Nominees for the 13th annual Doug Wright Awards, recognizing the year’s best work and most promising talent in the Canadian comics industry, were announced on April 13. Conundrum Press, Drawn & Quarterly, and Koyama Press all saw multiple books nominated. Katherine Collins, creator of the comic Neil the Horse, previously was announced as this year’s Giants of the North hall of fame inductee. The Doug Wright Awards will be presented on May 14 at the Toronto Reference Library, during the Toronto Comic Arts Festival.

The Doug Wright Award, for best book:

• Mary Wept Over the Feet of Jesus by Chester Brown (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Big Kids by Michael DeForge (D&Q)
• Burt’s Way Home by John Martz (Koyama Press)
• The Envelope Manufacturer by Chris Oliveros
• Bird in a Cage by Rebecca Roher (Conundrum Press)

The Doug Wright Spotlight Award, for a cartoonist deserving wider recognition:

• Jessica Campbell, Hot or Not: 20th-Century Male Artists (Koyama)
• GG, “These Days,” “Lapse” (both from š! No. 25 [kuš!]), and an untitled story from Altcomics Magazine 3 (2dcloud)
• Nathan Jurevicius, Birthmark (Koyama)
• Laura Ķeniņš, Alien Beings (kuš!)
• Brie Moreno, Dearest, Gift Shop 3D (Oireau), Missy, untitled story from š! No. 6 (kuš!), various web comics
• Steve Wolfhard, Cat Rackham (Koyama)

The Pigskin Peters Award, for best experimental, unconventional, or avant-garde comic:

• Carpet Sweeper Tales by Julie Doucet (D&Q)
• Draw Blood by Ron Hotz
• Garbage by Matthew Reichertz (Conundrum)
• After Land by Chris Taylor (Floating World Comics)
• The Palace of Champions by Henriette Valium (Conundrum)