Hugo Award Nominees
Friday, April 16, 2021 at 11:59PM Let's take a brief look at the Hugo Award nominees. They're mostly focused on sci-fi and fantasy literature but they do have one movie category and the nominees go like so...
Long Form Dramatic Presentation" (aka movies)
- Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
- Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
- The Old Guard
- Palm Springs
- Soul
- Tenet
We hadn't thought of Eurovision Song Contest as a 'sci-fi fantasy' film but there are unseen elves so...
What'cha think? 192 different movies received votes. That seems like way too many until you consider how broad the definition of sci-fi/fantasy is and that between all the streamers and movie studios there are a handful of new films every week.
As to the bulk of the Hugo Awards...
We have a soft spot for genre fiction (fantasy more than scifi) but movies and television shows hog too much of our time to really be in the know about the literary arts. So we thought we'd share the nominees in case you'd like some reading suggestions (we usually read at least a couple of things once we see the Hugo list). Unlike a lot of awards each year the voting stays open for this for a really long time. Hugo voters have from now until November 19th to vote before the winners are announced at the ceremony at DisCon III in December in Washington DC. Like the Spirits, and unlike say the Oscars or Globes, voting is open to the public so long as you have a paid membership to that organization. In this case that's WorldCon.
HERE ARE THE NOMINEES. The items linked below are available to read or gaze upon online...
Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form (aka television... though shouldn't television be long form and movies be short form?)
- Doctor Who: Fugitive of the Judoon, written by Vinay Patel and Chris Chibnall, directed by Nida Manzoor
- The Expanse: Gaugamela, written by Dan Nowak, directed by Nick Gomez
- She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Heart (Parts 1 and 2), written by Josie Campbell and Noelle Stevenson, directed by Jen Bennett and Kiki Manrique
- The Mandalorian: Chapter 13: The Jedi, written and directed by Dave Filoni
- The Mandalorian: Chapter 16: The Rescue, written by Jon Favreau, directed by Peyton Reed
- The Good Place: Whenever You’re Ready, written and directed by Michael Schur
321 different episodes received votes here. But one wonders if The Mandalorian made up dozens of those or if the campaigning was more targeted on just a few key episodes?
Best Novel (40,000 words or more)
- Black Sun, Rebecca Roanhorse (Gallery / Saga Press / Solaris)
2nd nomination in this category. I actually read her previous book due to its Hugo nomination Trail of Lightning but it wasn't for me. Too violent / apocalyptic. - The City We Became, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
5th nomination in this category. She famously won thrice consecutively from 2016-2018, a feat no other novelist had ever accomplished. - Harrow The Ninth, Tamsyn Muir (Tor.com)
2nd consecutive nomination. Last year's nominated book was also part of her "Locked Tomb Trilogy". Will the final book be nominated next year? - Network Effect, Martha Wells (Tor.com)
1st nomination in this category - Piranesi, Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury)
2nd nomination in this category (she won in 2005 for Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell) - The Relentless Moon, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor Books / Solaris)
2nd nomination in this category, she won two years ago for The Calculating Stars
441 different titles received votes but these six won out. Legendary writers like Neil Gaiman, JK Rowling, Michael Chabon, Orson Scott Card, and Isaac Asimov have previously won this prize. The Hugos have been embroiled in identity politics controversies for some time now (detailed in this post from 2019) due to a fanbased voting system (which are theoretically easy to game if you can get other fans on your side). The controversies started with right wing sci-fans successfully putting over some dubious white male lineups (several years back now) and now it has swung around to very diverse EXCEPT in terms of gender; For the past three years only one man (a trans man) has been nominated in this category. The last man to actually win this category was Liu Cixin (and his translator Ken Liu) for The Three Body Problem in 2015 which was the first Asian novel to ever win the Hugo.
Best Novella (between 17,000-40,000 words)
- Come Tumbling Down, Seanan McGuire (Tor.com)
- The Empress of Salt and Fortune, Nghi Vo (Tor.com)
- Finna, Nino Cipri (Tor.com)
- Ring Shout, P. Djèlí Clark (Tor.com)
- Riot Baby, Tochi Onyebuchi (Tor.com)
- Upright Women Wanted, Sarah Gailey (Tor.com)
157 different novellas received votes. Tor.com tends to dominate the Hugos in a way that's kind of disturbing frankly. Do they just promote the Hugos a lot or campaign relentlessly?
Best Novelette (between 7,500-17,500 words)
- “Burn, or the Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super”, A.T. Greenblatt (Uncanny Magazine, May/June 2020)
- Helicopter Story, Isabel Fall (Clarkesworld, January 2020)
- “The Inaccessibility of Heaven”, Aliette de Bodard (Uncanny Magazine, July/August 2020)
- “Monster”, Naomi Kritzer (Clarkesworld, January 2020)
- “The Pill”, Meg Elison (from Big Girl, (PM Press))
- "Two Truths and a Lie," Sarah Pinsker (Tor.com)
197 novelettes received votes. That helicopter story (the only one not linked above) was a sci-fi piece about gender and trans identity but was removed from Clarkesworld at the request of the writer (who was not known to be trans at the time of its publication). She had experienced bullying from the trans community about her story. The Atlantic did a piece on the fallout of the divisive story (some in the trans community admired it) and the problems with rigid orthodoxies and online mob culture.
Best Short Story (under 7,500 words)
- “Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse”, Rae Carson (Uncanny Magazine, January/February 2020)
- “A Guide for Working Breeds”, Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Made to Order: Robots and Revolution, ed. Jonathan Strahan (Solaris))
- "Little Free Library". Naomi Kritzer (Tor.com)
- “The Mermaid Astronaut”, Yoon Ha Lee (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, February 2020)
- “Metal Like Blood in the Dark”, T. Kingfisher (Uncanny Magazine, September/October 2020)
- “Open House on Haunted Hill”, John Wiswell (Diabolical Plots – 2020, ed. David Steffen)
634 short stories received votes in this category making these the most hard-won Hugo nominees. Lots of competition!
Best Series
- The Daevabad Trilogy, S.A. Chakraborty (Harper Voyager)
- The Interdependency, John Scalzi (Tor Books)
- The Lady Astronaut Universe, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor Books/Audible/Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction/Solaris)
- The Murderbot Diaries, Martha Wells (Tor.com)
- October Daye, Seanan McGuire (DAW)
- The Poppy War, R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager)
180 series received votes.
Best Related Work (non-fiction but also focused on the sci-fi fantasy world)
- Beowulf: A New Translation, Maria Dahvana Headley (FSG)
- CoNZealand Fringe, Claire Rousseau, C, Cassie Hart, Adri Joy, Marguerite Kenner, Cheryl Morgan, Alasdair Stuart.
- FIYAHCON, L.D. Lewis–Director, Brent Lambert–Senior Programming Coordinator, Iori Kusano–FIYAHCON Fringe Co-Director, Vida Cruz–FIYAHCON Fringe Co-Director, and the Incredible FIYAHCON team
- “George R.R. Martin Can Fuck Off Into the Sun, Or: The 2020 Hugo Awards Ceremony (Rageblog Edition)”, Natalie Luhrs (Pretty Terrible, August 2020)
- A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky: The World of Octavia E. Butler, Lynell George (Angel City Press)
- The Last Bronycon: a fandom autopsy, Jenny Nicholson (YouTube)
277 different works had votes
Best Graphic Story or Comic
- DIE, Volume 2: Split the Party, written by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans, letters by Clayton Cowles (Image Comics)
- Ghost-Spider vol. 1: Dog Days Are Over, Author: Seanan McGuire, Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa and Rosi Kämpe (Marvel)
- Invisible Kingdom, vol 2: Edge of Everything, Author: G. Willow Wilson, Artist: Christian Ward (Dark Horse Comics)
- Monstress, vol. 5: Warchild, Author: Marjorie Liu, Artist: Sana Takeda (Image Comics)
- Once & Future vol. 1: The King Is Undead, written by Kieron Gillen, iIllustrated by Dan Mora, colored by Tamra Bonvillain, lettered by Ed Dukeshire (BOOM! Studios)
- Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, written by Octavia Butler, adapted by Damian Duffy, illustrated by John Jennings (Harry N. Abrams)
254 different projects received votes
Best Editor, Short Form
- Neil Clarke
- Ellen Datlow
- C.C. Finlay
- Mur Lafferty and S.B. Divya
- Jonathan Strahan
- Sheila Williams
162 people received votes
Best Editor, Long Form
- Nivia Evans
- Sheila E. Gilbert
- Sarah Guan
- Brit Hvide
- Diana M. Pho
- Navah Wolfe
82 people received votes
Best Professional Artist
179 people received votes. All of these artists, except Maurizio Manzieri, are returning from last year's nomination slate. This is Picacio's fifth consecutive nomination. He won last year.
Best Semiprozine
- Beneath Ceaseless Skies, ed. Scott H. Andrews
- Escape Pod, editors Mur Lafferty and S.B. Divya, assistant editor Benjamin C. Kinney, hosts Tina Connolly and Alasdair Stuart, audio producers Summer Brooks and Adam Pracht and the entire Escape Pod team.
- FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, publisher Troy L. Wiggins, executive editor DaVaun Sanders, managing editor Eboni Dunbar, poetry editor Brandon O’Brien, reviews and social media Brent Lambert, art director L. D. Lewis, and the FIYAH Team.
- PodCastle, editors, C.L. Clark and Jen R. Albert, assistant editor and host, Setsu Uzumé, producer Peter Adrian Behravesh, and the entire PodCastle team.
- Uncanny Magazine, editors in chief: Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas, managing editor: Chimedum Ohaegbu, non-fiction editor: Elsa Sjunneson, podcast producers: Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky
- Strange Horizons, Vanessa Aguirre, Joseph Aitken, Rachel Ayers, M H Ayinde, Tierney Bailey, Scott Beggs, Drew Matthew Beyer, Gautam Bhatia, S. K. Campbell, Zhui Ning Chang, Rita Chen, Tania Chen, Joyce Chng, Liz Christman, Linda H. Codega, Kristian Wilson Colyard, Yelena Crane, Bruhad Dave, Sarah Davidson, Tahlia Day, Arinn Dembo, Nathaniel Eakman, Belen Edwards, George Tom Elavathingal, Rebecca Evans, Ciro Faienza, Courtney Floyd, Lila Garrott, Colette Grecco, Guananí Gómez-Van Cortright, Julia Gunnison, Dan Hartland, Sydney Hilton, Angela Hinck, Stephen Ira, Amanda Jean, Ai Jiang, Sean Joyce-Farley, Erika Kanda, Anna Krepinsky, Kat Kourbeti, Clayton Kroh, Maureen Kincaid Speller, Catherine Krahe, Natasha Leullier, A.Z. Louise, Dante Luiz, Gui Machiavelli, Cameron Mack, Samantha Manaktola, Marisa Manuel, Jean McConnell, Heather McDougal, Maria Morabe, Amelia Moriarty, Emory Noakes, Sara Noakes, Aidan Oatway, AJ Odasso, Joel Oliver-Cormier, Kristina Palmer, Karintha Parker, Anjali Patel, Vanessa Rose Phin, Nicasio Reed, Belicia Rhea, Endria Richardson, Natalie Ritter, Abbey Schlanz, Clark Seanor, Elijah Rain Smith, Hebe Stanton, Melody Steiner, Romie Stott, Yejin Suh, Kwan-Ann Tan, Luke Tolvaj, Ben Tyrrell, Renee Van Siclen, Kathryn Weaver, Liza Wemakor, Aigner Loren Wilson, E.M. Wright, Vicki Xu, Fred G. Yost, staff members who prefer not to be named, and guest editor Libia Brenda with guest first reader Raquel González-Franco Alva for the Mexicanx special issue
77 different zines received votes
Best Fanzine
- The Full Lid, written by Alasdair Stuart, edited by Marguerite Kenner
- Journey Planet, edited by Michael Carroll, John Coxon, Sara Felix, Ann Gry, Sarah Gulde, Alissa McKersie, Errick Nunnally, Pádraig Ó Méalóid, Chuck Serface, Steven H Silver, Paul Trimble, Erin Underwood, James Bacon, and Chris Garcia.
- Lady Business, editors. Ira, Jodie, KJ, Renay, and Susan.
- nerds of a feather, flock together, ed. Adri Joy, Joe Sherry, The G, and Vance Kotrla
- Quick Sip Reviews, editor, Charles Payseur
- Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog, ed. Amanda Wakaruk and Olav Rokne
94 fanzines received votes
Best Fancast
- Be The Serpent, presented by Alexandra Rowland, Freya Marske and Jennifer Mace
- Claire Rousseau’s YouTube channel, produced by Claire Rousseau
- The Coode Street Podcast, presented by Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe, Jonathan Strahan, producer
- Kalanadi, produced and presented by Rachel
- The Skiffy and Fanty show, produced by Shaun Duke and Jen Zink, presented by Shaun Duke, Jen Zink, Alex Acks, Paul Weimer, and David Annandale.
- Worldbuilding for Masochists, presented by Rowenna Miller, Marshall Ryan Maresca and Cass Morris
230 fancasts received votes
Best Fan Writer
- Cora Buhlert
- Charles Payseur
- Jason Sanford
- Elsa Sjunneson
- Alasdair Stuart
- Paul Weimer
185 writers received votes in this category
Best Fan Artist
158 artists received votes here. Clark, Felix, and Fong all return from last year's nominee pool.
Best Video Game
This is a one time special category (not sure why it isn't a regular category as videogames have been with us a long time. 146 games received votes.
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Publisher and Developer: Nintendo)
- Blaseball (Publisher and Developer: The Game Band)
- Final Fantasy VII Remake (Publisher Square Enix)
- Hades (Publisher and Developer: Supergiant Games)
- The Last of Us: Part II (Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment / Developer: Naughty Dog)
- Spiritfarer (Publisher and Developer: Thunder Lotus)
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book (presented by the World Science Fiction Society)
NOT OFFICIALLY A HUGO AWARD As with the big A list film festivals some of the prizes you hear about aren't actually "official" (think the Queer Lion at Venice or the Palm Dog at Cannes) but offshoots that play alongside the official event. These works were also eligible at the normal Hugo Awards
- Cemetery Boys, Aiden Thomas (Swoon Reads)
- A Deadly Education, Naomi Novik (Del Rey)
- Elatsoe, Darcie Little Badger (Levine Querido)
- Legendborn, Tracy Deonn (Margaret K. McElderry/ Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing)
- Raybearer, Jordan Ifueko (Amulet / Hot Key)
- A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, T. Kingfisher (Argyll Productions)
Astounding Award for Best New Writer (presented by Dell Magazines)
NOT OFFICIALLY A HUGO AWARD EITHER.
- Lindsay Ellis (1st year of eligibility)
- Simon Jimenez (1st year of eligibility)
- Micaiah Johnson (1st year of eligibility)
- A.K. Larkwood (1st year of eligibility)
- Jenn Lyons (2nd year of eligibility)
- Emily Tesh (2nd year of eligibility)
Reader Comments (9)
The only explanation I can find for the Eurovision Song Contest being considered Fantasy is that it is too much of a fantasy to believe that Will Ferrell could be the son of Pierce Brosnan.
SOUL really got everyone hot and bothered I guess. And yet WOLFWALKERS and even ONWARD feels slightly a bit more at home with this particular award than that one. Sigh.
Am I crazy or did this week's Smackdown never post?
In Eurovision..
1) Elves
2) Ghosts
Yup, it's fantasy.
I read Martha Wells’ “Network Effect” online as soon as it came out, and then re-read it, just to extend the enjoyment. This is the latest in her “Murderbot” series (also nominated in series) which is a pure delight. The books are novellas, so they are short, sharp, funny, and completely satisfying.
When I am trying a book by an author new to me, I regard the Tor imprint as a guarantee of quality. I also like DAW, Ace, and Baen.
“Tor” editors seem to insist on certain standards when they pick a book. It has to have interesting characters, a clear and satisfying narrative, and something new about the plot or approach or outlook. It appears that the editors are also very strict, making the writers cut out repetition, long padded passages and author digressions, and making them streamline the book for better clarity and style.
Not enough editors do this! That’s why you get those huge bloated 600+ page epics. So I can see Tor editors being rewarded for having the guts and skill to make these books better. Maybe the recognition also makes authors more willing to be edited by a conscientious and experienced editor.
The balloting process leads to a large number of titles voted for in every category. Any member above a certain tier (supporting member and up) of the World Science Fiction Society gets to put in a ballot and the top 6 vote getters in each category make up the nominees. The category can also receive no nominations if the majority of votes are for No Award. Also, campaigning is frowned upon, but still happens to a certain extent.
I'm guessing the video game category is a trial to see if they have enough voting members who can nominate/vote on the category. It's entirely possible that they could have just received No Award ballots and not gone through with the nominations. The Fancast category started that way a few years ago, but the Best Website category had two trials a few years apart and never continued as a permanent category.
My favorite category is always related work. They go for some great content that doesn't have many other avenues to be recognized like this. I mean, Jenny Nicholson got in for her awesome video essay on the last Bronycon, the largest My Little Pony fan convention. I think this category is either going to the new Beowulf translation or the Octavia Butler book.
Any "dramatic presentation" longer than 90 minutes is eligible for Long Form Dramatic Presentation (the whole Good Omens miniseries won last year), so a lot of full TV seasons were likely voted for but didn't make the nominations list.
Mandalorian only has 8 episodes this year so impossible for it to have "dozens" of episodes voted for.
Tor.com has an advantage in the novella category because they're the only major publisher seriously pushing novellas, a form which is a lot less prominent than it was when the Hugos started.
Rubi -- thanks for the clarification. Though on Mandalorian i've noticed some awards shows putting both season 1 and season 2 episodes in their lineups int he same calendar year so I didn't know if that was the case here.
Those category titles are pretentious.