During the Long Beach Comic Expo, held on February 18, 2017, Ezra Claytan Daniels’ Upgrade Soul won the third annual Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics. This award was established to highlight diversity among both the creators and the creation. It was founded in 2015 in honor of the late comic book and animation professional Dwayne McDuffie.

The other nominees included Shaft: Imitation of Life by David Walker and Dietrich Smith; Amazing Forest by Ulises Farinas, Erick Freitas, and others; StarHammer by J.N. Monk and Harry Bogosian; and 14 Nights by Kristina Stipetic.

Judging this year’s award ceremony were Mark D. Bright, Neo Edmund, Joan Hilty, Joseph Illidge, Heidi MacDonald, Don McGregor, Kevin Rubio, Cassandra Pelham, Gail Simone, Will J. Watkins, Matt Wayne, and Len Wein.