Angoulême will leave its streets, places and emblematic places to comics this year for its festival from January 30 to February 2. It is undoubtedly the largest event linked to the 9th art in France and Europe. Several hundred authors and some 200,000 visitors will certainly still celebrate bubbles and drawings for four days.
Since 1974, the date of its creation, the festival has awarded prizes, the oldest and most emblematic of which is that of the Grand Prix of the City of Angoulême. Others have since been added since this year twelve prizes called the Angoulême Fauves will be awarded. The France Télévisions public prize is one of the latest created. In 2025, he knew his sixth winner in 2025. A reward still a little singular, we explain why.
Because the choice of albums in competition does not only depend on the festival
The choice of albums in competition is made in two distinct stages. The first phase: the Angoulême festival chooses its official selection. The General Committee of Selection retains 84 striking albums published between December 2023 and end of November 2024. The second stage organized by Katia Martin Gilis in France Télévisions is carried out with journalists and specialists from comics on public television. This second selection jury was chaired by Augustin Trapenard (The big bookstore on France 5). Eight albums were thus extracted from the official selection. Here is the list of titles selected:
Inside de Will McPhail (404 Graphic).
Ballads by Camille Potte (Atrabile).
Dementia 21 T.2 de Shintaro Kago (Huber).
Two naked girls of light (Albin Michel).
In enemy territory by Carole Lobel (the association).
Intangible by Jérôme Dubois (Cornelius).
Impenetrable Alix Garin (Le Lombard).
Meteors by Jean-Christophe Deveney and Tommy Redolfi (Delcourt).
Because in the end, it is the public that decides
From these eight titles, only one will be rewarded by receiving the Fauve du Public 2025. This album will be chosen by the public. After a call for candidates and cover letters, nine readers of New Aquitaine were recruited to compose this final jury. They are passionate about comics, but none is a bookseller, journalist or professional in the 9th art. They will debate together in Angoulême, around a table, to choose during the festival le or the winner.
Because the price has not been awarded until now to women
This wild beast is to date the only price in Angoulême which has not been awarded in the authors. No particular will, or even incentive. This results from the choice of the public. For the past six years that the price has existed, the selection of eight albums in the running has always been mixed, composed apart from equivalent or almost authors and authors. This year, for example, there are only three women.
The nationalities are also multiple. There was the Spanish author Beatriz Lema last year for Ailments to say (Sarbacane), Argentina Sole Otero with Naphtaline in 2023 (That & there), the Belgian Léonie Bischoff with Anaïs Nin. On the sea of lies (Casterman) in 2021 and two French people Léa Murawiec in 2022 with The big vacuum (Editions 2024) and the very first winner in 2020 Chloé Wary with Season of roses (Flblb editions).
Because this year does not look like any other
Since creating the prize, selected albums have given pride of place to young authors or authors. This year, an “confirmed” author has slipped into the selection. His album was unanimously noticed by the journalists and criticisms of France Télévisions. This is Luz with his graphic novel Two naked girls Au editions Albin Michel. Luz, ex-designer of Charlie Hebdois the one who made the history coverage of the “number of survivors” with a new caricature of Muhammad, just after the attacks, on January 15, 2015.
Two naked girls Tells us, ten years later, of censorship and totalitarianism. Will Luz win the public prize this year? This Angoulême Fauve not like the others will be revealed on Saturday, February 1 and awarded the same evening, during the festival award ceremony.
