Doug Wright Award

The Doug Wright Awards for Canadian Cartooning (established in December 2004), handed out annually since 2005 during the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, are literary awards given to Canadian cartoonists. Honouring excellence in comics (including webcomics) and graphic novels published in English (including translated works), the awards are named in honour of Canadian cartoonist Doug Wright. Winners are selected by a jury of Canadians who have made significant contributions to national culture, based on shortlisted selections provided by a nominating committee of five experts in the comics field.

The Wright Awards are handed out in four categories:

• The Doug Wright Award for Best Book
• The Nipper: The Doug Wright Award for Emerging Talent
  (formerly known as "The Spotlight Award")
• The Pigskin Peters: The Doug Wright Award for Best Small- or Micro-press Book
  (first awarded in 2008; it was formerly awarded for "experimental, non-traditional or avant-garde comics," though these books are still considered "especially welcome in this category");
• The Egghead: The Doug Wright Award for Best Kids’ Book
  (first awarded in 2020; for young readers ages 0-12)

In addition to the awards, since 2005 the organizers annually induct at least one cartoonist into the Giants of the North: The Canadian Cartoonist Hall Fame.

The Wright Awards are modeled after traditional book prizes, with the intention of drawing attention to the comics medium from a broad range of demographics inside and outside of its traditional fanbase. The Wrights have garnered acclaim as well as earning the support of a diverse range of participating artists and jurors including Scott Thompson, Don McKellar, Bruce McDonald, Jerry Ciccoritti, Bob Rae, Andrew Coyne, Sara Quin, Greg Morrison, Chester Brown, Lorenz Peter, and Nora Young.