Max und Moritz Award 2026
Max und Moritz Award 2026Erlangen, 17. April 2026
22nd International Comic Salon Erlangen – 4 to 7 June, 2026
Max und Moritz Award 2026: Jury nominates 25 titles
Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Posy Simmonds
On the occasion of the 22nd International Comic Salon Erlangen, which will take place from 4 to 7 June, 2026, the Max und Moritz Award – the most important award for graphic literature and comic art in the German-speaking world – will be presented for the 22nd time. The jury has nominated 25 titles, seven of the eight award winners will only be announced at the Max und Moritz Gala on 5 June, 2026. One laureate has already been decided: Posy Simmonds, the grande dame of the British comics scene and one of the most innovative and sophisticated contemporary comic book writers, will be honoured with the Max und Moritz Lifetime Achievement Award.
On the evening of 5 June, the winners in the categories Best German-language Comic, Best International Comic in German, Best Non-Fiction Comic, Best Comic for Children and Best German-language Comic Debut will be honoured at the Max und Moritz Gala, as will the best German-speaking Comic Artist. In addition, an outstanding academic publication will be honoured with an invitation to the prestigious International Comic Seminar in Erlangen. The Special Jury Award will not be announced until the gala.
The Max und Moritz Award is presented by an independent jury of experts appointed by the City of Erlangen and has made a significant contribution to the artistic and social recognition of comics in Germany for over 40 years. The award honours the work of outstanding artists, encourages commendable publishing projects, draws attention to emerging talent and promotes a qualitative engagement with graphic literature.
This year's jury for the Max und Moritz Award includes: Catherine Bazabas (owner of Comicbuchhandlung Petit Kami, Hamburg), Christian Gasser (author and cultural studies scholar, Luzern), Andrea Heinze (journalist, Berlin), Katinka Kornacker (Managing Director of COMIX – Comicbuchhandlung Hannover), Isabel Kreitz (comic artist, Hamburg), Christine Vogt (Director of Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen) and Bodo Birk (Director of the Erlangen International Comic Salon).
Max und Moritz Award 2026
The 25 nominated titles
in alphabetical order
- Ahmadjan und der Wiedehopf by Maren Amini. Carlsen
- Bauchlandung. Geschichte einer Teenager-Schwangerschaft by Wanda Dufner. Edition Moderne
- Blutsauger by André Breinbauer. Carlsen
- Das Lied der Arktis by Jean-Paul Krassinsky and Bérengère Cournut (Translation: Resel Rebiersch). Schreiber & Leser
- Der süßeste Bruder der Welt ... und andere Irrtümer by Elin Lindell (Translation: Katharina Erben). Klett Kinderbuch
- Der verkehrte Himmel by Mikael Ross. avant-verlag
- Der Weltraumpostbote. Panik im Postamt! by Guillaume Perreault (Translation: Ulrich Pröfrock). Rotopol
- Der Zahn by Ayşe Klinge. Kibitz
- Die Frau als Mensch by Ulli Lust. Reprodukt
- Die große Verdrängung by Roberto Grossi (Translation: Myriam Alfano). avant-verlag
- Fleischeslust by Martin Oesch. Edition Moderne
- Hackenporsche by Melanie Lüdtke. Schwarzer Turm
- In den trüben Gewässern Istanbuls by Özge Samancı (Translation: Silv Bannenberg). Helvetiq
- Jakob Neyder by Franz Suess. avant-verlag
- Kaputt by Alison Bechdel (Translation: Katharina Erben). Reprodukt
- Meine Geschichten von Mutter und Tochter by Katharina Greve. avant-verlag
- Peri Meno by Rinah Lang. Carlsen
- Red by Josephine Mark. Kibitz
- Saloon. Das ist Familiensache by Mia Oberländer. Edition Moderne
- Schweigen by Birgit Weyhe. avant-verlagiq
- Shrimpie und ich by Moni Port and Claudia Weikert. Kibitz
- Sonntag by Olivier Schrauwen (Translation: Christoph Schuler). Edition Moderne / Colorama
- The Strange House by Uketsu und Kyo Ayano (Translation: Claudia Peter). Panini Manga
- Unruhe by Sarah Hübner. Jaja Verlag
- Zwei weibliche Halbakte by Luz (Translation: Lilian Pithan). Reprodukt
Reading samples of the nominated titles are available under 'Nominations'. Videos of the individual nominations will be available from mid-May.
Max und Moritz Gala
Presenter: Christian Gasser
Friday, 31 May, 2024, 8:30 pm
Markgrafentheater, Theaterplatz 2, 91054 Erlangen
Advance booking from 20 April, 2024
In 2026, DATEV eG will be the title sponsor of the Erlangen International Comic Salon for the sixth time. As an IT service provider for tax advisers, auditors and solicitors, as well as their clients – such as small and medium-sized enterprises and local authorities – the cooperative is one of the largest private employers in the Nuremberg metropolitan region and, at the same time, one of Europe’s leading software companies.
In the downloadable PDF you will find information about Lifetime Achievement Award winner Posy Simmonds and texts by the jury on all nominated titles.
Royalty-free images of the Lifetime Achievement Award winner, the Special Jury Award winner and the nominated titles in printable resolution can be found on the website under 'Pressebilder'. If you have any questions, need further information or pictures, we are at your disposal at any time.
Organiser
City of Erlangen – Cultural Office
Department Festivals and Programmes
Gebbertstraße 1, 91052 Erlangen – Germany
Tel. +49 (0)9131 86-1408, Fax: +49 (0)9131 86-1411
E-Mail: info@comic-salon.de
Website: www.comic-salon.de
