Diamond Comic Distributors has announced the winners of the 2015 Diamond Gem Awards, which were selected by comic book specialty retailers. Image Comics and BOOM! Studios each took home the Comic Book Publisher of the Year award, the former for Over 4% Market Share and the latter for Under 4% Market Share. Image also won two awards for "Paper Girls," which took home 2015 Comic Book of the Year (Under $3.00) and Best New Comic Series. BOOM!'s "Lumberjanes" won a pair of awards as well: Best All-Ages Series and Best All-Ages Graphic Novel. Marvel's "Star Wars" also scored a couple of awards, with "Star Wars" #1 earning Comic Book of the Year (Over $3.00) and Top Dollar Comic Book of the Year.
"The Gem Awards give retailers an opportunity to recognize and congratulate the suppliers, titles, and products that served to help grow their businesses in 2015," said Diamond President & CEO Steve Geppi in the press release. "Our suppliers produced and published an enormous amount of top-quality titles and products that really supported retailers and the entire industry, and we thank all of the retailers who took the time from their busy schedules to vote and acknowledge those efforts."
2015 Comic Book Publisher of the Year Over 4%: Image Comics
2015 Comic Book Publisher of the year Under 4%: BOOM! Studios
2015 Backlist Publisher of the year: DC Entertainment
2015 Top Dollar Comic Book Publisher of the Year: Marvel Comics
2015 Manga Publisher of the Year: Viz Media
2015 Game Manufacturer of the Year: Wizards of the Coast
2015 Toy Manufacturer of the Year: Funko
2015 Diamond Gem Award Products of the Year
2015 Comic Book of the Year Under $3.00: Paper Girls #1, Image Comics
2015 Comic Book of the Year Over $3.00: Star Wars #1, Marvel Comics
2015 Top Dollar Comic Book of the Year: Star Wars #1, Marvel Comics
2015 Licensed Comic Book of the Year: Rick & Morty #1, Oni Press
2015 Anthology of the Year: Island #1, Image Comics
2015 Best New Comic Book Series: Paper Girls, Image Comics
2015 Best All-Ages Series: Lumberjanes, BOOM! Studios
2015 Original GN of the Year: Batman: Earth One Volume 2 HC, DC Comics from DC Entertainment
2015 Indie GN of the Year: We Can Never Go Home, Black Mask Comics
2015 Reprint TP/HC of the Year: The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 3, Image Comics
2015 Licensed TP/HC of the Year: Mad Max: Fury Road TP, DC Comics from DC Entertainment
2015 Manga TP of the Year: Attack on Titan Volume 16 GN, Kodansha Comics
2015 All-Ages Original/Reprint GN TP of the Year: Lumberjanes TP Volume 1, BOOM! Studios
2015 Magazine of the Year: MAD Magazine from DC Entertainment
2015 Trade Book of the Year: Darth Vader & Friends HC, Touchstone Books
2015 Best Free Comic Book Day Book: FCBD 2015 Fight Club/The Goon/The Strain, Dark Horse Comics
2015 Game Product of the Year: Magic: The Gathering TCG 2015 Origins Expansion Deck, Wizards of the Coast
2015 Toy Product of the Year: POP! Guardians of the Galaxy: Dancing Groot Vinyl Figure, Funko
2015 Toy Line of the Year: POP! Figures, Funko
2015 Collectable Statue of the Year: DC Comics Bombshells: The Joker and Harley Quinn Statue, DC Collectibles from DC Entertainment
Official Press Release
Diamond Announces 2015 Diamond Gem Awards
Image Comics Named Publisher of the Year in Annual Industry Awards Voted on Exclusively by Comic Book Retailers
(BALTIMORE, MD) - (January 5, 2016)- Diamond Comic Distributors proudly announces the winners of its 2015 Diamond Gem Awards, selected exclusively by comic book specialty retailers and recognized within the industry as the pinnacle of sales achievement for publishers, industry executives, and creators.
Image Comics was voted by retailers as the 2015 Comic Book Publisher of the Year (Over 4% Market Share). Image also took home five Gem Awards overall, including 2015 Comic Book of the Year (Under $3.00) and Best New Comic Series for Paper Girls #1 from Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang; Reprint TP of the Year for The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 3, and Anthology of the Year for Island #1.
DC Entertainment took home five Gem Awards, including Backlist Publisher of the Year and Best Original Graphic Novel of the Year for Batman: Earth One HC Volume 2, among others. Marvel Comics received three Gem Awards, including Star Wars #1 voted as Comic Book of the Year (Over $3.00). Dark Horse was recognized as 2015's Best Free Comic Book Day Title for Fight Club/The Goon/The Strain.
Gem Awards were also presented to BOOM! Studios (Comic Book Publisher of the Year, Under 4% Market Share, Best All-Ages Series for Lumberjanes, and Best All-Ages Graphic Novel for Lumberjanes Volume One TP); VIZ Media (Manga Publisher of the Year), Oni Press, Funko, Wizards of the Coast, and others.
"The Gem Awards give retailers an opportunity to recognize and congratulate the suppliers, titles, and products that served to help grow their businesses in 2015," said Diamond President & CEO Steve Geppi. "Our suppliers produced and published an enormous amount of top-quality titles and products that really supported retailers and the entire industry, and we thank all of the retailers who took the time from their busy schedules to vote and acknowledge those efforts."
Nominees for the Diamond Gem Awards were chosen by a panel of Diamond product specialists based on their overall impact on the industry, while comics and related merchandise were chosen on the merits of their sales performance and quality from 2015. Winners were then selected by members of the most critical segment that serves the comic book-buying public - comic book specialty retailers across the United States and worldwide.