This Year’s Sophie Castille Awards Spotlight the Art of Comics Translation

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August 12, 2025

Recognizing the craft behind the panels

Comics may be a universal language of imagery, but their words still need a passport — and translators are the ones stamping it. The Sophie Castille Awards for Comics in Translation, now in their 2025 edition, put the spotlight on these creative professionals who bridge cultures one speech bubble at a time. Announced on August 11, this year’s shortlist celebrates nine works that have traveled across languages without losing their voice, humor, or visual rhythm.

The 2025 nominees

The awards, presented by the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF) and named in honor of publishing visionary Sophie Castille, recognize excellence in the English translation of comics originally published in other languages. The 2025 nominees are:

Bald (Czech → English) — Martha Kuhlman and Tereza Čechová
Blacksad: They All Fall Down, Part Two (French → English) — Diana Schutz and Brandon Kander
Capital & Ideology (French → English) — Margaret Morrison
Harry Dickson – Mysterion (French → English) — Jerome Saincantin and Erica Olson Jeffrey
Not Today: Undoing Home Repairs (Portuguese → English) — Victor Martins
Oba Electroplating Factory (Japanese → English) — Ryan Holmberg
Return to Eden (Spanish → English) — Andrea Rosenberg
The Incredible Story of Cooking… (French → English) — Montana Kane
The Jellyfish (French → English) — Robin Lang and Helge Dascher

Why it matters

For Julie Tait, LICAF’s director, translation is “a nuanced and complex aspect of making comics accessible to readers around the world — a skill that is undervalued and certainly not a matter for machines.” That statement hits at the core of why these awards resonate beyond the comics industry. Translating graphic narratives involves much more than rendering words from one language into another; it means adapting humor, cultural references, and even onomatopoeia to fit both the tone of the original work and the expectations of the target audience.

A global conversation

While the Sophie Castille Awards focus on English translations, they reflect a broader international movement to recognize the translation of graphic literature. Similar initiatives exist in Spain, Italy, Poland, Greece, and Slovenia — each reinforcing the idea that comics are not just entertainment but a vehicle for cultural exchange.

Looking ahead

Winners will be announced during LICAF 2025, taking place September 26–28. For readers, this shortlist is more than a set of recommendations; it’s a reminder that behind every translated comic lies a creative partnership between artist and translator, ensuring the story resonates far beyond its original borders

Trados Launches AI-Powered Project Intelligence

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MultiLingual Staff

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August 11, 2025

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Trados Launches AI Project Intelligence for Localization

Built for the localization industry, the Smart Insights feature turns project complexity into clear, actionable insights

RWS, a content solutions company, powered by technology and human expertise, announces the launch of Smart Insights – a new feature within its cloud-based Trados language technology platform that redefines how localization professionals manage global content at scale.

Localization projects can be unpredictable. Deadlines shift, resources change, and priorities evolve. Smart Insights is an industry-first, LLM-powered virtual assistant within Trados that helps project managers navigate these complexities by answering everyday questions in plain language – like:

“Trados, please tell me which projects are at risk this week? Where are we seeing delays?”
“Also, can you show me projected performance trends across all my clients for the next quarter? And highlight any upcoming translation tasks under 500 words that might impact my delivery timelines?”

“Smart Insights changes the game for localization,” said Mark Lawyer, President of Regulated Industries & Linguistic AI at RWS. “We’re putting real-time project intelligence directly in the hands of the people who need it. No dashboards, no delays, just instant answers.”

Smart Insights, powered by Amazon Q in QuickSight, is now included as part of the Trados Enterprise subscription giving Enterprise customers immediate access to advanced project visibility and control. For Trados Team and Trados Accelerate customers, Smart Insights is available as an optional upgrade, ensuring that businesses of all sizes can benefit from this powerful feature.

About RWS

RWS is a content solutions company, powered by technology and human expertise. We grow the value of ideas, data and content by making sure organizations are understood. Everywhere.

Our proprietary technology, 45+ AI patents and human experts help organizations bring ideas to market faster, build deeper relationships across borders and cultures, and enter new markets with confidence – growing their business and connecting them to a world of opportunities.

It’s why over 80 of the world’s top 100 brands trust RWS to drive innovation, inform decisions and shape brand experiences.

With 60+ global locations, across five continents, our teams work with businesses across almost all industries. Innovating since 1958, RWS is headquartered in the UK and publicly listed on AIM, the London Stock Exchange regulated market (RWS.L).

The Week in Review: Language Industry News August 4–8

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MultiLingual Staff

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August 11, 2025

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The Week in Review: Language Industry News August 4–8

This week, the language industry explored the intersection between AI innovation and creative expression. From real-time interpreting to global fiction, the sector continues to expand what’s possible in language services—while also revealing who’s leading the charge.

Fiction, Faster: AI’s Role in Literary Translation

In a feature by Fred Freeman, AI’s impact on global fiction took center stage. The piece highlights how artificial intelligence is accelerating the translation of books across languages—lowering costs, speeding up timelines, and increasing access to diverse voices. While human creativity remains vital, new tools are helping publishers unlock a broader global readership.

Industry Leadership and AI Strategy

The 2025 edition of the Nimdzi 100 revealed the top five language service providers leading the market, alongside key insights into growth strategies and market trends. In a related conversation, leaders from RWS and Terra shared how they’re navigating the evolving AI landscape—highlighting the balance between innovation and the human touch.

Tools Expanding Access and Intelligence

Boostlingo launched the beta of its AI Interpreter for on-demand use. The tool provides real-time, context-aware interpreting across industries, marking a shift toward scalable language access for enterprise and healthcare.

In another move toward AI integration, TAUS partnered with the Library of Business to offer real-world datasets for model training. These curated corpora aim to improve the quality of AI outputs across domains.

Community and Collaboration

The ALC Annual Summit 2025 is set to take place September 10–12 in New Orleans. The event will bring together language service professionals to connect, learn, and discuss the future of the industry.

Looking Back

From publishing to interpreting to market intelligence, this week’s updates show how language services are being reshaped by AI—with a strong emphasis on collaboration, quality, and access.

For a broader view of recent changes, revisit The Week in Review: Language Industry News July 28–August 1

For more stories like these, visit our News section.

Bridging Silence and Sound: Sorenson’s Role in Language Access

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MultiLingual Staff

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August 11, 2025

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Communication without barriers

Holding the fifth spot in the latest Nimdzi 100, Sorenson Communications reported $861.4 million in 2024 revenue. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the company is one of the largest providers of communication services for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.

Sorenson’s core service is video relay interpreting (VRI) in American Sign Language (ASL). Through its technology, Deaf individuals can communicate with hearing people via interpreters in real time. This can happen during a business meeting, a medical consultation, or even a casual phone call. The service helps make everyday interactions accessible, inclusive, and efficient.

Beyond ASL interpreting

The company has expanded to offer communication solutions in multiple sign languages and spoken languages. It provides captioning, translation, and video remote interpreting across various sectors, including healthcare, education, and government. These services are critical in moments where clear communication can affect safety, legal rights, or access to essential resources.

Sorenson has invested heavily in its technology platforms. Its video interpreting equipment is designed for ease of use, with fast connections and reliable visual quality. These tools are supported by a large network of trained interpreters, ensuring that users can connect with someone quickly, no matter where they are — even in high-pressure situations.

Why it matters

The Nimdzi 100 ranking highlights more than just financial performance. Sorenson’s position reflects the growing importance of accessibility in the language services industry. While AI is transforming many areas of translation and interpreting, services for the Deaf community still rely on skilled human interpreters who can capture nuance, emotion, and cultural context.

By focusing on accessibility and inclusion, Sorenson shows that technology can open doors when paired with human expertise. Its work is a reminder that language services are not only about global commerce but also about ensuring that everyone, everywhere, has the right to be heard.

Beyond Translation: How RWS Balances Tradition and Innovation

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MultiLingual Staff

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August 11, 2025

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A global presence with deep roots

Ranked fourth in the latest Nimdzi 100, RWS reported $901.1 million in 2024 revenue. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, the company has a history that stretches back decades. It began as a specialist in patent translations and intellectual property services but has grown into one of the largest language service providers in the world.

Today, RWS operates in multiple industries, including life sciences, legal, technology, and financial services. This diversity allows it to serve a wide range of clients — from tech giants launching global products to research institutions sharing groundbreaking discoveries. Its expertise lies not only in translating words but also in adapting complex information for specialized audiences.

Innovation meets expertise

While known for its strong foundation in linguistic services, RWS has invested heavily in technology. The company integrates AI, machine translation, and workflow automation into its processes. Its Linguistic AI Services division focuses on combining human expertise with cutting-edge tools to improve speed and accuracy without sacrificing quality.

RWS also maintains one of the largest in-house teams of translators, linguists, and subject-matter experts in the industry. This blend of technology and human skill enables it to handle large-scale projects efficiently, whether that means translating millions of words for a legal case or localizing technical manuals for global manufacturing.

Why it matters

The Nimdzi 100 ranking is more than a list of numbers — it reflects where the industry is heading. RWS’s position shows the value of balancing tradition with innovation. Even as AI reshapes workflows across the sector, clients still look for providers who combine advanced technology with deep subject expertise.

By staying rooted in its legacy while embracing new tools, RWS demonstrates how a language service provider can evolve without losing sight of its core strengths — and why that balance remains a competitive advantage in today’s market.

From Game Worlds to Global Markets: How Keywords Studios Plays to Win

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MultiLingual Staff

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August 11, 2025

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More than just game support

In the latest Nimdzi 100 ranking, Keywords Studios reached the third spot with $903.2 million in 2024 revenue. Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, the company has deep roots in the video game industry — but its influence now extends far beyond.

Keywords partners with developers and publishers worldwide. It provides localization, audio production, player support, art creation, testing, and marketing. Its teams adapt dialogue, cultural references, and voice acting for audiences across the globe. Many players have interacted with its work without realizing it.

Scaling creativity across borders

The company operates over 70 facilities in more than 20 countries. This reach allows it to blend creative skills like art design and voice acting with technical strengths in localization and quality assurance. The goal is clear: ensure that a game feels authentic in every market, no matter its size or genre.

Timing is critical in gaming. Live service titles release updates weekly, while blockbuster launches demand that every version — in every language — is ready on day one. Keywords has designed workflows that meet these deadlines without sacrificing cultural relevance or player immersion.

Expansion has also come through acquisitions. These moves have added cinematic production, 3D modeling, and community management to its portfolio. The company integrates these capabilities into existing projects, making it easier to handle complex, multi-platform releases that span multiple regions.

While automation supports some localization tasks, creative human input remains central. Translating humor, tone, or emotional moments requires cultural understanding that machines can’t yet match — and likely won’t for years to come.

Why it matters

The Nimdzi 100 reflects how the language industry adapts to global trends. Keywords’ high ranking shows the rising importance of entertainment localization as gaming continues to grow. Its combination of scale, creativity, and cultural insight positions it to shape the next generation of interactive experiences — making each game feel truly local and unforgettable.

Why Interpreting Keeps This Company at the Top of the Nimdzi 100

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August 11, 2025

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Communication when it matters most

Ranking second in the latest Nimdzi 100, LanguageLine Solutions reported an estimated $1.1 billion in 2024 revenue. From its base in Monterey, California, the company offers interpreting over the phone and via video, as well as translation and localization services.

Its interpreters work in moments when words carry significant weight. They might connect a doctor to a patient, help an attorney speak with a client, or guide someone during an emergency call. In these situations, speed and accuracy can shape outcomes.

While many top-ranked providers focus on document translation, marketing content, or AI-driven workflows, LanguageLine’s core strength is real-time communication between people who do not share a language. These are conversations that cannot be delayed or replaced by written exchanges.

Building speed and reach

Delivering on this promise requires both scale and rapid response. LanguageLine has built a global network of interpreters covering hundreds of languages. Technology links clients to the right professional in seconds, reducing wait times in urgent situations.

Video remote interpreting is another growing part of its services. It allows face-to-face communication at a distance, a feature that proved essential during the pandemic and remains valuable in healthcare, legal, and public service settings.

While AI is advancing in interpreting, LanguageLine continues to rely on trained human professionals for high-stakes exchanges. In these cases, tone, nuance, and cultural understanding are as important as the words themselves.

This combination of speed and human expertise offers more than language access — it creates trust. When the conversation involves medical decisions, legal rights, or emergency instructions, clients know a skilled interpreter is guiding every step.

Why it matters

The Nimdzi 100 is more than a ranking. It highlights which business models succeed in a changing industry. LanguageLine’s position shows that interpreting remains essential even as automation grows. In a world of instant messages and machine translation, live human conversation continues to be irreplaceable — and delivering it at scale is a major competitive edge.

Lionbridge Wins “AI Model Validation Solution of the Year” in 8th Annual AI Breakthrough Awards

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MultiLingual Staff

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August 11, 2025

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Prestigious international annual awards program honors Lionbridge’s AI innovation & leadership for the second consecutive year

Lionbridge, a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) data services and language solutions, today announced that its cutting-edge platform, Aurora AI Studio™, has been named “AI Model Validation Solution of the Year” in the 8th annual AI Breakthrough Awards. This accolade recognizes Aurora AI Studio’s powerful capabilities for evaluating Large Language Model (LLM) performance, enhancing data sets, and enabling advanced AI solutions and applications.

Aurora AI Studio combines AI with human ingenuity to contribute to AI training initiatives in a self-contained environment. With the support of a highly scalable community comprised of half a million seasoned testers, reviewers, and linguists, the platform helps developers ensure the results generated by AI models and LLMs are reliable and trustworthy.

“The ‘AI Model Validation Solution of the Year’ award represents our commitment to delivering an extremely user-friendly technology platform with a large crowd,” said John Fennelly, Chief Executive Officer of Lionbridge. “For AI model developers, the human-in-the-loop partner ecosystem is key to unlocking optimal data quality. Aurora AI Studio gives companies the ability to scale and deliver real AI solutions.”

The platform’s AI model validation capabilities enable the evaluation of LLM performance across a range of categories to assess the quality, reliability, and user relevance of model outputs. By systematically applying these categories — rated on a 5-point Likert scale — clients gain actionable insights into areas where the model excels and where it may require fine-tuning, additional training, or human oversight. Learn more in our brochure, AI Data Analytics for Model Evaluation.

The AI Breakthrough Awards shine a spotlight on the boldest innovators and most impactful technologies leading the charge in AI. This year’s program attracted more than 5,000 nominations from over 20 different countries throughout the world, underscoring the explosive growth and global importance of AI as a defining technology of the 21st century.

“AI is only as good as its training. If results generated by AI models and LLMs are not accurate, relevant, or even culturally appropriate, trust can quickly erode,” said Steve Johansson, Managing Director of AI Breakthrough. “Aurora AI Studio’s validation enhances overall quality and makes AI systems more reliable, effective, and trustworthy for users. By integrating machine, artificial, and human intelligence to automate and optimize every step of the content lifecycle, Lionbridge is enhancing operational efficiencies and responsibility in AI.”

Lionbridge is honored to be recognized by AI Breakthrough for the second consecutive year. In 2024, Lionbridge was awarded “Best Machine Translation (MT) Solution” for Smart MT™, the enterprise-grade solution that combines baseline MT engines with highly targeted LLM prompting strategies to achieve both accuracy and fluency for high-volume translations.

Clients of Lionbridge benefit from Aurora AI Studio’s innovative remote task assignment capabilities underpinned by powerful generative AI. Through managed, end-to-end generative AI training services, content optimization and review, and human-generated content creation, the platform supports AI-powered technology at every development stage.

About Lionbridge

Lionbridge partners with brands to break barriers and build bridges all over the world. Since our founding, we have helped companies connect with their global customers and employees by delivering translation and localization solutions in 350+ languages. Through our world-class platform, we orchestrate a network of passionate experts across the globe who partner with brands to create culturally rich experiences. Relentless in our love of linguistics, we use the best of human and machine intelligence to forge understanding that resonates with our customers’ clients. Based in Waltham, Massachusetts, Lionbridge maintains solution centers in 24 countries. Learn more at lionbridge.com.

About AI Breakthrough

Part of Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for global technology innovation and leadership, the AI Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence in Artificial Intelligence technologies, services, companies and products. The AI Breakthrough Awards provide public recognition for the achievements of AI companies and products in categories including Generative AI, Machine Learning, AI Platforms, Robotics, Business Intelligence, AI Hardware, Computer Vision and more. For more information visit aibreakthroughawards.com.

Tech Breakthrough LLC does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our recognition programs, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with award designations. Tech Breakthrough LLC recognition consists of the opinions of the Tech Breakthrough LLC organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Tech Breakthrough LLC disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this recognition program, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Have You Heard of TransPerfect? Here’s How It Holds the No. 1 Spot in the Nimdzi 100

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MultiLingual Staff

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August 10, 2025

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A company built for many markets

The latest Nimdzi 100 once again puts TransPerfect at the very top, marking its second consecutive year as the largest language service provider in the world. Reporting $1.23 billion in 2024 revenue, the New York–based company works across translation, life sciences, and legal services — sectors where precision can have direct legal, medical, or financial consequences.

Part of its resilience comes from balance. Highly regulated industries give TransPerfect a stable foundation, while creative areas like global marketing and cultural localization allow flexibility and innovation. When one sector tightens budgets, another often sees increased demand. That mix has helped the company weather pricing pressures and tighter delivery schedules that are shaping the industry.

Technology with a human filter

Like other top providers, TransPerfect is investing heavily in artificial intelligence. Its proprietary platforms use generative AI to speed up repetitive work, but every project still runs through human review. The aim is not to automate away expertise but to focus it where it matters most — in nuance, cultural accuracy, and high-stakes communication.

This hybrid model appeals to clients seeking “AI-ready” solutions without losing trust in the output. It also reflects a broader shift in the industry, where AI is becoming a standard tool but human oversight remains the deciding factor for quality.

Why being on top matters

The Nimdzi 100 is more than a leaderboard — it’s a snapshot of how the language services market is evolving. It tracks who is scaling, which business models are thriving, and how global trends are shaping demand. For TransPerfect, holding the number one position signals more than financial strength. It reflects the company’s ability to adapt in a sector where technology, client expectations, and global market forces are shifting fast. Staying at the top means leading that change, not just keeping up with it.