French cartoonist Anouk Ricard is the 2025 recipient of the Angoulême Festival’s Grand Prix, one of the highest awards in international comics. A first time shortlister, Ricard beat stiff competition by America’s Alison Bechdel and France’s Catherine Meurisse for the honour.
Ricard becomes the fifth female recipient of the Grand Prix, joining esteemed company in the ranks: Rumiko Takahashi, Julie Doucet, Posy Simmonds, and Florence Cestac. Other laureates include Will Eisner, André Franquin and Katsuhiro Otomo. The 2025 edition was also the second time the entire shortlist was comprised of women – and the second consecutive year it has been awarded to a female or identifying-female author.
On receiving the award, a rather shell-shocked Ricard said [translated from French]:
“Thank you, I am very touched and moved, and very happy. I would like to thank all the authors who were shortlisted for this award. I obviously wish to thank my publishers who have accompanied me throughout my career. Thank you.”
On social media later, she posted a cartoon and another message:
“Thank you 1 billion times. Thank you dear readers, thank you dear publishers. This is crazy! Now I’m going to try to keep a cool head.”
(Caption): Thank you for this great award dear authors!
“I can’t see the TV anymore.”
A graduate of the École supérieure des arts décoratifs in Strasbourg, Anouk Ricard has been active in Franco-Belgian comics since the late ‘90s, with her first book Les Aventures de Pafy, Pouly, Catty, Blatty being published by Éditions du Rouergue in 1999. Her most famous series Anna and Froga, for kids, began serialisation in French monthly Capsule Comic. Her most recent book Ducky Coco was published last year by Éditions 2024. Ricard’s offbeat, absurdist and satirical work for kids and adults has regularly received acclaim and awards attention. More recently her 2022 book Animan (Éditions Exemplaire), a surreal comedy inspired by 1983 series Manimal, received the Special Jury Prize at Angoulême 2023. Drawn & Quarterly has published some of her catalogue in English including the entire Anna and Froga series, in single volumes between 2012-2016 and a complete collection entitled Completely Bubu in 2017. She also had kids book Benson’s Cuckoos release from D&Q in 2014.
Although a surprise to outsiders, Ricard’s win can be explained by a number of factors. In previous years winners have been brought forward in the mind of nominating voters by a new book or exhibition. For example last year’s recipient Posy Simmonds had the opening of a major retrospective exhibition at the Paris Pompidou Center, a book about her career, and the French release of her 1981 debut graphic novel True Love (believed to be among the first British graphic novels) in the preceding months. While Bechdel and Meurisse have significant careers in their own right, Ricard had a new book release in 2024 and a shared exhibition with fellow kids author Bernadette Després at the calendar French festival Quai des Bulles in October (Després died the following month, age 83). Her work also appeared as part of the massive comics exhibition held at the Pompidou that ran from May to November last year. Ricard doesn’t have a small back catalogue either and her surreal absurdist humour has many fans.
2025 was the second instance that the three-person shortlist was entirely comprised of women. The last such occasion was 2023 which ultimately saw Canada’s Julie Doucet crowned winner. Other shortlisters this year included American cartoonist and graphic novelist Alison Bechdel (Fun Home, Dykes to Watch Out For) and French cartoonist Catherine Meurisse (Lightness, The Great Outdoors). While Bechdel has been nominated for the award once before (2023), Meurisse has been shortlisted every year since 2020.
Taking place annually since 1974 at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, the Grand Prix is widely considered one of the highest awards in international comics. Typically bestowed to cartoonists or artists (writers have the René Goscinny Prize), it is selected by a vote of registered professionals working in – or published by – the Franco-Belgian industry. Winners customarily receive a career retrospective exhibition at the following year’s event.
Photos and translation assistance by Alistair Dabbs
Benson’s Cuckoos isn’t a kids book. It’s a weird, funny office comedy involving a kidnapping. It’s great. People should check it out.
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