Doug Wright Award


The Doug Wright Awards for Canadian Cartooning, handed out annually since 2005 during the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, are literary awards given to Canadian cartoonists. Honouring excellence in comics and graphic novels published in English, the awards are named in honour of Canadian cartoonist Doug Wright. Winners are selected by a jury of Canadians who have made significant contributions to national culture, based on shortlisted selections provided by a nominating committee of five experts in the comics field.
The Wright Awards are handed out in four categories:
  • The Doug Wright Award for Best Book
  • The Nipper: The Doug Wright Award for Emerging Talent
  • The Pigskin Peters: The Doug Wright Award for Best Small- or Micro-press Book
;
  • The Egghead: The Doug Wright Award for Best Kids’ Book

In addition to the awards, since 2005 the organizers annually induct at least one cartoonist into the Giants of the North: The Canadian Cartoonist Hall Fame.
The Wright Awards are modeled after traditional book prizes, with the intention of drawing attention to the comics medium from a broad range of demographics inside and outside of its traditional fanbase. The Wrights have garnered acclaim as well as earning the support of a diverse range of participating artists and jurors including Scott Thompson, Don McKellar, Bruce McDonald, Jerry Ciccoritti, Bob Rae, Andrew Coyne, Sara Quin, Greg Morrison, Chester Brown, Lorenz Peter, and Nora Young.
WWW dougwrightawards.com

Awards

The Best Book and The Nipper awards are large wood-and-glass trophies which are engraved with images from Wright's comic strip. The award were designed by the cartoonist Seth, who admitted to some embarrassment at being the inaugural winner of the trophy he designed. The Pigskin Peters Award, named in honour of a character from Jimmy Frise's Birdseye Center, is a custom, tailored derby hat with its own unique plaque that doubles as a hat post. It was also designed by Seth.
Each recipient of a Doug Wright Award also receives a custom-bound copy of their winning work.

Nominees & Winners

2024

Source:
The Doug Wright Award for best bookWINNER - A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll Val-d’Or Neon by Olivier Ballou Harvey Knight's Odyssey by Nick Maandag Naked: The Confessions of a Normal Woman by Éloïse Marseille Roaming by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki JAJ by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
Spotlight Award WINNER - Vincy Lim for When I was a kid I was taught how to die. Now that I'm an adult I'm learning how to live. and When She Set Fire to My Friends’ Houses
  • James Collier for The Lonesome Shepherd
  • Syd Madia for Syd Madia's Dracula
  • Christopher Twin for Bad Medicine
  • Kyle Vingoe-Cram for Kettle Harbour (Conundrum Press)
The Pigskin Peters: The Doug Wright Award for best small- or micro-press bookWINNER - Old Caves by Tyler Landry Endsickness No. 2 by Sofia Alarcon The Lonesome Shepherd by James Collier Power 9: Part One by John Little and David Little Index by Sven, Rachel Evangeline Chiong, and Joyce Kim
The Egghead AwardWINNER - Otis & Peanut by Naseem Hrab and Kelly Collier ThunderBoom by Jack Briglio and Claudia Dávila Pluto Rocket: New in Town by Paul Gilligan Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks Bad Medicine by Christopher Twin

2023

Source:
The Doug Wright Award for best bookWINNER - Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton Time Zone J by Julie Doucet Shelterbelts by Jonathan Dyck (Conundrum Press)The Flamingo by Guojing Kwändürby Cole Pauls (Conundrum Press)You Know, Sex by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth
Spotlight Award WINNER - Jonathan Dyck for Shelterbelts (Conundrum Press)
  • Emily Carrington for Our Little Secret
  • Kiona Callihoo Ligtvoet for We Were Younger Once (Conundrum Press)
  • Lynette Richards for Call Me Bill
  • Adam de Souza for Blind Alley No. 1, ISH
Pigskin Peters AwardWINNER - Where Have You Been? by Ivana Filipovich The Life I Want by Patrick Allaby Assorted Baggage by Matthew Daley Butterfly House by Troy Little and Brenda Hickey Thousand Oaks: Machine Mail by Blaise Moritz
The Egghead AwardWINNER - You Know, Sex by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth
  • Scout is Not a Band Kid by Jade Armstrong Paws: Mindy Makes Some Space by Michele Assarasakorn and Nathan Fairbairn (Razorbill)Super Family! by Cale Atkinson The Flamingo by Guojing

2022

Source:
The Doug Wright Award for best bookWINNER - The Shiatsung Project by Brigitte Archambault (Conundrum Press)Cyclopedia Exotica by Aminder Dhaliwal The Rock From the Sky by Jon Klassen Stone Fruit by Lee Lai Fictional Father by Joe Ollmann
Spotlight Award WINNER - Sami Alwani for The Pleasure of the Text. (Conundrum Press)
  • Sofia Alarcon for Endsickness No. 1
  • Brigitte Archambault for The Shiatsung Project (Conundrum Press)
  • Alexander Laird for Sleemor Gank: Burg Land No. 1
  • Kyle Simmers and Ryan Danny Owen for Pass Me By: Gone Fishin’ and Pass Me By: Electric Vice
Pigskin Peters AwardWINNER - Dwellings No. 2 by Jay Stephens Endsickness No. 1 by Sofia Alarcon Fruit/Soil by Kim Edgar The Northern Gaze by Akeeshoo Chislett, Chris Caldwell, Cole Pauls, Andrew Sharp, Juliann Fraser, Esther Bordet, Alison McCreesh, Keith Verbonac, Princess J; edited by Kim Edgar Sleemor Gank: Burg Land No. 1 by Alexander Laird
The Egghead AwardWINNER - Shirley and Jamila's Big Fall by Gillian Goerz Simon and Chester: Super Sleepover! by Cale Atkinson Otter Lagoon by Mike Deas and Nancy Living with Viola by Rosena Fung Over the Shop by JonArno Lawson and Qin Leng Etty Darwin and the Four Pebble Problem by Lauren Soloy

2021

The Doug Wright Award for best bookWINNER - Lonely Boys by S. Bédard Familiar Face by Michael DeForge Constantly by GG Paul at Home by Michel Rabagliati Wendy, Master of Art by Walter Scott
The Nipper: The Doug Wright Award for emerging talentWINNER - Veronica Post for Langosh & Peppi: Fugitive Days
  • Adam de Souza for A Gleaming No. 2
  • Kimberly Edgar for The Space In Between
  • Courtney Loberg for We Don't Go Through the Angelgrass
  • Shannon M. Reeves for Restless Bones
The Pigskin Peters: The Doug Wright Award for best small- or micro-press bookWINNER - The Noiseless Din by Scott Carruthers The Desecration by Scott Carruthers and Sally McKay A Gleaming No. 2 by Adam de Souza The Space In Between by Kimberly Edgar Awkward Pause by Ryan Harby
The Egghead: The Doug Wright Award for best kids’ bookWINNER - A Slug Story by Mandi Kujawa, Hana Kujawa, Claude St. Aubin, and Lovern Kindzierski Renegade Arts EntertainmentThe Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason and Byron Eggenschwiler Okay, Universe: Chronicles of a Woman in Politics by Valérie Plante and Delphie Côté-Lacroix Grandmother School by Rina Singh and Ellen Swift Fox All Along by Rebecca Thomas and Maya McKibbin

2020

The Doug Wright Award for best bookWINNER - Bezimena by Nina Bunjevac This Place: 150 Years Retold by Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Sonny Assu, Brandon Mitchell, Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, David A. Robertson, Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, Jen Storm, Richard Van Camp, Katherena Vermette, Chelsea Vowel, Tara Audibert, Kyle Charles, GMB Chomichuk, Natasha Donovan, Scott A. Ford, Scott B. Henderson, Ryan Howe, Andrew Lodwick, Jen Storm, Donovan Yaciuk, Alicia Elliott The Cursed Hermit by Kris Bertin, Alexander Forbes (Conundrum Press)Agnes, Murderess by Sarah Leavitt Death Threat by Vivek Shraya, Ness Lee Bradley of Him by Connor Willumsen
The Nipper: The Doug Wright Award for emerging talentWINNER - Sylvia Nickerson for Creation
The Pigskin Peters: The Doug Wright Award for best small- or micro-press bookWINNER - Gleem by Freddy Carrasco Boumeries, Vol. 9 by Boum Baby in the Boneyard by Jesse Jacobs Curb Angels by Lisa Mendis, Christopher Ducharme, Lucas C. Pauls Dejects by Jay Stephens
The Egghead: The Doug Wright Award for best kids’ bookWINNER - The Worst Book Ever by Elise Gravel Brick Breaks Free by David Craig Lunch Quest by Chris Kuzma Dakwäkãda Warriors by Cole Pauls (Conundrum Press)Alma and the Beast by Esme Shapiro

2019

Source
Doug Wright Best Book AwardWINNER - Young Frances by Hartley Lin A Western World by Michael DeForge Evie and the Truth About Witches by John Martz Somnambulance by Fiona Smyth
Doug Wright Spotlight Award WINNER - Ariane Dénommé for 100 Days in Uranium City (Conundrum Press)
Pigskin Peters AwardWINNER - Retomber by Xiaoxiao LiEggshell 2 by William DereumeWinter's Cosmos by Michael ComeauPromising Jupiter by Ron Hotz310, 310 by Mushbuh

2018

Best Book

WINNER - Crawl Space by Jesse Jacobs Hostage by Guy Delisle I'm Not Here by GG The Abominable Mr. Seabrook by Joe Ollmann Anti-Gone by Connor Willumsen

Spotlight Award (aka The Nipper)

WINNER - Jenn Woodall for Magical Beatdown Vol. 2 and Marie and ''Worrywart
  • Kris Bertin and Alexander Forbes for The Case of the Missing Men (Conundrum Press)
  • Gillian Blekkenhorst for All-Inclusive Fully Automated Vacation and House of Strays
  • Eric Kostiuk Williams for Condo Heartbreak Disco
  • Jason Loo for The Pitiful Human-Lizard'' Nos. 12, 13 and 14

Pigskin Peters Award

WINNER - The Dead Father by Sami AlwaniThe Death of the Master by Patrick KyleCrohl's House Nos. 1 & 2 by Alexander Laird, Jamiel Rahi and Robert LairdCreation: The First Three Chapters by Sylvia NickersonPotluck by Wavering Line Collective

2017

Best Book

WINNER - Bird in a Cage by Rebecca Roher (Conundrum Press)Mary Wept Over the Feet of Jesus by Chester Brown Big Kids by Michael DeForge Burt's Way Home by John Martz The Envelope Manufacturer by Chris Oliveros

Spotlight Award (aka The Nipper)

WINNER - Steve Wolfhard for Cat Rackham
  • Jessica Campbell for Hot or Not: 20th-Century Male Artists
  • GG for These Days, ''Lapse, and an untitled story from Altcomics Magazine 3
  • Nathan Jurevicius for Birthmark
  • Laura Ķeniņš for Alien Beings
  • Brie Moreno for Dearest, Gift Shop 3D, Missy, untitled story from š!'' No. 6, various web comics

Pigskin Peters Award

WINNER - The Palace of Champions by Henriette Valium (Conundrum Press)Carpet Sweeper Tales by Julie Doucet Draw Blood by Ron HotzGarbage by Matthew Reichertz After Land by Chris Taylor

2016

Best Book

WINNER - Dressing by Michael DeForge Melody by Sylvie Rancourt Palookaville #22 by Seth Step Aside, Pops by Kate Beaton Stroppy by Marc Bell SuperMutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki

Spotlight Award (aka The Nipper)

WINNER - Dakota McFadzean for Don't Get Eaten By Anything (Conundrum Press)
  • Ted Gudlat for Funny Ha-Has
  • Rebecca Roher for Mom Body
  • Sabrina Scott for Witchbody
  • Kat Verhoeven for Towerkind (Conundrum Press)

Pigskin Peters Award

WINNER - New Comics # 6 & 7 by Patrick KyleLeather Vest by Michael ComeauIntelligent Sentient? by Luke Ramsey We Are Going To Bremen To Be Musicians by Tin Can Forest and Geoff BernerAgalma by Stanley Wany

2015

Best Book

WINNER - Fatherland by Nina Bunjevac Ant Colony by Michael DeForge Safari Honeymoon by Jesse Jacobs The People Inside by Ray Fawkes This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki

Spotlight Award (aka The Nipper)

WINNER - Meags Fitzgerald for Photobooth: A Biography (Conundrum Press)

Pigskin Peters Award

WINNER - Swinespritzen by Connor WillumsenComics Collection 2010–2013 and Less than Dust by Julien CeccaldiGreat Success! 1983–2013 by Henriette Valium New Comics #3–5 by Patrick Kyle Undocumented: The Architecture of Migrant Detention by Tings Chak

2014

Best Book

WINNER - Paul Joins the Scouts by Michel Rabagliati (Conundrum Press)Palookaville #21 by Seth Science Fiction by Joe Ollmann (Conundrum Press)Susceptible by Geneviève Castrée Very Casual by Michael DeForge

Spotlight Award

WINNER - Steven Gilbert for The Journal of the Main Street Secret Lodge
  • Connor Willumsen for "Calgary: Death Milks a Cow", "Treasure Island", "Mooncalf", and "Passionfruit"
  • Dakota McFadzean for Other Stories and the Horse You Rode in On (Conundrum Press)
  • Patrick Kyle for Distance Mover #7–12, New Comics #1–2
  • Georgia Webber for Dumb #1–3

Pigskin Peters Award

WINNER - Out of Skin by Emily Carroll ***
  • "Calgary: Death Milks a Cow" by Connor WillumsenFlexible Tube with Stink Lines by Seth ScriverJournal by Julie Delporte Very Casual by Michael DeForge

2013

Best Book

WINNER - The Song of Roland by Michel Rabagliati (Conundrum Press)Lose #4 by Michael DeForge By This Shall You Know Him by Jesse Jacobs Pope Hats #3 by Ethan Rilly Wax Cross by Tin Can Forest

Spotlight Award (aka The Nipper)

WINNER - Nina Bunjevac for Heartless (Conundrum Press)

Pigskin Peters Award

WINNER - Hamilton Illustrated by David Collier Hellberta #2 and "Sir Softly" from š! #12 by Michael Comeau
  • 4PANEL comics in Carousel Magazine #28 & #29, by Michael DeForge, Larry Eisenstein, Jesse Jacobs, Mark Laliberte, Marc Ngui, Ethan Rilly, Tin Can Forest and Magda TrzaskiSo, what should we do with ourselves?... from Wowee Zonk #4 and Little Stump in š! #12, by Ginette Lapalme

2012

Best Book

WINNER - Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton Lose #3 by Michael Deforge Mid-Life by Joe Ollmann (Conundrum Press)Paying for It by Chester Brown Reunion by Pascal Girard The Great Northern Brotherhood of Canadian Cartoonists by Seth

Spotlight Award (aka The Nipper)

WINNER- Ethan Rilly for Pope Hats #2
  • Emily Carroll for "The Seven Windows", "Margot's Room" and "The Prince & the Sea"
  • Patrick Kyle for Black Mass # 5 – 6
  • Betty Liang for Wet T-shirt #1, "It's Only a Secret if You Don't Tell Anyone", "Anna Freud's Recurring Dream"
  • Zach Worton for ''The Klondike''

Pigskin Peters Award

WINNER - Hellberta by Michael Comeau Hermoddities by Temple BatesPure Pajamas by Marc BellUntitled by Mum Pittsburg, Jupiter Leucetius! Send Us a King. We Are So Bored by Connor Willumsen

2011

Best Book

WINNER - Bigfoot by Pascal Girard Chimo by David Collier (Conundrum Press)Lose #2 by Michael DeForge Moving Pictures by Kathryn Immonen, Stuart Immonen Streakers by Nick Maandag

Best Emerging Talent

WINNER - Alex Fellows for Spain and Morocco
  • Aaron Costain for Entropy # 5
  • Keith Jones for Catland Empire
  • James Stokoe for Orc Stain Volume One
  • Tin Can Forest for ''Baba Yaga and the Wolf''

Pigskin Peters Award

WINNER - Spotting Deer by Michael DeForge ***Indoor Voice by Jillian Tamaki Stooge Pile by Seth Scriver So I've Been Told by Maryanna Hardy (Conundrum Press)Wowee Zonk #3 edited by Patrick Kyle, Ginette Lapalme and Chris Kuzma

2010

Best Book

WINNER - George Sprott: by Seth Back + Forth by Marta Chudolinska Hot Potatoe by Marc Bell Kaspar by Diane Obomsawin Red: A Haida Manga by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas

Best Emerging Talent

WINNER - Michael DeForge for Lose #1, Cold Heat Special #7
  • Adam Bourret for I'm Crazy
  • Pascal Girard for Nicolas
  • John Martz for It's Snowing Outside, We Should Go for a Walk bySully for The Hipless Boy (Conundrum Press)

Pigskin Peters Award

WINNER - Hot Potato by Marc Bell Bébête by Simon Bossé Dirty Dishes by Amy Lockhart Never Learn Anything from History by Kate Beaton The Collected Doug Wright Volume One by Doug Wright
Winners of the 2010 Doug Wright Awards were announced on May 8, 2010 in the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon in the Toronto Reference Library, during a ceremony hosted by actor Peter Outerbridge.

2009

Best Book

WINNER - Skim by Jillian & Mariko Tamaki Burma Chronicles by Guy Delisle Drop-in by Dave Lapp (Conundrum Press)Paul Goes Fishing by Michel Rabagliati

Best Emerging Talent

WINNER - Kate Beaton for History Comics
  • Caitlin Black for Maids in the Mist
  • Jesse Jacobs for Blue Winter, Shapes in the Snow
  • Jason Kieffer for Kieffer #2
  • Nick Maandag for Jack ''& Mandy''

Pigskin Peters Award

WINNER - Ojingogo by Matthew Forsythe Hall of Best Knowledge by Ray Fenwick All We Ever Do is Talk About Wood by Tom Horacek Small Victories by Jesse Jacobs
Winners of the 2009 Doug Wright Awards were announced on May 9, 2009 at the Art Gallery of Ontario during a ceremony hosted by actor and director Don McKellar.

2008

Best Book

WINNER - The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam by Ann Marie Fleming 365 Days: A Diary by Julie Doucet Spent by Joe Matt Southern Cross by Laurence Hyde

Best Emerging Talent

WINNER - Jeff Lemire for Essex County Vol. 1: Tales from the Farm and Vol. 2: Ghost Stories
  • Ethan Rilly for Pope Hats
  • Jason Kieffer for Kieffer #1
  • Nick Maandag for The Experiment
2008 saw the introduction of a new category dedicated to works that fall outside the bounds of traditional storytelling. Named after a character in the classic Canadian comic strip Birdseye Center, the Pigskin Peters Award recognizes experimental and avant-garde comics.

Pigskin Peters Award

WINNER - Milk Teeth by Julie Morstad Little Lessons in Safety by Emily Holton (Conundrum Press)Excelsior 1968 by John Martz Fire Away by Chris von Szombathy

2007

Best Book

WINNER - ''This Will All End in Tears by Joe Ollmann ***Shenzhen: A Travelogue From China by Guy Delisle Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness by Bryan Lee O'Malley Gilded Lilies by Jillian Tamaki (Conundrum Press)Nog-a-dod'' edited by Marc Bell (Conundrum Press)

Best Emerging Talent

WINNER - House of Sugar by Rebecca Kraatz ***Gray Horses by Hope Larson Was She Pretty? by Leanne Shapton Bacter-area by Keith Jones Mendacity by Tamara Berger & Sophie Cossette

2006

Best Book

WINNER - Paul Moves Out by Michel Rabagliati Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle Scott Pilgrim Versus the World by Bryan Lee O’Malley Dragonslippers: This Is What an Abusive Relationship Looks Like by Rosalind B. Penfold Wimbledon Green by Seth

Best Emerging Talent

WINNER - Lorenz Peter for Dark Adaptation ***

2005

Best Book

WINNER - Clyde Fans, Book One by Seth Worn Tuff Elbow #1 by Marc Bell Pamplemoussi by Geneviève Castrée The Frank Ritza Papers by David Collier DC: The New Frontier vol. 1 by Darwyn Cooke

Best Emerging Talent

WINNER - Bryan Lee O'Malley for Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life