Nominations Announced for 2021 Will Eisner Awards

The Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards, honoring the best comics of the year, announced this year's nominees, which are led by publishers Image and Fantagraphics, with 17 and 18 respectively, and cartoonist Gene Luen Yang, who led all artists with five nominations. A full list of the nominations for the 2021 Eisner Awards can be found on the San Diego Comic-Con website.

In addition to Image and Fantagraphics, other publishers with multiple nominations include IDW/Top Shelf (10 and 1 share), DC (9 and 6 shared), D&Q (9), First Second (8 and 1 shared), Europe Comics (7), BOOM! (5 and 4 shared), Abrams (5), Marvel (4 and 6 shared), Viz Media (4 and 1 shared), Magnetic Press (4), and Dark Horse (3 and 4 shared).

Among Gene Luen Yang’s five nominations are three for Dragon Hoops (First Second). Six creators have three nominations each: Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, Jeff Lemire, Adrian Tomine, James Tynion IV, and Chip Zdarsky

This year, the Eisner judges have added a new category, Best Graphic Memoir. Previously autobiographical works were included in the Nonfiction/Best Reality-Based Work category. The Judges found that there were so many quality works of memoir that a new category was required.

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards are presented each year by the San Diego Comic Convention, a.k.a. San Diego Comic-Con, during the annual pop culture convention, which will once again be presented online from July 23-25, 2021 as Comic-Con@Home.