Matti Hagelberg wins 2026 Sarjakuva-Finlandia for Vajoava Ateneum 2

Finnish comics artist Matti Hagelberg has been awarded the 2026 Sarjakuva-Finlandia prize for his album Vajoava Ateneum 2, Hyödyllisen taiteen puolesta (The Sinking Ateneum 2, In Defence of Useful Art), reports Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The winning work, selected by Yle foreign correspondent Hanna Visala from a shortlist of ten finalists, was praised for its imaginative storytelling. “One can only marvel at how someone can invent something like this,” Visala said in a statement. “History, myths, and fiction blend seamlessly, resulting in something absurd, intelligent, and genuinely unique.”

Vajoava Ateneum 2 is the 30th instalment in Hagelberg’s long-running B.E.M. series. The album reimagines the history of Helsinki’s Ateneum building through a mix of memoir and speculative fiction, focusing on students and faculty at the University of Art and Design between 1979 and 1982.

Hagelberg (b. 1964), a graduate of the University of Art and Design (1985–1993), began his comics career in 1992 with the self-published B.E.M. #1, Marsin sankari (Hero of Mars). The Sarjakuva-Finlandia, established in 2007 by Tampere Kuplii, recognises outstanding Finnish comics albums, with a €5,000 prize. This year’s competition drew 73 submissions.

The 2026 shortlist also included works by Juliana Hyrri, Joonas Järvi, Taneli Kemppi, Pinja Meretoja, Timo Mäkelä, Riika Ruottinen, Riina Tanskanen, Jukka Tilsa, and Marko Turunen.