The Excelsior Award is an independent, nationwide book award that celebrates the best graphic novels and manga for readers aged 9 and above. The aims of the award are to encourage reading for pleasure and to raise the profile of graphic novels as a genre.

The Excelsior Award is divided into four age categories:

• Excelsior Award White covers titles suitable for readers in UKS2 (9+).
• Excelsior Award Blue covers titles suitable for readers in KS3 (11+).
• Excelsior Award Red covers titles suitable for readers in KS4 (14+).
• Excelsior Award Black covers titles suitable for adults.

A shortlist for each age category is chosen by a panel of librarians, comic creators and booksellers but the winners are chosen by students from participating schools.

The award is open to all schools in the UK and Ireland and schools can register to judge as many of the categories as they like. Students read and discuss the shortlisted titles and then rate them across four key areas – Story, Artwork, Characters and Dialogue.

Read our shortlist announcement for the Excelsior Award 2026.

Timetable:

• Registration opens in November.
• The shortlists are announced in December and student judging begins.
• Voting closes in April.
• The winners are announced in July.

Cost: £30 registration fee per school. Fee does not include copies of the shortlisted books, which can be bought separately.

About the Excelsior Award: The Excelsior Award was originally launched in 2011 as a complement to the Sheffield Children’s Book Award.  It is now the UK’s longest-running book award for graphic novels and manga for young people.