2025 Ignatz Awards Nominees: Celebrating Indie and Alternative Comics

The 2025 Ignatz Awards nominees have been announced, showcasing a vibrant array of indie and alternative comics published between June 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025. Presented during the Small Press Expo (SPX) weekend, the Ignatz Awards honor outstanding achievements in comics across ten categories. Online voting is now open and will close at 8pm ET on September 12, 2025, with winners announced at a ceremony on September 13, 2025, during SPX. Fans and readers can cast their votes online at spxpo.com/ignatz-awards.

The nominations reflect a diverse mix of creators, publishers, and works, with Drawn & Quarterly leading with five nominations, followed closely by Fantagraphics and Silver Sprocket with four each. Emerging publisher CRAM Books, founded in 2021, secures three nominations, while Avery Hill Publishing, Iron Circus, and others also make strong showings. Notably, Anders Nilsen stands out as the most nominated creator, earning three nods for Tongues and Tongues Supplement #1.

Below is a comprehensive breakdown of the 2025 Ignatz Awards nominees across all categories:

Outstanding Artist

• Sarah Airriess, The Worst Journey in the World (Iron Circus Comics)

• Deb JJ Lee, Death Fiddles and We Dance (Self-Published/Shortbox)

• Kazimir Lee, Low Orbit (Top Shelf Productions)

• Lomig, JOHN MUIR: To the Heart of Solitude (NBM Graphic Novels)

• Anders Nilsen, Tongues Supplement #1 (NoMiracles)

Outstanding Anthology

• Braba: A Brazilian Comics Anthology, edited by Rafael Grampá and Janaína de Luna (Fantagraphics)

• Come Find Me, edited by Will Dennis and Sean Edgar (DSTLRY)

• Datura Magazine vol. 3, edited by Sunmi and Mar Julia (Self-Published)

• Loud: Stories to Make Your Voice Heard, edited by Brett Israel (Dark Horse Comics)

• Rust Belt Review vol. 6, by Sean Knickerbocker (Self-Published)

Outstanding Collection

• I Ate the Whole World to Find You, by Rachel Ang (Drawn and Quarterly)

• Milk White Steed, by Michael D. Kennedy (Drawn and Quarterly)

• Preparing to Bite, by Keiler Roberts (Drawn and Quarterly)

• Them-Shaped Cloud, by Max Huffman (CRAM Books)

• World Within the World, by Julia Gfrörer (Fantagraphics)

Outstanding Comic

• Belly Full of Heart, by Madeline Mouse (Silver Sprocket)

• Big Gamble Rainbow Highway, by Connie Meyers (CRAM Books)

• Lucky Cap Scouts, by O. Stevens (Silver Sprocket)

• The Re-Up #6, by Chad Bilyeu and Juliette de Wit (Bistro Books)

• Tongues Supplement #1, by Anders Nilsen (NoMiracles)

Outstanding Graphic Novel

• Adrift on a Painted Sea, by Tim Bird (Avery Hill Publishing)

• Land of Mirrors, by María Medem, translated by Aleshia Jensen & Daniela Ortiz (Drawn and Quarterly)

• Precious Rubbish, by Kayla E. (Fantagraphics)

• Processing: 100 Comics That Got Me Through It, by Tara Booth (Drawn and Quarterly)

• Skin, by Mieke Versyp and Sabien Clement (Fantagraphics)

Outstanding Minicomic

• Allodynia, by Violet Kitchen (Self-Published)

• Big Apple Matinee, by A. T. Pratt (Self-Published)

• The Connoisseurs, by Alex Swift (Frog Farm)

• The Mole, by Arantza Peña Popo (Self-Published)

• Szarlotka, by Jas Hice (Frog Farm)

Outstanding Series

• Disciples of Soil, by B. Mure (Avery Hill Publishing)

• PeePee PooPoo, by Caroline Cash (Silver Sprocket)

• The Re-Up, by Chad Bilyeu & Juliette de Wit (Bistro Books)

• Tongues, by Anders Nilsen (NoMiracles)

• Wedding Juice, by Sanika Phawde (Self-Published)

Outstanding Story

• A Pillbug Story, by Allison Conway (Black Panel Press)

• Ballad for Black Cassandra, by Olivia Stephens (Self-Published)

• Boy Island, by Leo Fox (Silver Sprocket)

• How to Talk to Your Succulent, by Zoe Persico (Tundra Book Group)

• Ruin of the House of the Divine Visage, by Spire Greenwood and Eve Greenwood (Self-Published)

Promising New Talent

• Trishelle Jeffery, Best Breasts in the West (Fieldmouse Press)

• Mili St. John, The Edge of Autumn (Self-Published)

• Ricky Lima and Daniele Aquilani, Undergrowth (Top Shelf Productions)

• Connie Meyers, Big Gamble Rainbow Highway (CRAM Books)

• Vicky Yang, Unmoored (Self-Published)

Voting and Announcement Details

The 2025 Ignatz Awards nominees were announced on platforms like Comics Beat (www.comicsbeat.com/the-2025-ignatz-award-nominees-have-arrived/). Readers and fans can vote online at spxpo.com/ignatz-awards until 8pm ET on September 12, 2025. The winners will be celebrated at the SPX ceremony on September 13, 2025, highlighting the best in indie comics.

This year’s nominations underscore the richness of the indie comics scene, with a blend of established publishers and self-published creators pushing creative boundaries. Don’t miss your chance to support your favorites by voting!