Troféu HQMIX

What Troféu HQMIX does

Troféu HQMIX is Brazil's premier comic book award, founded in 1988 by cartoonists José Alberto Lovetro (JAL) and João Gualberto Costa (Gual) and recognized as the largest comics award in Latin America. The organization is jointly operated by two non-profit entities — the Associação dos Cartunistas do Brasil (ACB, founded 1988) and the Instituto do Memorial das Artes Gráficas do Brasil (IMAG, founded June 16, 2001) — and serves Brazilian comics authors, illustrators, publishers, and academic researchers through an annual competition covering publications, webcomics, events, academic works, and special honors. An electoral college of more than 2,000 comics professionals votes on nominated works, lending the award its "Oscar dos Quadrinhos do Brasil" reputation. The annual trophy, called "Bruxinha," is sculpted by Wilson Iguti and features a different Brazilian comic character each year.

The core technology is an online submission and voting portal at hqmix.com.br that accepts work registrations via web forms with PDF uploads and cloud storage integration, processes R$45 per-category entry fees via PIX or bank deposit, and manages restricted voting for the professional electoral college. Submission is digital except for two physical-submission categories (Projeto Editorial and Projeto Gráfico). The annual cycle runs roughly January through July/August, culminating in a ceremony typically held at SESC cultural venues (notably SESC Pompeia in São Paulo) with virtual broadcast on social media. Adjacent offerings include HQMIX TV (a YouTube video platform with interviews and tutorials), the Guia do Ilustrador (a free professional guide authored by 11 artists), and IMAG's long-term project to establish Brazil's first Graphic Arts Museum.

The business model combines small-ticket transaction revenue (R$45 per category per work) with institutional support from Brazilian government cultural programs — including the São Paulo State Government, the Secretaria da Cultura, Economia e Indústria Criativas, the Federal Ministry of Culture, and Lei Paulo Gustavo emergency cultural funding. The organization is privately held with 11-50 employees, based in São Paulo, Brazil, and shows no evidence of venture capital, private equity, or institutional investment.

Name

Troféu HQMIX

Legal name

Troféu HQMIX

Website

https://hqmix.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Troféu HQMIX is Brazil's premier comics award, founded in 1988 and recognized as the largest in Latin America. Operated jointly by the ACB and IMAG nonprofits, it serves comics authors, publishers, and academic researchers through an annual competition judged by an electoral college of 2,000+ professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Comics Industry Awards

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGAOAN

Virtual Awards Ceremonies & Competitions (Judging, Voting)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Virtual & Hybrid Events

Keywords

• Comics industry awards
• Annual voting competition
• Cartoonist professional association
• Graphic arts heritage
• Brazilian comics recognition

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Entry Fee Revenue: Authors and publishers pay R$45 per category to register works for the competition. Payment is processed via PIX or bank deposit after online registration submission.
2. Event and Ceremony: Award ceremony events, potentially at SESC venues, with virtual broadcasts on social media platforms

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Troféu HQMIX operates an annual Brazilian comics award competition that accepts online submissions of works published in the prior calendar year across multiple categories including publications, web comics, academic works, and special honors. Authors and publishers register works for a R$45 per-category fee via an online portal, submitting PDFs (or links for web/event categories). An electoral college of more than 2,000 comics professionals votes to select winners, with the ceremony held annually typically between July and August at cultural venues such as SESC.

Product overview

Troféu HQMIX is Brazil's leading comic book award system consisting of multiple interconnected offerings: the core Troféu HQMIX award (the main annual competition with voting across publication, individual artist, and special categories), the ACB association providing professional resources for cartoonists including the Guia do Ilustrador, the IMAG institute focused on preserving graphic arts heritage, HQMIX TV video content platform, and support resources including voting registration and work submission portals. The 38th edition operates alongside the ACB's free membership and IMAG's museum development efforts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Troféu HQMIX Award Annual Brazilian comics award competition recognizing excellence in comic books, cartoons, graphic humor, and graphic arts. Authors and publishers register works via the online portal at hqmix.com.br with a R$45 per-category fee. An electoral college of more than 2,000 comics professionals votes across multiple categories including publications, web comics, academic works, and special honors. The annual ceremony is held at cultural venues such as SESC and is recognized as the largest comics award in Latin America.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual recognition by over 2,000 industry professionals
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Governo do Estado de São PaulocoreOthersState government support for the 36th edition HQMIX award ceremony and activities, part of cultural funding initiatives
• Secretaria da Cultura, Economia e Indústria CriativascoreOthersSão Paulo state cultural secretariat providing institutional support for the award
• Governo Federal - Ministério da CulturacoreOthersFederal Ministry of Culture support for Brazilian cultural production through the HQMIX award
• Lei Paulo GustavosupportingOthersCultural emergency law funding mechanism supporting arts and culture events in Brazil, applied to HQMIX activities
• Associação dos Cartunistas do Brasil (ACB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ACB was founded in 1988 alongside the HQMIX award and operates as the primary organizational entity for cartoonists in Brazil, providing professional representation and support for the comics community
• Instituto do Memorial das Artes Gráficas do Brasil (IMAG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded June 16, 2001, IMAG develops projects for preserving Brazilian graphic arts memory. Main action is gathering significant collection of originals for establishing the first Museum of Graphic Arts in Brazil. Co-organizes the HQMIX award with ACB
• SESC São PaulosupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSESC cultural institution provides venues for award ceremonies, particularly at SESC Pompeia in São Paulo, hosting annual events since at least 2014

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• FIQ - Festival Internacional de Quadrinhos de Belo Horizonte: International comics festival in Belo Horizonte featuring exhibitions, workshops, and awards. Comparable to HQMIX as a Brazilian comics cultural event combining programming with industry recognition, though more event-focused.
• Salón Internacional del Cómic de Granada: Spanish-language annual comics event and awards program. Comparable to HQMIX as an Ibero-American comics recognition platform, though operating in a different geography and Spanish-language market.
• Comicdom Awards (Comicdom): Brazilian comics convention and awards program held in Florianópolis. Operates in the same Brazilian market as HQMIX, hosting annual awards for Brazilian comics, providing a regional alternative for industry recognition.

Direct peers

• Harvey Awards: Long-running US comics awards program honoring excellence in comics and graphic novels. Comparable to HQMIX as a peer-judged annual recognition system targeting the same creator and publication categories within the comics industry.
• Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême: Europe's leading comics festival held annually in France, featuring prestigious Grand Prix and award categories. Comparable to HQMIX as a flagship European comics recognition event combining awards ceremony with cultural programming.
• Doug Wright Awards: Canadian comics awards program recognizing the best in Canadian cartooning, writing, and graphic novel creation. Comparable to HQMIX as a country-specific annual comics award with multiple creator and publication categories.
• Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards: The premier US comics awards program administered at San Diego Comic-Con. Directly comparable to HQMIX as an annual professional comics award with industry-judged categories recognizing publications, creators, and special achievements in the comics field.

Emerging players

• Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award: Specialized comics award recognizing promising newcomers, administered alongside the Eisner Awards at San Diego Comic-Con. Comparable to HQMIX's "New Talent" categories for emerging Brazilian comics creators.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC
• Xx.com/trofeuhqmix
• Facebookfacebook.com/hqmix
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trof-u-hqmix

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Troféu HQMIX