Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni, the entertainment world’s landmark brand, has awarded Antonio Ricci, the inventor of the Tapiro (a small golden tapir statue awarded to politicians and celebrities satirised by the show), with the Telegatto.

The entertainment world’s most coveted award was presented to the creator of Striscia la Notizia’s editor-in-chief, Aldo Vitali, during the show’s 35th anniversary: “We’re very happy to celebrate our friends at Striscia on this special anniversary with a Telegatto that adds to Antonio Ricci’s already rich and well-deserved collection. He’s a real TV star”, said Vitali while presenting the award.

The statuette was presented to the creator of Channel 5 satirical news program in Striscia’s Mediaset studios in Cologno Monzese, where the program’s museum is also located, which contains a great deal of memorabilia and documents, the collection of special Tapirs, and, on the walls, the lawsuits (all settled without damages) he has received over the past 35 years.

Photos of the award ceremony can be found not only on the brand’s social media pages and their website, sorrisi.com, but in the magazine on newsstands from Tuesday, 7 November, with a cover dedicated to Antonio Ricci and a long interview with Striscia’s creator, in which he recounts the long, extraordinary history of one of Italian television’s most watched and loved programs.