Every year, manga publishers and other organizations hold a variety of manga awards. While most aspiring domestic manga creators are middle-aged or older, there are a few awards that have a broader scope. In what appears to be a first for the company in 2023, Shueisha's Ribon, Weekly Shonen Jump, Shonen Jump+, and Saikyō Jump publications teamed up to award manga to children under the age of 12. Submissions for the Ribon x Jump Elementary School Manga Awards began in June 2023 and ended on March 31. Just about five months after the last submission, the long wait was over and the results were announced on June 3.
Image via Press Release
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X/official Ribon Twitter account noted that the four winning works will be published in the July issues of Ribon and Saikyō Jump magazines.
🌺#love Next 7 months🌺
⋆⸜ ついに結果発表 ⸝⋆
〖りぼん×ジャンプ 小学生まんが大賞〗超大賞に選ばれたのは史上初の4本!!🎊✨
I will continue to work hard for it.
りぼん7月号＆最強ジャンプ7月号で要チェック!:️公式サイトでも結果発表掲載中!https://t.co/nQ4cXjMPwF pic.twitter.com/2ebR1oF3Ph
— りぼん編集部 (@ribon_comic) June 3, 2024
🌺Ribon July issue is on sale🌺
⋆⸜The final results have been announced⸝⋆
〖Ribon x Jump Elementary School Student Manga Award〗For the first time in history, four works have been selected for the Grand Prize!!🎊✨
Be sure to check out the extensive collection of award-winning works in the July issues of Ribon and Saikyō Jump! ️️The results are also posted on the official website!
https://ribonjump.shueisha.co.jp
The website lists the works as well as their respective authors and grade levels. The Cho-Mangaka Prize, the top prize, has four winners: “Ichiokunen no Shirushi” (The Sign of 100 Million Years) by sixth grader Kureto, “Santa no Shigoto” (The Art of Santa Claus) by fifth grader Tadayuki Shimamoto, “Apopo no Po” by third grader Juri, and “Ryu to Kami no Ko” (The Child of a Dragon and a God) by fifth grader Amanoneko. Santa no Shigoto is available on Jump+.
Ribon's website also lists the four Mangak Awards, the second highest award, the Jump Award, and the Mirai no Mangak de Sho (a play on the suffix “Sho” in “Award” and “Will Be”) winning works and their respective authors. The Manga Awards went to “Taisetsu na Koto” (One Important Thing) by sixth grader Manaru, “Kawaii Mono Atsume” (Collecting Cute Things) by sixth grader Koban Zame, “Hana to Yongoshitsu” (Flowers and Room 4) by sixth grader Asuka Hamada, and “Ready Fight” by sixth graders Sorao (art) and Tsuzaki (character design). The Jump Awards went to “Re:Taikutsu” (Re:Bored) by sixth grader Shiaru Akagawa and Mirai no Mangag de Sho for “Yakusoku” (Promise) by sixth grader Ao Usui.
Along with the above awards, 60 students won the Mirai ha Mangag de Sho (a play on words using the suffix “Sho” as “Award” and “Can”), and 209 students were awarded the Yume ha Mangak de Sho (a play on words using the suffix “Sho” as “Award” and “Dream is”).
Ribon's announcement doesn't end with the winners of the 2023 Ribon x Jump Elementary School Manga Awards. The site revealed that they are now entering the 2024 Ribon x Jump Elementary School Manga Awards. Like the 2023 edition, the submission period will run until March 31, 2025. Entrants must be 12 years old or younger, and grand prize-winning works will be published in Ribon, Weekly Shonen Jump, Shonen Jump+, or Saikyō Jump, depending on the award winner's choice of analog or digital drawing tools. The judging panel will include Noriko Asaka (Zessei no Akujo wa Maōji-sama ni Chōai Sareru), Emi Ishikawa (Zekkyō Gakkyū), Takeshi Okano (Jigoku Sensei Nube), Minori Kurosaki (Buddy Go!), Eko Mikawa (Bōkyaku Battery), Shūhei Miyazaki (Me & Roboco) and the editors-in-chief of Ribon, Weekly Shonen Jump, Shonen Jump+ and Saiky ō Jump.
While you can technically submit work from outside of Japan, the application form is in Japanese. However, for those interested, you will need the following information:
Top row from left to right: Title of work, page number, age, school name, class, class code
Second row from left to right: Registrant name, pen name, phone number
Third row from left to right: Address, Parent's name of guardian
Fourth row from left to right: Would you like to edit your manuscript: Yes/No, Priority Award for Yume ha Mangak de Sho: Tone (3 sheets), 4 sets of multi-liners, or 5 sets of G-pen pens and nibs
Fifth row from left to right: Favorite manga author, What software or software applications are used (for digital manuscripts only), manga submission history: 1. Ribon x Jump, 2. Ribon Elementary School Manga Awards (21, 22, 23, 24), 3. Ribon Mangak School+, 4. Other, 5. None
Last row from left to right: Fill in if there are two or more people taking the test: Name, age, school name, class and class code
Image via Ribon x Jump
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All works must be on B4 size paper, printed on one side and all manuscripts must follow the following rules:
Art completed in black ink
For analog works, it is recommended to write dialog with a mechanical pencil. Typed for digital works
All pages must include a page in one corner
Finally, submissions must be sent to the address below:
By post:
119-0161 集英社 小学生まんが大賞係
(In English: Shueisha Shogakusei Manga Taishogakari 119—0161)By parcel delivery service:
101-0003 東京都千you区一ツ橋2-5-10 集英社 小学生まんが大賞係
(In English: Shueisha Shogakusei Manga Taishogakari 1-5-10 Hitotsubashi Chiyoda ku Tokyo 101-0003)
It's great that aspiring manga artists are taking their first steps toward becoming professional authors. As the 2024 Ribon x Jump Elementary School Manga Awards open for entries, the future of manga looks bright.
Source: Ribon's website, account Editoral href=”https://shonenjumpplus.com/episode/17106371892606495520″target=”_blank”>Jump+, PR Times, Comic Natalie
