The decision was announced by Sara Ludovico of the DGLAB during a discussion with illustrators, graphic designers, and publishers at the FÓLIO – International Literary Festival of Óbidos. Ludovico also admitted the possibility of making public the lists of competing authors, submitted by publishers.
Dora Batalim, a former jury member, explained that books submitted by publishers are evaluated by each juror with their own criteria, highlighting the difficulty of abstracting from graphic work and narrative. "What I assure you is that there are no quotas, like: this one never won," she guaranteed.
Adélia Carvalho, from Tcharan publishing house, expressed frustration over the lack of editorial diversity in the awards, stating that "there are so many publishers with good work, and it seems they always give the awards to the same ones." Sara Ludovico responded that "the comparison is between the books, not between the publishers."
Jorge Silva, a communication designer and moderator of the discussion, recalled a 2017 case where the artist João Fazenda, "a chronic award winner," was recognized despite this being considered. He confirmed not feeling any pressure from the DGLAB.
In response to questions about regulation, Sara Ludovico was unfavorable to "introducing factors that could condition the jury" but agreed with the idea of making the lists of competing authors public.
Bruno Eiras, deputy director-general of the DGLAB, observed that the repetition of winners "says much more about us as a society" and guaranteed the jury's independence, which rotates annually. Dora Batalim confirmed the absence of prior knowledge among jurors.
João Fazenda highlighted the importance of recognition to "give encouragement" to illustrators, whose work is "little understood and with few resources." Inês Viegas de Oliveira added that the main goal is to reach the reader and that monetary value allows for creative freedom.
Fazenda emphasized that the awarded books often prioritize "freedom of illustration" and that publishers have responsibility for the "more conservative appearance" of some works, influencing the final outcome.
