Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story


The Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story is given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories told in graphic form and published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. It has been awarded annually since 2009. The Hugo Awards have been described as "a fine showcase for speculative fiction" and "the best known literary award for science fiction writing".
In the 15 nomination years, 82 works from 51 series have been nominated, including Retro Hugos. Works from 9 different series have won the award, including Retro Hugos. Girl Genius, written by Kaja and Phil Foglio, drawn by Phil Foglio, and colored by Cheyenne Wright, won the first three awards. After their third straight win in 2011, the Girl Genius team announced that, in order to show that the category was a "viable award", they were refusing nomination for the following year ; Girl Genius was nominated for a fourth time in 2014. For the following five years, the award was taken by a different series or work every year; winners include Ursula Vernon's Digger, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples's Saga, Randall Munroe's "Time", G. Willow Wilson's Ms. Marvel, Neil Gaiman and J. H. Williams III's The Sandman: Overture. The 2017–2019 awards saw the second series to win three times, Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda's Monstress. The first two Retro Hugos were won by Bill Finger and Bob Kane's Batman #1, and William Moulton Marsden and H. G. Peter's Wonder Woman #5: "Battle for Womanhood". Saga has the most nominations at six, followed by Howard Tayler's Schlock Mercenary at five, while Monstress, Bill Willingham's Fables, Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang's Paper Girls, and Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon have been nominated four times. seven other works have at least two nominations.

Selection

Hugo Award nominees and winners are chosen by supporting or attending members of the annual World Science Fiction Convention, or Worldcon, and the presentation evening constitutes its central event. The selection process is defined in the World Science Fiction Society Constitution as instant-runoff voting with six nominees, except in the case of a tie as happened in 2009. The graphic stories on the ballot are the six most-nominated by members that year, with no limit on the number of stories that can be nominated. Initial nominations are made by members in January through March, while voting on the ballot of six nominations is performed roughly in April through July, subject to change depending on when that year's Worldcon is held. Prior to 2017, the final ballot was five works; it was changed that year to six, with each initial nominator limited to five nominations. Worldcons are generally held near the start of September, and are held in a different city around the world each year. In addition to the regular Hugo awards, beginning in 1996 Retrospective Hugo Awards, or "Retro Hugos", have been available to be awarded for 50, 75, or 100 years prior. Retro Hugos may only be awarded for years in which a World Science Fiction Convention, or Worldcon, was hosted, but no awards were originally given. To date, Retro Hugo awards have only been given for graphic stories for 1941 and 1944.

Winners and nominees

In the following table, the years correspond to the date of the ceremony, rather than when the story was first published. Entries with a blue background have won the award; those with a white background are the other nominated works.
* Winners and joint winners
YearWorkCreatorPublisherRef.
2009*Kaja Foglio, Phil Foglio, Cheyenne Wright Airship Entertainment
2009Jim Butcher, Ardian Syaf Del Rey Books/Dabel Brothers Productions
2009Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Andrew Peopy, Lee Loughridge, Todd Klein Vertigo
2009Howard Tayler The Tayler Corporation
2009'Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, Will Conrad, Michelle Madsen, Jo Chen Dark Horse Comics
2009'Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, Jose Marzan, Jr. Vertigo
2010*Kaja Foglio, Phil Foglio, Cheyenne Wright Airship Entertainment
2010Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert, Scott Williams DC Comics
2010Captain Britain and MI13. Volume 3: Vampire StatePaul Cornell, Leonard Kirk, Mike Collins, Adrian Alphona, Ardian Syaf Marvel Comics
2010Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Peter Gross, Andrew Peopy, Mike Allred, David Hahn, Lee Loughridge, Laura Allred, Todd Klein Vertigo
2010Howard Tayler The Tayler Corporation
2011*Kaja Foglio, Phil Foglio, Cheyenne Wright Airship Entertainment
2011Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham Vertigo
2011Bryan Talbot Dark Horse Comics
2011Howard Tayler Hypernode
2011The Unwritten, Volume 2: Inside ManMike Carey, Peter Gross Vertigo
2012Digger*Ursula Vernon Sofawolf Press
2012Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham Vertigo
2012Locke & Key Volume 4: Keys To The KingdomJoe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez IDW Publishing
2012Howard Tayler The Tayler Corporation
2012The Unwritten, Volume 4: LeviathanMike Carey, Peter Gross Vertigo
2013*Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples Image Comics
2013Bryan Talbot Dark Horse Comics
2013Locke & Key Volume 5: ClockworksJoe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez IDW Publishing
2013Howard Tayler The Tayler Corporation
2013Saucer Country, Volume 1: RunPaul Cornell, Ryan Kelly, Jimmy Broxton, and Goran Sudžuka Vertigo
2014*Randall Munroexkcd
2014Kaja Foglio, Phil Foglio, Cheyenne Wright Airship Entertainment
2014Paul Cornell, Jimmy Broxton IDW Publishing
2014Raya Golden, George R. R. Martin Jet City Comics
2014Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples Image Comics
2015*G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, Jake Wyatt Marvel Comics
2015Rat Queens, Volume 1: Sass and SorceryKurtis J. Weibe, Roc Upchurch Image Comics
2015Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples Image Comics
2015Sex Criminals, Volume 1: One Weird TrickMatt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky Image Comics
2015Carter Reid
2016*Neil Gaiman, J. H. Williams III Vertigo
2016Boaz Lavie, Asaf Hanuka, Tomer Hanuka First Second Books
2016Erin Dies AloneGrey Carter, Cory Rydell dyingalone.net
2016Full Frontal NerdityAaron Williamsffn.nodwick.com
2016Invisible Republic, Volume 1Corinna Bechko, Gabriel Hardman Image Comics
2017*Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda Image Comics
2017Black Panther, Volume 1: A Nation Under Our FeetTa-Nehisi Coates, Brian Stelfreeze Marvel Comics
2017G. Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa Marvel Comics
2017Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, Matthew Wilson, Jared Fletcher Image Comics
2017Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples, Fonografiks Image Comics
2017Tom King, Gabriel Hernandez Walta Marvel Comics
2018*Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda Image Comics
2018Bitch Planet, Volume 2: President BitchKelly Sue DeConnick, Valentine De Landro, Taki Soma, Kelly Fitzpatrick, Clayton Cowles Image Comics
2018Black Bolt, Volume 1: Hard TimeSaladin Ahmed, Christian Ward, Clayton Cowles Marvel Comics
2018My Favorite Thing Is MonstersEmil Ferris Fantagraphics Books
2018Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, Matthew Wilson, Jared Fletcher Image Comics
2018Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples Image Comics
2019Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda Image Comics
2019AbbottSaladin Ahmed, Sami Kivelä, Jason Wordie, Jim Campbell Boom! Studios
2019Black Panther: Long Live the KingNnedi Okorafor, Aaron Covington, André Lima Araújo, Mario Del Pennino, Tana Ford Marvel Comics
2019On a SunbeamTillie Walden First Second Books
2019Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, Matthew Wilson, Jared Fletcher Image Comics
2019Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples Image Comics
2020LaGuardiaNnedi Okorafor, Tana Ford, James Devlin Berger Books / Dark Horse Comics
2020Die, Volume 1: Fantasy HeartbreakerKieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, Clayton Cowles Image Comics
2020Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda Image Comics
2020MooncakesSuzanne Walker, Wendy Xu, Joamette Gil Oni Press / Lion Forge Comics
2020Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, Matt Wilson, Jared K. Fletcher Image Comics
2020Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson, Clayton Cowles Image Comics

Retro Hugos

Beginning with the 1996 Worldcon, the World Science Fiction Society created the concept of "Retro Hugos", in which the Hugo award could be retroactively awarded for 50, 75, or 100 years prior. Retro Hugos may only be awarded for years after 1939 in which no awards were originally given. The only times the Graphic Story category has both existed and received enough nominations to support a Retro Hugo category was in 2016 for 1941, 2019 for 1944, and 2020 for 1945.
YearYear awardedWorkCreatorPublisherRef.
19412016Batman #1*Bill Finger, Bob Kane Detective Comics
19412016Captain Marvel: "Introducing Captain Marvel"Bill Parker, C. C. BeckWhiz Comics #2
19412016Flash Gordon: "The Ice Kingdom of Mongo"Alex Raymond, Don MooreKing Features Syndicate
19412016Will EisnerRegister and Tribune Syndicate
19412016The Spectre: "The Spectre"/"The Spectre Strikes!"Jerry Siegel, Bernard Baily More Fun Comics
19442019Wonder Woman #5: "Battle for Womanhood"*William Moulton Marsden, H. G. Peter DC Comics
19442019Buck Rogers: "Martians Invade Jupiter"Philip Francis Nowlan, Dick Calkins National Newspaper Service
19442019Flash Gordon: "Fiery Desert of Mongo"Alex Raymond King Features Syndicate
19442019GarthSteve Dowling Daily Mirror
19442019Plastic Man #1: "The Game of Death"Jack Cole Vital Publications
19442019The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the UnicornHergé Le Soir
19452020Superman: "The Mysterious Mr. Mxyztplk"Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster Detective Comics
19452020Buck Rogers: "Hollow Planetoid"Dick Calkins National Newspaper Service
19452020Donald Duck: "The Mad Chemist"Carl Barks Dell Comics
19452020Flash Gordon: "Battle for Tropica"Alex Raymond King Features Syndicate
19452020Flash Gordon: "Triumph in Tropica"Alex Raymond King Features Syndicate
19452020Manly Wade Wellman, Lou Fine and Don Komisarow Register and Tribune Syndicate