The nominations for this year’s British Comic Awards, held during November’s Thought Bubble Convention in Leeds, have been officially opened this week. In addition, the 10 people making up the selection committee have also been named (and, yes, shamed). This is an open nomination process, meaning anybody can submit their favourite comics of the year for nomination – as long as they stick to the rules of the awards. There are four categories up for nomination, being Best Comic, Best Book, Young People’s Comic Award, and Emerging Talent. A fifth award, a ‘Hall of Fame’ award, will be awarded at the ceremony.

BCA Logo

Once a book has been nominated once, it doesn’t need to be nominated a second time. Every comic nominated will be put forward for consideration by the committee, who, yes, will all wear masks and shadowy robes, and meet in an abandoned Cathedral. So this isn’t a case of who can flood the ballot box, it’s a case of who is judged to have done the best work by the committee. But who are the committee? Well, they’re an assortment of creators, scholars, and scholars.

Founder Adam Cadwell is chairing the committee, presumably from an ivory throne, whilst the committee itself will be made up of Zainab Akhtar, Clark Burscough, Richard Bruton, Dr. Mel Gibson, Dr. Ian Hague, Tom Humberstone, David Monteith, Vicky Stonebridge, Stacey Whittle and Lisa Wood. The site emphasises that this year there is full gender parity on the committee, with five male judges and five female judges. Also, that Zainab Akhtar person sounds awfully familiar…?

The awards are being held on 23rd November this year, and you can nominate up until the end of August. Go vote! Close your eyes, set your hands to the keyboard, and think of Britain!

 

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