Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist
Encyclopedia
The Hugo Award
s are presented every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction
or fantasy
works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback
, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories
, and was once officially known as the Science Fiction Achievement Award. The award has been described as "a fine showcase for speculative fiction" and "the best known literary award for science fiction writing". The Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist is given each year for artists of works related to science fiction or fantasy which appeared in low- or non-paying publications such as semiprozines or fanzine
s. A Hugo Award for professional artists
is also given. The fan award was first presented in 1967 and has been awarded annually. In addition to the regular Hugo awards, beginning in 1996 Retrospective Hugo Awards, or "Retro Hugos", have been available to be awarded for years 50, 75, or 100 years prior in which no awards were given. To date, Retro Hugo awards have been awarded for 1946, 1951, and 1954, though the 1954 Retro Hugos received insufficient nominations for the Fan Artist Hugo to make the ballot.
Hugo Award nominees and winners are chosen by supporting or attending members of the annual World Science Fiction Convention
, or Worldcon, and the presentation evening constitutes its central event. The selection process is defined in the World Science Fiction Society Constitution as instant-runoff voting
with five nominees, except in the case of a tie. These five works on the ballot are those most-nominated by members that year, with no limit on the number of works that can be nominated. Initial nominations are made by members in January through March, while voting on the ballot of five nominations is performed roughly in April through July, subject to change depending on when that year's Worldcon is held. Worldcons are generally held near Labor Day
, and in a different city around the world each year.
During the 47 nomination years, 55 artists have been nominated; 22 of these have won, including co-winners and Retro Hugos. Brad W. Foster
has received the most number of awards, with 8 wins out of 23 nominations. William Rotsler
has received 5 out of 23, the most nominations of any artist. Tim Kirk
has also won five times, out of eight nominations; the only other artists to win more than twice are Teddy Harvia
, with four out of twenty, Alexis A. Gilliland
, with four out of eight, and Frank Wu
, also with four out of eight nominations.
* Winners and ties
, the World Science Fiction Society created the concept of "Retro Hugos", in which the Hugo award could be retroactively awarded for 50, 75, or 100 years prior. Retro Hugos may only be awarded for years in which a Worldcon was hosted, but no awards were originally given. Retro Hugos have been awarded three times, for 1946, 1951, and 1954. All three of these awards were given 50 years later. The 1954 Retro Hugos did not receive enough nominations for the Fan Artist Hugo to make the ballot. The next year that Retro Hugos can be awarded is 2014, for 1939.
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
s are presented every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
or fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback
Hugo Gernsback
Hugo Gernsback , born Hugo Gernsbacher, was a Luxembourgian American inventor, writer, editor, and magazine publisher, best remembered for publications that included the first science fiction magazine. His contributions to the genre as publisher were so significant that, along with H. G...
, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
, and was once officially known as the Science Fiction Achievement Award. The award has been described as "a fine showcase for speculative fiction" and "the best known literary award for science fiction writing". The Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist is given each year for artists of works related to science fiction or fantasy which appeared in low- or non-paying publications such as semiprozines or fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
s. A Hugo Award for professional artists
Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
is also given. The fan award was first presented in 1967 and has been awarded annually. In addition to the regular Hugo awards, beginning in 1996 Retrospective Hugo Awards, or "Retro Hugos", have been available to be awarded for years 50, 75, or 100 years prior in which no awards were given. To date, Retro Hugo awards have been awarded for 1946, 1951, and 1954, though the 1954 Retro Hugos received insufficient nominations for the Fan Artist Hugo to make the ballot.
Hugo Award nominees and winners are chosen by supporting or attending members of the annual World Science Fiction Convention
Worldcon
Worldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention held each year since 1939 . It is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society...
, or Worldcon, and the presentation evening constitutes its central event. The selection process is defined in the World Science Fiction Society Constitution as instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...
with five nominees, except in the case of a tie. These five works on the ballot are those most-nominated by members that year, with no limit on the number of works that can be nominated. Initial nominations are made by members in January through March, while voting on the ballot of five nominations is performed roughly in April through July, subject to change depending on when that year's Worldcon is held. Worldcons are generally held near Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
, and in a different city around the world each year.
During the 47 nomination years, 55 artists have been nominated; 22 of these have won, including co-winners and Retro Hugos. Brad W. Foster
Brad W. Foster
Brad W. Foster is an American illustrator, cartoonist, writer and publisher. He is a fixture at the Hugo Awards, where he holds the record for most awards for "Best Fan Artist." As of 2011, since 1984 he has been nominated 23 times, and won 8...
has received the most number of awards, with 8 wins out of 23 nominations. William Rotsler
William Rotsler
William "Bill" Rotsler was an American cartoonist and graphic artist; author of several science fiction novels and short stories, and television and film novelizations, and non-fiction works on a variety of topics, ranging from Star Trek to pornography; a prominent member of science fiction...
has received 5 out of 23, the most nominations of any artist. Tim Kirk
Tim Kirk
Tim Kirk is an American fan artist. He has been a senior designer at Tokyo DisneySea. Previously, he was an Imagineer for Walt Disney, and an illustrator for Hallmark Cards. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Commercial Art, and his Master’s degree in Illustration from...
has also won five times, out of eight nominations; the only other artists to win more than twice are Teddy Harvia
Teddy Harvia
Teddy Harvia is the nom de plume of David Thayer, an American science fiction fan artist. "Teddy Harvia" is an anagram of "David Thayer". He was born in Oklahoma but grew up in and resides in Dallas, Texas....
, with four out of twenty, Alexis A. Gilliland
Alexis A. Gilliland
Alexis Arnaldus Gilliland is an American science fiction writer and cartoonist. He resides in Arlington, Virginia.Gilliland won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1982, notably beating David Brin and Michael Swanwick for the honor...
, with four out of eight, and Frank Wu
Frank Wu
Frank Wu is a science fiction and fantasy artist living in Arlington, MA. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009; he was previously nominated in 2002 and 2003. He also won the Grand Prize in the Illustrators of the Future contest in 2000. In 2008 he was nominated...
, also with four out of eight nominations.
Winners and nominees
In the following tables, the years correspond to the date of the ceremony. Artists are eligible based on their work of the previous calendar year. Entries with a blue background and an asterisk (*) next to the artist's name have won the award; those with a white background are the nominees on the short-list.* Winners and ties
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Retro Hugos
Beginning with the 1996 Worldcon54th World Science Fiction Convention
The 54th World Science Fiction Convention , also known as L.A.con III, was held 29 August – 2 September 1996 at the Anaheim Hilton, Anaheim Marriott, and the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, USA.The chairman was Mike Glyer....
, the World Science Fiction Society created the concept of "Retro Hugos", in which the Hugo award could be retroactively awarded for 50, 75, or 100 years prior. Retro Hugos may only be awarded for years in which a Worldcon was hosted, but no awards were originally given. Retro Hugos have been awarded three times, for 1946, 1951, and 1954. All three of these awards were given 50 years later. The 1954 Retro Hugos did not receive enough nominations for the Fan Artist Hugo to make the ballot. The next year that Retro Hugos can be awarded is 2014, for 1939.
| Year | Year awarded | Artist | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| * | |||
| * | |||