2025 Harvey Awards Nominees: A Celebration of Comics at New York Comic Con

The Harvey Awards, one of the comic industry’s most prestigious honors, have announced their 2025 nominees, showcasing an impressive array of talent across various categories. Held annually at New York Comic Con (NYCC), the awards celebrate excellence in comic books, graphic novels, manga, and adaptations. Named after Harvey Kurtzman, the legendary creator of MAD Magazine, the Harveys are selected by a curated committee of industry professionals, including creators, publishers, retailers, educators, and librarians. Voting is open until September 2, 2025, for those with a Professional or Artist Alley badge from any ReedPop comic convention between 2016 and 2025. The awards ceremony will be streamed live from NYCC, with the date and time to be announced. For more details, visit harveyawards.com or follow the Harvey Awards on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Book of the Year

This category highlights outstanding long-form graphic novels or collections:

• Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath (IDW Publishing)

• Final Cut by Charles Burns (Pantheon)

• Helen of Wyndhorn by Tom King & Bilquis Evely (Dark Horse)

• Precious Metal: From the World of Little Bird by Darcy Van Poelgeest & Ian Bertram (Image Comics)

• Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1 by Jonathan Hickman & Marco Checchetto (Marvel Comics)

Digital Book of the Year

Webtoon dominates this category with three of the five nominations, showcasing the growing influence of digital comics:

• Castle Swimmer by Wendy Lian Martin (Webtoon)

• Morgana and Oz by Miyuli (Webtoon)

• The Mafia Nanny by SH00 & Violet Matter (Webtoon)

• Resenter by Gigi Murakami (VIZ Manga)

• Sarah’s Scribbles by Sarah Anderson (Go Comics)

Best Children’s Book

These titles captivate young readers with engaging stories and art:

• The Cartoonists Club by Raina Telgemeier & Scott McCloud (Graphix)

• Chickenpox by Remy Lai (Allen & Unwin)

• Free Piano (Not Haunted) by Whitney Gardner (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)

• Mixed-Up by Kami Garcia & Brittney Williams (First Second)

• Song for You and I by Kay O’Neil (RH Graphic)

• Weirdo by Tony Weaver Jr., Jess Wibowo, & Cin Wibowo (First Second)

Best Young Adult Book

These graphic novels resonate with teen audiences, blending compelling narratives with diverse themes:

• Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang (First Second)

• How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger (Greenwillow Books)

• Navigating with You by Jeremy Whitley, Cassio Ribeiro & Nikki Foxrobot (Maverick/Mad Cave)

• Raised by Ghosts by Briana Loewinsohn (Fantagraphics)

• Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries (HarperAlley)

Best Manga

This category celebrates manga translated into English, showcasing a range of genres:

• The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All by Sumiko Arai, translated by Ajani Oloye (Yen Press)

• The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren, translated by Ajani Oloye (Yen Press)

• Tokyo These Days by Taiyo Matsumoto, translated by Michael Arias (Viz Media)

• Wind Breaker by Satoru Nii, translated by Jacqueline Fung (Kodansha Comics)

• Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama, translated by Stephen Kohler (Kodansha Comics)

Best International Book

These works, translated into English, highlight global storytelling:

• Blacksad: They All Fall Down Part 2 by Juan Díaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido, translated by Diana Schutz & Brandon Kaner (Dark Horse Books)

• Mothballs by Sole Otero, translated by Andrea Rosenberg (Fantagraphics)

• Muybridge by Guy Delisle, translated by Helge Dascher & Rob Aspinall (Drawn & Quarterly)

• Sunday by Olivier Schrauwen (Fantagraphics)

• The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Manu Larcenet, from the novel by Cormac McCarthy (Abrams)

Best Adaptation from Comic Book/Graphic Novel

Unlike other comic awards, the Harveys include a unique category pitting musicals, plays, movies, and TV shows against each other:

• Agatha All Along (Disney+), showrun by Jac Schaeffer, based on Agatha Harkness (Marvel Comics), created by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby

• Berlin: The Play (Court Theatre), adapted by Mickle Maher & directed by Charles Newell, based on Berlin by Jason Lutes (Drawn & Quarterly)

• Boop! The Musical, music by David Foster, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, book by Bob Martin, based on Betty Boop created by Max Fleischer & Grim Natwick

• Cat Kid Comic Club!: The Musical, music by Brad Alexander, book and lyrics by Kevin Del Aguila, based on Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey (Graphix)

• Daredevil: Born Again (Disney+), showrun by Dario Scardapane, inspired by Daredevil: Born Again by Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli, created by Stan Lee & Bill Everett

• The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Marvel Studios), directed by Matt Shakman, based on The Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics), created by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby

• Paying For It, directed by Sook-Yin Lee, based on Paying For It by Chester Brown (Drawn & Quarterly)

• The Penguin (Max Original), showrun by Lauren LeFranc, based on The Penguin (DC Comics), created by Bob Kane & Bill Finger

• Superman (DC Studios), directed by James Gunn, based on Superman (DC Comics), created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Schuster

• Thunderbolts (Marvel Studios), directed by Jake Schreier, based on Thunderbolts (Marvel Comics), created by Kurt Busiek & Mark Bagley

Notable Trends and Publishers

Webtoon leads the Digital Book of the Year category with three nominations: Castle Swimmer, Morgana and Oz, and The Mafia Nanny. First Second matches this with three nominations across categories, including Mixed-Up and Weirdo in Best Children’s Book and Ash’s Cabin in Best Young Adult Book. Fantagraphics also secures three nominations, with Raised by Ghosts and Mothballs in Best Young Adult Book and Sunday in Best International Book. Dark Horse, Viz, Yen Press, and Kodansha each earned two nominations, while Marvel dominates the Best Adaptation category with four nominations, despite only one print nomination for Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1.

Voting and Ceremony Details

Voting is exclusive to comic industry professionals with a Professional or Artist Alley badge from a ReedPop convention between 2016 and 2025. Eligible voters have already received invitations, and those interested can apply to vote at harveyawards.com/apply-to-vote. The awards ceremony, to be livestreamed during NYCC (October 9-12, 2025), will also announce the 2025 Hall of Fame inductees. Stay updated via the official Harvey Awards website or social media.

Why It Matters

The Harvey Awards celebrate the diversity and creativity of the comic industry, from indie gems to blockbuster adaptations. With categories spanning print, digital, and multimedia, they highlight the evolving landscape of sequential art. Whether you’re a fan, creator, or industry professional, the 2025 nominees offer a rich selection to explore. Check out NYCC details at newyorkcomiccon.com and dive into the world of comics