay” and Sergio Bonelli Editore. It honors artists who succeed in imprinting their distinctive voice on works with strong cross-media connections between comics and audiovisual productions. Previous recipients include Zerocalcare (2021), Carlos Grangel (2022), Altan (2023), and Sara Pichelli (2024).
Directed by Roberto Genovesi, “Cartoons On The Bay” is promoted by Rai and organized by Rai Com, in collaboration with the Abruzzo Region and the Municipality of Pescara.