Bronze Zinneke

The Bronze Zinneke is an award handed out by the cabinet of the Brussels Region to individuals, personalities, organisations, or companies that perform a role as informal ambassador of the Brussels Region or otherwise add to the positive image of the City and Region of Brussels.

The award is a miniature bronze version of Het Zinneke, a bronze sculpture of a urinating dog in central Brussels. A "zinneke" is a mutt or bastard in Brusselian dialect, a cross between different races of dogs, and as such a symbol of the diversity of races and cultures in Brussels.

The first Bronze Zinneke was awarded in 2001 to singer Johan Verminnen.^[1]

Recipients

Past recipients of the award include:

• footballers Paul Van Himst,^[2] Vincent Kompany^[3] and Youri Tielemans
• cycling legend Eddy Merckx^[2]
• chef Pierre Wynants^[2]
• jazz musician Toots Thielemans^[4]
• actor Pascal Duquenne^[5]
• patissier Herman Van Dender ^[6]
• Paralympic bronze medal winner Pieter Cilissen^[7]
• foundation Fonds Carine Vyghen for organ donation ^[8]
• football trainer Besnik Hasi^[9]
• racing car driver Jacky Ickx^[10]
• founder and former director of Brosella Folk & Jazz Festival Henri Vandenberghe ^[11]
• illustrator, cartoonist, caricaturist and comic strip artist Eddy Vermeulen aka Ever Meulen and political cartoonist, graphic artist and painter Gerard Alsteens aka GAL^[12]
• Olympic silver medal winner Lionel Cox (sport shooter)^[13]
• entrepreneur Eric Everard^[14]
• owners of World Heritage Site Hôtel Solvay, the Wittamer family ^[15]
• choreographer and founder of dance company Rosas, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker^[16]
• singers Salvatore Adamo^[17] and Angèle^[18]
• former rectors of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Caroline Pauwels^[19] and Paul De Knop ^[1]
• artist Marie-Pierra Kakoma aka Lous and the Yakuza^[20]
• organist, composer, conductor and opera director Bernard Foccroulle^[21]
• 2022 world champion road cycling Remco Evenepoel^[22]
• estaminet 'In 't Spinnekopke' ^[23]
• president of the Companions of St. Lawrence, organizers of the Meyboom procession, Jan Brusten ^[24]