There are the Eisner Awards, the Harvey Awards and the Ringo Awards, all named for celebrated comics artists. And starting in 2026, there will also be the Kirby Awards.
(To be fair, at one point in their development both the Eisners and Harveys considered the name Kirby…!)
Named for Jack and Rosalind Kirby, the Kirby Awards will be overseen by Comic Art Fans, the Jack Kirby Estate (represented by the Rosalind Kirby Family Trust), and the Jack Kirby Museum & Research Center. The Jack & Roz Kirby Awards are intended to recognize “innovation, excellence, and humanity in narrative communication,” according to a report at Publishers Weekly.
“We are extremely excited to partner with CAF to help envision and create these awards, which we feel will truly honor Jack and Roz’s legacy while celebrating the passion and future of comic art in remarkable artists today,” said Tracy Kirby, a representative for the Kirby Estate, in a statement.
Jack Kirby at the drawing boardThe inaugural Kirby Awards will be held at the Original Art Expo on February 20-22, 2026 in Orlando. More details — including who will vote on the awards, what the statue itself looks like, and more — will be coming in November.
Jack Kirby was famously instrumental in forcing American comics publishers to return the original comics art to the artist. For years, editors would hoard or destroy original art, the resale of which is now a key part of most comic artists’ living.
According to Comic Art Fans, the initial Kirby Awards will celebrate six categories: New Voices, Independent Spirit, Innovator, Visionary, Storyteller, and Teacher.
The Kirby Awards were created by Comic Art Fans CEO Kasra Ghanbari, and will be operated as a 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 the press release. The partnership will be overseen by Ghanbari, Tracy Kirby, and Tom Kraft of the Kirby Museum.
“This partnership and award are opportunities granted to us by Jack and Roz Kirby, and what they represented, to convey the importance of dreaming, creating, expressing, and evolving,” Ghanbari said on social media. “The Kirbys will seek to identify and support unique and compelling voices and perspectives, serving as recognition and strong encouragement to a creator to continue their path with gratitude for where they’ve already reached. Individuation and capable expression are a mandate, and importantly, Jack seemed to always ask the question: What’s next?”
Jack Kirby, born Jacob Kurtzberg, is one of the most influential cartoonists in the history of American comics. Responsible for co-creating most of Marvel’s foundational characters (including Captain America with Joe Simon, and dozens of heroes and villains with Stan Lee including the Fantastic Four and Avengers), Kirby has also contributed significantly to DC’s universe with characters like Kamandi, the New Gods, and his influential run on Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen.
The Kirby Awards will take place in February in Orlando.
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