There’s the Eisner Award, the Harvey Award, and the Ringo Award, all named after famous cartoonists. The Kirby Awards are also scheduled to be held from 2026.
(To be fair, both the Eisners and Harveys considered the name Kirby at some point during development…!)
The Kirby Prize, named after Jack and Rosalind Kirby, is overseen by Comic Art Fans, the Jack Kirby Estate (represented by the Rosalind Kirby Family Trust), and the Jack Kirby Museum and Research Center. Publishers Weekly reports that the Jack and Roz Kirby Award aims to recognize “innovation, excellence, and humanity in narrative communication.”
“We are thrilled to partner with CAF to help conceive and create these awards,” Tracy Kirby, president of the Kirby Estate, said in a statement. “We believe this award will truly honor the legacy of Jack and Loz, while also celebrating the passion and future of comic book art from today’s notable artists.”
jack kirby at the drawing board
The inaugural Kirby Awards will be held at the Original Art Expo in Orlando, February 20-22, 2026. More details, including who will vote for the award and what the statue itself will look like, are expected to be announced in November.
Jack Kirby is famous for forcing American comic book publishers to return original comic book art to authors. For years, editors bought up and destroyed original art, but its resale is now an important part of most cartoonists’ lives.
According to Comic Art Fans, the first Kirby Awards will honor six categories: New Voices, Independent Spirit, Innovator, Visionary, Storyteller, and Teacher.
The Kirby Prize was founded by Comic Art Fan CEO Kasra Gambari and is run in partnership between CAF, the Kirby Estate and the Jack Kirby Museum. The three organizations also plan to collaborate on other fundraising and promotional events, according to a press release. The partnership will be overseen by Gambari, Tracy Kirby and Tom Craft of the Kirby Museum.
“This partnership and award gives us the opportunity to share the importance of dreaming, creating, expressing and evolving through Jack and Roz Kirby and what they represent,” Gambari said on social media. “The Kirby family strives to identify and support unique and compelling voices and perspectives. This serves as a recognition and strong encouragement for creators to continue on their path with an appreciation for where they have already gotten. Individuality and competent expression is a calling, and importantly, Jack always seemed to be asking the question: What’s next?”
Jack Kirby, real name Jacob Kurtzberg, is one of the most influential cartoonists in the history of American comics. Co-creating most of Marvel’s foundational characters (including Joe Simon and Captain America, and dozens of heroes and villains with Stan Lee, including the Fantastic Four and the Avengers), Kirby made major contributions to the DC Universe with characters such as Kamandi, the New Gods, and his influence on Superman’s sidekick Jimmy Olsen.
The Kirby Awards will be held in Orlando in February.
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