About the artist
A native of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Bruce MacKinnon studied at St. Francis Xavier University, Mount Allison University and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.
His first professional experience in cartooning was at the age of 14, when he was hired to draw cartoons for the local weekly, The Casket. While in high school, he drew for the Antigonish Spectator and while attending St. F.X. University, he was a contributing cartoonist for the Xaverian Weekly. Bruce started drawing a weekly editorial cartoon for the Halifax Chronicle-Herald in 1985, working at home while raising his newborn daughter. He joined the paper full-time in August of 1986.
His work has been featured in publications and exhibits all over the world.
As of 2024:
MacKinnon has won ten National Newspaper Awards: Nine in the editorial cartooning category -1992, 1993, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023, as well as winning the inaugural NNA Journalist of the Year award in 2014. He has been nominated 15 times.
He has won 23 Atlantic Journalism Awards for Editorial cartooning, including Journalist of the year in 1991 and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.
In 2017 he won the Association of Canadian Cartoonists Townsend Award
He was named Best Political Cartoonist in Halifax for nine years running by The Coast newspaper before it elevated him to their Hall of Fame, thus retiring him from further contest.
International Awards:
2004 - Second prize: World Press Cartoon Competition, Portugal.
2007 - World Press Freedom (Award of Excellence)
2012 - World Press Freedom (Award of Excellence)
2014 - First prize: World Press Freedom Award.
2014 - Second prize: Niels Bugge International Cartoon Award, Denmark.
2015 - Honourable mention: World Press Cartoon competition (caricature category), Portugal.
2016 - Third prize in the World Press Freedom Award.
2017 - World Press Freedom (Award of Excellence)
2018 - Third prize: Art of Resistance Competition, Netherlands.
2018 - Nominated for the Sokol Prize, international cartooning/caricature award administered by the Krems Karikatur Museum, Austria.
2019 - Second prize: World Press Freedom Award.
2020 - Third prize: World Press Freedom Award
2020 - VII Bienal De Humor Luis D'Oliveira Guimarães, Portugal (special award)
2020 - NCS Reuben Award (Editorial Cartoon division, National Cartoonists Society, USA).
2022 - VIII Bienal De Humor Luis D'Oliveira Guimarães, Portugal (special award)
2023 - World Press Freedom (Award of Excellence)
2024 - World Press Freedom (First prize)
2025 - Satyrykon Legnica Distinction Award [Poland]
Other Honours:
In 1996 MacKinnon was awarded an honourary doctorate by St. Mary's University for his work in the field of editorial cartooning. In October, 2011 he was appointed to the Order of Nova Scotia and in 2013 he received both an honourary Doctor of Fine Arts from NSCAD University and the Friend of St.F.X. Award from St. Francis Xavier University.
In 2016 he was appointed to the Order of Canada.
In 2021 his Humboldt Broncos cartoon was chosen by Canada Post to be placed on a national stamp.
In 2022 he was awarded the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal.
MacKinnon's cartoons have been acquired by the National Archives of Canada, the Library of Congress, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, as well as other galleries. Many of his originals are part of St. Francis Xavier University's permanent art collection. He has published four books of cartoons and caricatures: Inklings (1990); Inklings II (1994); Pendemonium (2002); and Penetration (2010), which marked his 25th year with the Chronicle Herald.
He lives in Halifax with his wife, Peggy. His daughter, Robyn, is a visual artist and his son, Jamieson, is a drummer who performs with Bruce as the father-son duo, Bruce & Jay.