Winners of the 26th Bédélys Awards and Opening of the 14th Montreal Comic Arts Festival
Montreal Comic Arts Festival launched its 14th edition in a packed Club Soda. Held from May 23 to 25 in collaboration with the SDC Rue Saint-Denis and Télé-Québec, the Festival is coming to life along a 1.2 km pedestrian stretch of Saint-Denis Street, between Gilford and Roy. Over 320 creators will be present, and 177 exhibitors will welcome festival-goers under their tents.
This festive evening marked the end of two days dedicated to industry professionals, during which artists and publishers networked and discussed key sector issues.
Hosted by author and columnist Marylise Hamelin, the opening night also featured the presentation of the 26th Bédélys Awards, in collaboration with SODEC, celebrating the most outstanding comic books published or distributed in Quebec in 2024.
Six comics were rewarded, with a total of $5,000 in grants given to this year’s winners.
The Winners
- Momm by Catherin (Pow Pow) won the Bédélys Québec Award.
- La bibliothèque enchantée T.1 : Le livre aspirateur by Jocelyn Boisvert and Enzo (Éditions Michel Quintin) won the Bédélys Youth Québec Award.
- Je ne suis pas un accident by Lucile Bernard won the Bédélys Independent Francophone Award.
- I, THE PEOPLE by Natacha Novem won the Bédélys Independent Anglophone Award.
- Quand la nuit tombe – Lisou by Marion Achard and Toni Galmès (Delcourt) won the Bédélys Youth Award.
- Impénétrable by Alix Garin (Le Lombard) won the Bédélys International Award.
Each Bédélys Award was accompanied by a unique trophy created by artist Karl Dupéré-Richer.
The Juries’ Perspective
The winning works were selected by volunteer, gender-balanced juries composed of 89 librarians, booksellers, authors, publishing professionals, and avid readers, who read an impressive 873 comics for the occasion.
Here are the highlights of this prestigious selection:
Bédélys Québec Award: Momm by Catherin (Pow Pow)
This award honors the best comic by a Quebec artist published by a Quebec-based publisher. The prize was presented by Librairie Planète BD, which also awarded a $1,500 grant.
A word from the jury:
Stricken by the illness and loss of her mother, the artist has transposed this tough story into a playful universe, full of love and resilience. The book depicts the grim reality of degenerative disease, but the horror is transformed into wonder by the magic of drawing and storytelling. Catherin’s world leads us to reflect on the loss of a loved one, while celebrating the beauty of life and love.
→ Meet Catherin at her booth D26 during the Festival.
→ She will sign books at the Pow Pow booth (A11): Friday, May 23, 3:00–4:30 PM, Saturday, May 24, 12:30–2:00 PM, Sunday, May 25, 11:00 AM–12:30 PM.
Bédélys Youth Québec Award: La bibliothèque enchantée T.1 : Le livre aspirateur by Jocelyn Boisvert and Enzo (Éditions Michel Quintin)
This award recognizes the best comic for readers aged 14 and under by a Quebec artist published by a Quebec publisher. The prize, presented by Télé-Québec, includes a $1,500 grant. La Fabrique culturelle will produce a video feature with the authors.
A word from the jury:
In this wonderland-like adventure, young Alice is sucked into a book; there, she meets several other castaways, all stuck on page 7. The work follows in the footsteps of Gotlib or Pascal Jousselin, with a brilliant play on storytelling that uses the codes of comics and the book – as an object – to open up new narrative horizons. Enzo’s illustrations add a touch of sweetness, humour and fantasy to Jocelyn Boisvert’s text, which already is quite original.
→ Jocelyn Boisvert will sign at the Éditions Michel Quintin booth (D33):Friday, May 23, 6:00–7:30 PM, Saturday, May 24, 10:30 AM–12:00 PM & 3:00–4:00 PM.
→ Enzo will sign at the Éditions Michel Quintin booth (D33):Friday, May 23, 3:00–4:30 PM & 6:00–7:30 PM, Saturday, May 24, 10:30 AM–12:00 PM & 3:00–4:00 PM, Sunday, May 25, 1:30–2:30 PM & 4:00–5:00 PM.
Bédélys Independent Francophone: Je ne suis pas un accident by Lucile Bernard
This award honors the best self-published Francophone comic in Quebec. The prize, presented by MCAF, includes a $1,000 grant and a spot at next year’s Festival.
A word from the jury:
Lucile Bernard opens a true Pandora’s box when she questions her origins. It’s a breathtaking read, as the author cleverly reveals every piece of the puzzle to bring the reader to a satisfying conclusion. Although the revelations are shocking, the pace of the story is always appropriate and connected to the emotion of the moment.
Bédélys Independent Anglophone Award: I, THE PEOPLE by Natacha Novem
This award recognizes the best self-published Anglophone comic in Quebec. The prize, presented by MCAF, includes a $1,000 grant and a spot at next year’s Festival.
A word from the jury:
We’re in the far future, and only a handful of humans are left. Thoughtfully composed panels and stark black and white imagery tell a story of hubris, of falling prey to exactly the type of corruption you’d spent your life trying to defeat. The book, despite telling of the future, is deeply relevant to this moment, politically timely while remaining fun and entertaining, never sacrificing a good story well told for an all-important message. A fully formed story that nevertheless hasn’t lost its punk edge, I, THE PEOPLE busies itself with unearthing the humanity of this post-human world.
→ Meet Natacha Novem at her booth A05 during the Festival.
Bédélys Youth Award: Quand la nuit tombe – Lisou by Marion Achard and Toni Galmès (Delcourt)
This award celebrates the best French-language comic for readers aged 7 to 14.
A word from the jury:
Expressive drawing and fine line convey both the horror of the situation and the carefree moments of the eleven-year-old girl’s childhood, therefore multiplying the emotional charge received by readers. Marion Achard’s original screenplay pays tribute to her great-aunts, who survived the Nazi horror. As only a child can, her heroine fulfills her destiny, fraught with pitfalls, escapes and moments of loneliness and anxiety, while separated from her family. But the story, skilfully told, remains luminous, thanks to all the people who help her, and to her deep conviction that her family will be reunited once again.
Bédélys International Award: Impénétrable by Alix Garin (Le Lombard)
This award honors the best French-language comic published outside Quebec.
A word from the jury:
How can we build ourselves and move forward while facing up to society’s injunctions and our own limiting beliefs? In Impénétrable, we follow the author as she searches for something that has disappeared, something she once knew, and which despite her titanic efforts never returns: sexual desire. The writing is spot-on, the narration thrilling, and readers benefit from the opportunity to read up on matters that affect thousands of people without us ever hearing about them. This is a wonderful story about love, and not just sex, with a strong message about the need to listen to oneself and act on one’s desires and needs.
MCAF team warmly thanks all the finalists of the 26th Bédélys Awards and congratulates the winners!
About MCAF
The Montreal Comic Arts Festival (MCAF) is an organization dedicated to promoting comics. Each year, it hosts the Festival of the same name, where artists, exhibitors, curious minds and comics enthusiasts gather to celebrate the 9th art. In 2024, the must-attend bilingual comic event attracted over 95,000 people and was responsible for over 22,000 books sold.
For more information, visit fbdm-mcaf.ca/en | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
MCAF 2025 is presented in collaboration with SDC Rue Saint-Denis and Télé-Québec.
The Festival thanks its partners:
La Presse, Canadian Heritage, Canada Council for the Arts, SODEC, Ministère du Tourisme du Québec, Conseil des arts de Montréal, Service de la culture de la Ville de Montréal, Tourisme Montréal and Plateau-Mont-Royal.
La SDC Rue Saint-Denis, Télé-Québec, La Presse, Réseau BD Suisse, la fondation suisse pour la culture Pro Helvetia, Présence Suisse, Consulat général de Suisse à Montréal, le Consulat général de France à Québec, le Consulat général du Brésil à Montréal, Wallonie-Bruxelles International, Goethe-Institut, Institut Ramon Llull, Bibliothèques de Montréal, École en Réseau, CSSDM, CSSMB, CSSDP, Liseur Public, Partenariat du Quartier des Spectacles, Éditions 2042, 404 Editions, Madrigall, Chapiteaux classic, Librairies Canal BD, Éditions çà et là, Drawn & Quarterly, Pow Pow, Glénat, Parcours Ludiques, Copibec, La Marquise, Rugicomm, le Livart, Québec Édition, Montréal CoWork, Ruba Ghazal, member for Mercier and Manon Massé, member for Sainte-Marie-Saint-Jacques.
The 26th Bédélys Awards are presented in collaboration with SODEC, and MCAF would also like to thank the following partners: Télé-Québec, Librairie Planète BD, Crossover Comics and Librairie l’Euguélionne.
Finally, MCAF would like to thank the 89 volunteer jury members, without whom the Bédélys Awards would not be possible.
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MCAF Contact:
Mélanie La Roche, Executive Director – melanie.laroche@fbdm-mcaf.ca
Press relation:
Stéphanie Culakowa – stephanie.culakowa@rugicomm.ca
