The Hugo Awards are one of the biggest — and most controversial — sci-fi and fantasy awards. Last year, when the Hugos were hosted in China, several works were disqualified for political reasons. This year, almost 10% of the votes — representing tens of thousands of dollars in memberships — were disqualified when they were found to be part of a fraudulent campaign for one nominee. Now that those “obviously fake names” have been weeded out, though, we have our winners for this year’s Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding Awards.
It’s worth noting that the Astounding Award for Best New Writer went to Xiran Jay Zhao, whose eligibility was extended at the request of Dell Magazine, the sponsor of the award. Zhao was one of the authors unfairly disqualified last year. Also, congratulations to Naomi Kritzer, who won both the Best Short Story and Best Novelette categories!
Now, onto the awards! The Hugos covers more than just books, so be sure to click through to their full list of winners, including Best Dramatic Presentation, Best Fanzine, Best Game, and more.
The 2024 Lodestar and Astounding Award Winners
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book: To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose (…which is not a YA novel. It has a teen protagonist, but it was published as adult.)
Astounding Award for Best New Writer: Xiran Jay Zhao
For the full list of winners and runners up in all categories, head over to Locus.
Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.