SOUTHERN Highland News cartoonist Peter Broelman received the Australian Cartoonists Association Gold Stanley Award, for Cartoonist of the Year, at the annual Stanley Awards held at the Novotel in Darling Harbour on Saturday night.

Broelman was one of five finalists for the award, along with John Kudelka, David Pope, David Rowe and John Spooner.

The Gold Stanley is named in honour of Australian cartoonist Stan Cross and the statuette is modelled on his famous 1933 cartoon “For gorsake, stop laughing - this is serious!”

Broelman also won the Stanley Award for best editorial/political cartoonist.

In his acceptance speech, Broelman thanked swine flu, the global financial crisis, Kevin Rudd’s nerdiness and asylum seekers for providing plenty of subject matter.

Broelman’s cartoons appear in every edition of the Southern Highland News and he has also drawn the caricatures which appear regularly in Mac Cott’s Out of Context.