Details of the 2018 Harvey Awards announced and it’s a big change

The Harvey Awards have been absent from the comics industry awards slate for a few years, ever since it was announced that they would be leaving Baltimore and moving to New York Comic Con.  Details of the new structure have been scarce, but a press release with the new Harveys has just gone out – and it is a very different affair indeed.

The number of awards has been radically slimmed down to a mere six categories – all book based – and three categories for various hall of fame type awards. It’s become more of a book prize than anything. As before, nominations will be chosen by a wide swatch of industry pros, but they will be selected by a “handpicked” committee of pros, based on ReedPOP’s creator list. Based on the issues ReedPOP has had with pro badges. I’m not entirely convinced, but it’s got to be better than the year the Wimpy Kid creator (bless him) was nominated for Best Inker.

You can read all the details below. If nothing else, the long ago five hour Harvey evenings will be just that, memories.

The Harvey Awards Committee, as part of the award’s 30^th anniversary celebration, today announced a new slate of categories for the first full award presentation at New York Comic Con in October. In addition to the new awards, this year’s ceremony will feature a brand new nomination and voting procedure along. ReedPOP, the world’s leading producer of pop culture events, will host a gala event on Saturday, October 6^th  to present this year’s awards and honor the life and work of Harvey Kurtzman.

New for the 30^th Anniversary, nominees for this year’s awards will be selected by a handpicked committee of diverse industry voices and voted on by eligible industry professionals. Utilizing ReedPOP’s extensive network of comic and industry professionals, attendees who have been previously approved for a Pro Badge or Artist Alley Badge at a 2016, 2017 or 2018 ReedPOP comic convention (New York Comic Con, Emerald City Comic Con, C2E2) are automatically eligible to cast their ballot. Nominees will be announced and voting will begin on August 1^st.  Voting will conclude on August 23^rd. 

In addition to a restructured nomination and voting process, the 30^th Anniversary of the Harvey Awards will feature an all-new slate of categories:

• Book of the Year: Best long-form graphic novel or collection that demonstrating excellence in writing, art or cartooning showcasing great representation of the form.
• Digital Book of the Year: Best comic or collection originally presented in a digital format
• Best Children or Young Adult Book: Best long-form original graphic novel or collection presented for younger audiences
• Best Adaptation from Comic Book/Graphic Novel: Best adaptation to another medium of a work originally presented as a graphic novel, trade collection or comic book
• Best Manga: Best single manga of the year translated in to English
• Best European Book: Best European material translated in to English

A handful of Special Awards will be presented to individuals as chosen by the Harvey Awards Executive Committee:

• Harvey Kurtzman Award for Humor: Special Award for satire in comic books, graphic novels, comic strips (digital or print) that embodies the spirit of Harvey Kurtzman.
• Harvey Hall of Fame Award: Honoring creators who have had a distinguished career or impact on the medium for over two decades.
• International Spotlight Award: Presented to a creator whose work originates outside the United States that has had an impact on the medium.

“With the new Harvey Awards at NYCC, our goal is to bring the year’s best graphic works to the fore,” said Nellie Kurtzman, chair of the Harvey Awards Executive Committee. “As a reader, seeing a book acknowledged by the Harvey Awards should ensure you’re picking up the best our industry has to offer. As a librarian, educator or retailer – the Harvey Awards should help guide you towards quality material. With the help of the new nomination and voting procedures, our goal is to help new and old fans alike find the best work the comics medium has to offer.”

The Harvey Awards, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2018, honors achievement in comic books across a variety of categories and represents one of the industry’s largest annual events. The Harveys have long recognized comic book excellence – honoring industry professionals in the United States and internationally. Named after Harvey Kurtzman, the late famed comic genius who is best remembered for creating MAD, the Harveys are returning to the birthplace of comics and the lifelong home of Kurtzman himself– New York City.

“We are thrilled to honor the life and work of the great Harvey Kurtzman here in his hometown during one of the biggest comic events of the year, New York Comic Con,” said Lance Fensterman, Global President of ReedPOP. “By opening the voting and process to our network, we believe that these iconic awards will become even more inclusive and shine a spotlight on the industry’s best works.”

For more information about Harvey Kurtzman and the Harvey Awards, please visit harveyawards.com or the Harvey Awards social media pages (Facebook, and Twitter). The 2017/2018 Harvey Awards Committee is chaired by Nellie Kurtzman along with noted industry veterans John Lind and Chip Mosher.