Prix Saint-Michel


The Prix Saint-Michel was a series of comic awards presented in the City of Brussels from 1971 to 2019, specifically recognizing excellence in Franco-Belgian comics. The festival awarded several prizes, the most prestigious of which was the "Grand Prix Saint-Michel," honoring lifetime achievement. After its revival in 2002 under new management, the prize continued until 2019, recognizing both outstanding work and the broader cultural significance of Franco-Belgian comics.

History

First phase (1971–1986)

The Prix Saint-Michel was established in 1971 by , a Belgian comics critic and promoter who had been active in comics fandom since the mid-1960s. Sponsored by the City of Brussels, the Prix Saint-Michel was first presented at the Brussels Book Fair, with the inaugural Grand Prix Saint-Michel awarded to Edgar P. Jacobs. It was the first major distinction specifically devoted to Franco-Belgian comics.
During this first period, the prize quickly gained prestige within the Belgian bande dessinée community, honoring major creators such as Hergé, Morris, Jijé, Cosey, Didier Comès, and Bernard Hislaire, and encompassing multiple categories that celebrated both lifetime achievement and notable works from the year, including artistic style, writing, illustration, and efforts to promote comics as a cultural form.
The prize went dormant after 1986, a pause attributed to the growing prominence of newer, more publicized comics awards in France, Switzerland, and Québec, many of which benefited from greater media attention and public funding.

Second phase (2002–2019)

In an attempt to restoring its historical prestige, the Prix Saint-Michel was revived in 2002 under the auspices of the Brussels-Capital Region Comics Festival, organized by the ASBL 9e Art - BD. The new organizers streamlined the number of categories to better highlight artistic merit and the year’s most notable works, while maintaining the Grand Prix Saint-Michel for an author’s entire career. Later laureates included Hermann, Grzegorz Rosiński, Gotlib, Jean Van Hamme, Philippe Geluck, Milo Manara, and Philippe Berthet.

Jury and organization

Throughout its existence, the Prix Saint-Michel was adjudicated by a jury of professionals from across the comics industry, including publishers, artists, editors, and booksellers. The committee met several times each year to assess trends in the bande dessinée field and to select laureates. The award’s guiding goals were to honor the body of work of established creators and to encourage emerging talent within the Franco-Belgian comics tradition.

Categories and structure

The structure and categories of the Prix Saint-Michel evolved significantly since the award’s creation. The prize’s history can be divided into two broad phases: the early period of the 1970s–1980s, marked by a large number of specialized distinctions, and the post-2002 revival, when the award was reorganized and standardized under the Brussels-Capital Region Comics Festival.

1970s–1980s

During its first decade, the Prix Saint-Michel featured a wide range of categories recognizing both artistic and writing achievements across different genres. The 1971 edition, for example, included distinctions for Best Realistic Artwork, Best Comical Artwork, Best Science-Fiction Artwork, Best European Artist, Best Non-European Artist, Best Realistic Writing, Best Comical Writing, Best Science-Fiction Writing, and Promotion of Comics, in addition to the Grand Prix Saint-Michel for lifetime achievement and two “Future Prizes” for emerging artists.
By the mid-1970s, the list of categories had become more focused. The 1977 edition awarded a Grand Prix Saint-Michel alongside prizes for Best Realistic Artwork, Best Comical Artwork, Best Foreign Artist, Best Realistic Writing, Best Comical Writing, and a Revelation prize for new talent.
In the 1980s, the awards appear to have been scaled back, whether due to limited records or reduced activity. By 1981, only a few categories were reported, including Grand Prix Saint-Michel, Best Comic, Best Foreign Artist, and Best Comical Artwork.

2002 revival–2019

After a long hiatus, the Prix Saint-Michel was revived in 2002 under the auspices of the Brussels-Capital Region Comics Festival. The structure was simplified to emphasize artistic excellence and major achievements. Core categories typically included the Grand Prix Saint-Michel for an author’s career, Best Comic, Best Comic, Best Artwork, Best Story, a Press Prize, Future, Youth, and Prestige awards . Occasional distinctions such as the Prix Saint-Michel Prestige and Grand Prix de l’Illustration were also presented in later years.

Awards

First phase

1971

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Edgar Pierre Jacobs

1972

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Morris

1973

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Hergé

1974

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Jacques Laudy

1975

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Jijé

1976

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Moebius

1977

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Jacques Tardi

1978

1979

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Cosey

1980

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Didier Comès

1981

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Pastiches by Roger Brunel

1982

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Franz Drappier

1983

1984

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Jeannette Pointu: Le dragon vert by Marc Wasterlain, Dupuis

1986

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Sambre by Yslaire, Glénat

Second phase

2002

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Hermann

2003

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Jacques Martin

2004

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Grzegorz Rosiński

2005

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Jean Graton

2006

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Lambil
  • Best comic : Shandy 2: Le dragon d'Austerlitz, Bertail and Matz, Delcourt
  • Best comic : Het belang van Ernst, Tom Bouden
  • Best artwork: Révélations 2, Ramos and Jenkins, Soleil
  • Best story: Le ciel au-dessus de Bruxelles 1: Avant, Yslaire, Futuropolis
  • Press prize: Morris, Franquin, Peyo et le dessin animé, Philippe Capart and Dejasse, L'an 2
  • Future: Alim le tanneur 2: Le vent de l'exil, Virginie Augustin and Wilfrid Lupano, Delcourt
  • Youth: Blagues de Toto 4: Tueur à gags, Thierry Coppée, Delcourt

2007

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Marcel Gotlieb

2008

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Raoul Cauvin

2009

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Jean Van Hamme

2010

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: André-Paul Duchâteau

2011

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Philippe Delaby

2012

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Jean-François Charles

2013

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Philippe Geluck

2015

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: François Walthéry

2016

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Milo Manara

2017

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Philippe Berthet

2018

Grand Prix Saint-Michel: Jean-Claude Mézières

2019

Source:Grand Prix Saint-Michel: François Boucq