On October 7, the inaugural Scholastic Graphic Novel Awards ceremony took place at London's Cartoon Museum, with what appeared to be several hundred elementary school children optimistically squeezed in alongside authors, publishers, and agents.

Rachel Partridge welcomed guests—including pupils from Heathmore Primary, Art Atwood Primary, Burlington House, and Alpha Prep School, many of whom had helped choose the winners from the shortlists—before introducing the host of the event, broadcaster and author Konnie Huq. "Graphic novels are a great way to engage and build strong reading habits," Huq said. "They are a brilliant gateway into reading. And these winners have all been voted for by the kids themselves, that's what makes these awards so special."

Bumble and Snug and the Shy Ghost by Mark Bradley (Hachette Children's Group) received the award for best graphic novel for young readers; InvesiGators: All Tide Up by John Patrick Green (Macmillan Children's Books) took home the prize for best graphic novel for older readers; and Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman (Hachette Children's Group) won for best graphic novel for teens.

"I want to thank all the readers and everyone who voted, the kids, teaches, parents and librarians out there who have been so very supportive of graphic novels as a form of literature and storytelling," said Green in his acceptance speech. "Comic books and graphic novels have always been my favorite form of storytelling, and it's so great that there are people spreading the word of how good they are for all age groups."

The event also featured four graphic novel artists—Sarah Bowie, Sophy Henn, Thiago de Moraes, and Jim Smith—who led the audience in a "draw-along." The event culminated in a "draw-off" among the artists, designing a new graphic novel characters based on enthusiastic audience participation.

"We are so delighted to have seen the response to the inaugural Graphic Novel Prize, both from the industry and the schools and children who have voted for their winners," said Rachel Partridge, group marketing and PR and schools commercial director at Scholastic. "Graphic novels are often a vital route into reading for children who may not think of themselves as readers. We frequently hear from schools that investing in graphic novels for their libraries and reading corners tempts more children to pick up a book and they have an increasing role to play when we currently have the lowest levels of reading enjoyment for children aged 5-18 since 2005."

Partridge added: "I hope the shortlists for the prize act as a signpost for teachers, parents and children to discover more of these brilliant authors and illustrators in support of the work that already exists to showcase this fantastic genre."

The judging panel comprised Jon Biddle, English teacher at Moorlands School; Jo Cummins, teacher, blogger and podcast host; Sha Nazir, event producer at ACME Comic Con; Richard Ruddick, teacher and Comics in Class blogger; and Michael Stirling, creative director at the Beano comics magazine. While the judges selected the shortlist, the winners of the awards were decided entirely by children's votes submitted from schools across the U.K. and Ireland.

"I was overjoyed to be part of the judging team for the first Scholastic Graphic Novel Prize and felt privileged to work alongside people whose expertise and knowledge far outweighs my own," said Biddle. "Graphic novels are booming in popularity right now, and it's increasingly apparent how much impact they can have on the reading journey of children. Hopefully, these awards will help shine a spotlight on some of the best that are out there and encourage even more children (and adults) to pick them up and give them a try."

Biddle added: "I can't wait to see how these exciting awards develop in the future as graphic novels will continue to gain momentum in the classroom and beyond."

A version of this article originally appeared in BookBrunch.