Angoulême International Comics Festival

The Angoulême International Comics Festival (Festival international de la bande dessinée d'Angoulême) is the second largest comics festival in Europe after Lucca Comics & Games, and the third biggest in the world after Lucca Comics & Games and the Comiket  ). It has occurred every year since 1974 in Angoulême, France, in the month of January.

Attendance
More than 200 000 visitors come each year to the fair, including between 6 000 and 7 000 professionals and 800 journalists.

The attendance is generally difficult to estimate because the festival takes place all over the town, and is divided in many different areas that are not connected to each other directly.

Official prizes
The four-day festival is notable for awarding several prestigious prizes in cartooning. The awards at Angoulême were originally called the Alfred awards, after the pet auk from Zig et Puce by Alain Saint-Ogan. In 1989, the name changed to the Alph-art awards, honoring the final, unfinished Tintin album by Hergé. In 2003, the Alph-art name was dropped, and they are now simply called "The Official Awards of the International Comics Festival" (le Palmarès Officiel du Festival international de la bande dessinée). The prizes were reorganized in 2007 to create a pool of 40-60 albums, called "official selections," from which are awarded the "Best Album" prize, five "Angoulême Essentials," one "Revelation Essential" (given to rookie creators), and one Essential chosen by the public. The Heritage Essential (for reprinted material) and Youth Essential are selected from separate nominee pools.

Additionally, the Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême is awarded each year to a living creator honoring his/her lifetime achievement, and the Grand Prix winner becomes president of the next year's festival.

In 2007, Lewis Trondheim (2006 Grand Prix winner) created a mascot for the festival, Le Fauve (The Wildcat), and since 2008 the prize winners have received wildcat statuettes, with the Best Album statuette coated in gold.
 * Best Album ("Golden Wildcat")
 * Angoulême International Comics Festival Essentials (awarded to 5 albums)
 * The "Revelation" Essential (for "best newcomer")
 * The Fnac-SNCF Essential (elected by the public)
 * The Heritage Essential (grand jury)
 * The Youth Essential (youth panel)

Other prizes

 * Prize for School Comic
 * Prize for Young Talent (Prix Jeunes Talents)
 * Prize for Young Talent from the Region
 * "Strip" Prize
 * Prize of the Students of Poitou-Charentes (secondary school)
 * Prize of the Students of Angoulême (primary school)
 * Prize for Alternative Comics
 * Hippocampus Prize (for creators with disabilities)

Prize categories

 * Prize for Best Album
 * Prize Awarded by the Audience
 * Prize for Artwork
 * Prize for First Comic Book
 * Prize for a Series
 * Prize for Inheritance
 * Prix Jeunesse 9-12 ans (Youth prize, 9–12 years)
 * Prix Jeunesse 7-8 ans (Youth prize, 7–8 years)
 * Fanzine Prize
 * Hope Prize
 * Best promotional comic
 * René Goscinny award

Former prizes

 * Prize for Scenario (1993–2006)
 * Media award (1981–2003)
 * Bloody Mary award / Critics' award (1984–2003)
 * Religious award (1985–2003)
 * Humour award (1989–2001)
 * Other awards

Some short-lived formerly awarded prizes are included in larger categories or in other awards.