Maya Patel
The Harvey Awards honor outstanding achievement in comic books and graphic storytelling. Named for writer–artist Harvey Kurtzman (1924–1993), the awards were launched in 1988 (as successors to the discontinued Kirby Awards) and have been hosted at a number of major conventions. Since 2017 they’ve been presented during New York Comic Con (NYCC), where they were revamped to focus the main prizes on works, with special honors celebrating lifetime contributions.
Infobox: Harvey Awards (At a Glance)
| Awarded for | Achievement in comic books & graphic storytelling |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| First awarded | 1988 |
| Named for | Harvey Kurtzman, pioneering cartoonist, editor of MAD |
| Presented by | Harvey Awards Executive Committee (unpaid volunteers) |
| Funding | Sponsorships |
| Nominations | Since 2018, selected by a Nomination Committee |
| Voting | Open vote to verified comics professionals |
| Current home | New York Comic Con (2017–present) |
| Earlier venues | Chicago Comicon (1988); Dallas Fantasy Fair (1989–1995); WonderCon (1997–1999); Pittsburgh Comicon (2000–2002); MoCCA Festival (2004–2005); Baltimore Comic-Con (2006–2016) |
| Website | https://www.harveyawards.com |
What Makes the Harveys Distinct
- Pro-voted focus. From the start, the Harveys positioned themselves as the industry’s professional peer awards, differentiating from fan-voted honors.
- Modernized format. Since 2018, six work-based main categories anchor the ballot, with up to three Special Awards selected by the Executive Committee.
- Broad international lens. Dedicated categories celebrate manga and international books in English translation.
- Hall of Fame. Annual inductions spotlight creators whose influence transcends eras.
Brief History & Milestones
- 1988: First Harvey Awards (conceived by Gary Groth/Fantagraphics as the Kirby Awards’ successor).
- 1989–1995: Hosted by Dallas Fantasy Fair; 1996 presentation cancelled with the show—winners received awards by mail.
- 1997–2005: WonderCon → Pittsburgh Comicon → MoCCA Festival; notable keynotes include Frank Miller (2001).
- 2006–2016: A decade at Baltimore Comic-Con; administration by Paul McSpadden era.
- 2017: Transition to NYCC; a legacy reception only (no voting); Darwyn Cooke inducted into the Hall of Fame.
- 2018: 30th anniversary reboot—new categories, nomination committee introduced, pro open vote retained.
- 2020: Virtual gala presented as part of NYCC/MCM’s Metaverse.
How the Harveys Work (Today)
- Nomination — A Harvey Awards Nomination Committee (curators, librarians, retailers, editors, journalists, creators) proposes the slate for the six main categories.
- Voting — A verified body of comics professionals (creators, editors, librarians, retailers, journalists, etc.) votes online. One ballot per voter.
- Special Awards — Up to three are selected by the Executive Committee:
- Harvey Hall of Fame
- International Spotlight Award
- Comics Industry Pioneer Award
- Ceremony — An invite-only gala during NYCC announces winners and inductees.
Current Main Categories (2018–present)
- Book of the Year
- Digital Book of the Year
- Best Children’s or Young Adult Book
- Best Adaptation from a Comic (film/TV/animation)
- Best Manga Title
- Best International Book (in English translation)
Special Awards (Executive Committee)
- Harvey Awards Hall of Fame
- International Spotlight Award
- Comics Industry Pioneer Award
Legacy Categories (Retired/Consolidated)
Over 1988–2016 the Harveys honored a wide craft spectrum—including Writer, Artist/Penciller, Cartoonist (Writer/Artist), Inker, Letterer, Colorist, Cover Artist, plus New Series, Continuing/Limited Series, Single Issue/Story, Anthology, Original/Previously Published Graphic Album, Biographical/Historical/Journalistic Presentation, American Edition of Foreign Material, Domestic Reprint Project, Online Comics Work, New Talent, and special citations like Special Award for Humor and Excellence in Presentation. These informed today’s streamlined, work-centric slate.
Recent Winners (2018–2024)
The Harveys’ modern era emphasizes work-based honors. Below are the main category winners since the 2018 reboot.
Book of the Year
- 2018: Monstress — Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda (Image)
- 2019: Hey, Kiddo — Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Scholastic Graphix)
- 2020: Dragon Hoops — Gene Luen Yang (First Second)
- 2021: The Magic Fish — Trung Le Nguyen (Random House)
- 2022: The Good Asian, Vol. 1 — Pornsak Pichetshote & Alexandre Tefenkgi (Image)
- 2023: Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands — Kate Beaton (Drawn & Quarterly)
- 2024: Roaming — Jillian Tamaki & Mariko Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly)
Digital Book of the Year
- 2018: Barrier — Brian K. Vaughan, Marcos Martín, Muntsa Vicente (Panel Syndicate)
- 2019: Check, Please! — Ngozi Ukazu
- 2020: The Nib — ed. Matt Bors (thenib.com)
- 2021: Lore Olympus — Rachel Smythe
- 2022: —
- 2023: —
- 2024: Friday — Ed Brubaker & Marcos Martín (Panel Syndicate)
Best Children’s or Young Adult Book
- 2018: The Prince and the Dressmaker — Jen Wang (First Second) / also: The Tea Dragon Society — Katie O’Neill (Oni)
- 2019: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me — Mariko Tamaki & Rosemary Valero-O’Connell (First Second)
- 2020: Superman Smashes the Klan — Gene Luen Yang & Gurihiru (DC)
- 2021: The Magic Fish — Trung Le Nguyen (Random House)
- 2022: Squire — Nadia Shammas & Sara Alfageeh (HarperAlley)
- 2023: Hungry Ghost — Victoria Ying (First Second)
- 2024: Children: Mexikid — Pedro Martín (Dial) • Young Adult: Roaming — Jillian & Mariko Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Adaptation from a Comic
- 2018: Black Panther (Marvel Studios), from Black Panther (Marvel)
- 2019: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony/Columbia)
- 2020: Watchmen (HBO), from Watchmen (DC)
- 2021: WandaVision (Disney+)
- 2022: Ms. Marvel (Disney+)
- 2023: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony/Columbia)
- 2024: X-Men ’97 (Marvel Studios Animation/Disney+)
Best Manga Title
- 2018: My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness — Nagata Kabi (Seven Seas)
- 2019: My Hero Academia — Kohei Horikoshi (VIZ)
- 2020: Witch Hat Atelier — Kamome Shirahama (Kodansha)
- 2021: Chainsaw Man — Tatsuki Fujimoto (VIZ)
- 2022: —
- 2023: —
- 2024: Delicious in Dungeon — Ryoko Kui (Yen Press)
Best International Book (in Translation)
- 2020: Grass — Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, trans. Janet Hong (Drawn & Quarterly)
- 2021: Moms — Yeong-shin Ma, trans. Janet Hong (Drawn & Quarterly)
- 2022: Sweet Paprika — Mirka Andolfo (Image)
- 2023: Blacksad: They All Fall Down, Pt. 1 — Díaz Canales & Guarnido; trans. Schutz/Kander (Dark Horse)
- 2024: Blacksad Vol. 7 — Díaz Canales & Guarnido (Europe Comics)
Harvey Awards Hall of Fame (2017–2024)
- 2017: Darwyn Cooke
- 2018: Roz Chast; Dave Gibbons
- 2019: Alison Bechdel; Jack Davis; Will Elder; Mike Mignola; Ben Oda; John Severin; Marie Severin
- 2020: Osamu Tezuka; Jill Thompson; Milestone founders Denys Cowan, Derek T. Dingle, Michael Davis, Dwayne McDuffie
- 2021: Bernie Wrightson; Michael Kaluta; Barry Windsor-Smith; Rumiko Takahashi; Jeffrey Catherine Jones
- 2022: Neil Gaiman; Roy Thomas
- 2023: Chris Claremont; Walt Simonson; Louise Simonson; Marv Wolfman; George Pérez; Bill Griffith
- 2024: Akira Toriyama; Sergio Aragonés; Larry Hama; John Buscema; Arthur Adams
Notable Ceremony Moments
- 1996 Dallas Fantasy Fair cancellation: The convention (and banquet) were called off days before showtime; Harveys shipped trophies to winners.
- 2001 Keynote: Frank Miller decried speculation culture (famously tearing up a copy of Wizard).
- 2019 Gala: Seven Hall of Fame inductees highlighted both contemporary and long-overlooked legends.
- 2020 Virtual awards: A fully online ceremony featuring Vivek Tiwary, Neil Gaiman, Gene Luen Yang, Jill Thompson, Damon Lindelof.
Relationship to Other Awards
- Eisner Awards (est. 1988): Often compared as the field’s other premier set; hosted at San Diego Comic-Con.
- Ringo, Ignatz, Eagle, Alley, Shazam, and others: Parallel traditions recognizing craft, indie excellence, and international work.
- Hero Initiative & Kirby Hall of Fame (historic): Occasional overlapping honorees; the Harveys absorbed/echoed some legacies via categories and Hall of Fame choices.
FAQ about Harvey Awards
Who can vote?
Verified comics professionals (creators, editors, publishers, retailers, librarians, academics, journalists).
How are nominees chosen?
A curated Nomination Committee assembles the slate for the six main categories.
Why the 2018 reboot?
To focus the ballot on works, streamline categories, and broaden international representation.
Where are the awards now?
At an invite-only gala during New York Comic Con each October.
