The American Library Association’s Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table announced plans to launch an awards program in 2026, and this week they revealed the winners of the first-ever Outstanding Comics for Adults Awards.
“In libraries, we see how comics bring people together, new readers, lifelong fans, and everyone in between,” said the round table’s president, Shauntee Burns-Simpson. “The Outstanding Comics Award honors works that expand our understanding of what stories can look like and ensure that there is something on the shelf for everyone.”
The awards launch with three categories — fiction, non-fiction and series, and for each category they chose one winner and one or two “honor books,” or runners up. Check out the winners below.
Outstanding Comics Award – Adult in the Category of Fiction Winner
Tongues, written and drawn by Anders Brekhus Nilsen. Published by Pantheon.
Honor Books
Drome, written and drawn by Jesse Lonergan. Published by 23rd St.
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, written and drawn by Anaïs Flogny. Translated by Dan Christensen. Published by Abrams ComicArts.
Outstanding Comics Award – Adult in the Category of Non-Fiction Winner
Insectopolis, written and drawn by Peter Kuper. Published by W.W. Norton & Company.
Honor Book:
Black Arms to Hold You Up, written and drawn by Ben Passmore. Published by Pantheon.
Outstanding Comics Award – Adult in the Category of Series Honor Books
Outstanding Comics Award – Adult in the Category of Series Winner
The Night Eaters volumes 1-3, written by Marjorie Liu with art by Sana Takeda. Published by Abrams ComicArts.
Honor Books
The Department of Truth volumes 1-6, written by James Tynion IV with art by Martin Simmonds + more. Letters by Aditya Bidikar. Designed by Dylan Todd. Edited by Steve Foxe. Published by Image Comics.
Search & Destroy volumes 1-3, written by Atsushi Kaneko. Based on work by Osamu Tezuka. Art by Atsushi Kaneko. Lettering by Phil Christie. Translation by Ben Applegate. Published by Fantagraphics.