Here they are—the nominees for the 19th annual Doug Wright Awards!

This time around Conan Tobias tells us a record 200 entries by Canadian authors and artists were submitted from dozens of publishers and self-published authors. Creators with multiple nominations include Jonathan Dyck, Guojing, Cory Silverberg, and Fiona Smyth. Publishers of multiple nominees include Conundrum, Drawn & Quarterly, Random House Studio, and Triangle Square. Nominees for the 2023 Doug Wright Awards were selected from entries of books published in the 2022 calendar year. The short list and winners were chosen by a panel of three judges for each category.

And the nominees are . . .

The Doug Wright Award for best book

Ducks
Kate Beaton 
Drawn & Quarterly

Time Zone J
Julie Doucet
Drawn & Quarterly

Shelterbelts
Jonathan Dyck
Conundrum Press

The Flamingo
Guojing
Random House Studio

Kwändür
Cole Pauls
Conundrum Press

You Know, Sex
Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth
Triangle Square

The Nipper: The Doug Wright Award for emerging talent

Emily Carrington
Our Little Secret
Drawn & Quarterly

Jonathan Dyck
Shelterbelts
Conundrum Press

Kiona Callihoo Ligtvoet
We Were Younger Once
Conundrum Press

Lynette Richards
Call Me Bill
Conundrum Press/Emanata Imprint

Adam de Souza
Blind Alley No. 1, ISH
Self-Published, Silver Sprocket

The Pigskin Peters: The Doug Wright Award for best small- or micro-press book

The Life I Want
Patrick Allaby
Self-Published

Assorted Baggage
Matthew Daley
Black Eye Books

Where Have You Been?
Ivana Filipovich (trans: Ivana Filipovich/Andrea Hankinson)
Self-Published

Butterfly House
Troy Little and Brenda Hickey
Pegamoose Press

Thousand Oaks: Machine Mail (Part 3)
Blaise Moritz
Urban Farm Print and Sound

The Egghead: The Doug Wright Award for best kids’ book

Scout is Not a Band Kid
Jade Armstrong
Random House Graphic

Paws: Mindy Makes Some Space
Michele Assarasakorn and Nathan Fairbairn
Razorbill

Super Family! (Simon and Chester Book 3)
Cale Atkinson
Tundra Books

The Flamingo
Guojing
Random House Studio

You Know, Sex 
Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth
Triangle Square