Nova Award
| Award | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Nova Award |
| Date(s): | 1973-2014[1] |
| Frequency: | annual |
| Format: | vote |
| Type: | fan awards |
| Associated Community: | Novacon |
| Fandom: | Science Fiction Fandom |
| URL: | Wikipedia entry |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Nova Award was an annual fanzine award presented at Novacon since 1973. It was retired (mostly) in 2015, apart from an occasional "Special Nova" for individuals of special merit. Awards were granted for "Best Fanzine", "Best Fanartist" and Best Fanwriter".
History
The awards were instituted as part of Novacon in 1973, to recognise "achievement in British and Irish sf fanzines"[2] In those early years, the nominees were put forward by members of the convention, but the actual judging was done by a panel of BNFs who did not have ties to any of the nominated zines. In 1974 the panel was unable to come to a consensus to break a tie and in 1975 the award was given, not to the panel's preferred zine (Wrinkled Shrew) but to the zine they felt had to be awarded under the rules (Maya), resulting in criticism from (and in) various zines. In 1977, the award was determined by fans "able to demonstrate familiarity with the field"[2], by popular vote.
According to Dave Langford, you couldn't please everyone:
Up to 1976, winners were determined by an `expert' committee and the award was decried as fallible and elitist. Since then, voting has been open to any convention member who claims to have seen a few fanzines, and the awards are therefore scorned as fallible (what do these voters know?) and elitist (how dare this self-appointed minority set itself above others by bothering to vote?).[3]
In 1981, the awards were expanded to include Best Fanwriter" and "Best Fanartist" and in 1995 "Best Fan" (on an ad hoc basis). In 2011, the rules were changed to allow voting by non-Novacon members resident in the UK and Eire and able to meet the "familiarity" criterion.
In 2015, it was announced by the Novacon committee that the awards would be discontinued, due to a lack of voter participation. The awards administrator of the time, Steve Green explained it thus:
When the entirety of UK and Irish fandom has the opportunity to vote, virtually all of the candidates are available to read online and ballots can be cast electronically, but fewer than two dozen people can be arsed to take part, it’s impossible to see how the Novas could be justified.
The committee allowed that occasional "Special Nova" awards might be handed out in future to exceptional individuals, however to date there have been none awarded.
Awards
| Year | Best Fanzine | Best Fan Writer | Best Fan Artist | Best Fan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Speculation #32, ed. Peter Weston | NA | NA | NA |
| 1974 | (tie) Zimri #6, ed. Lisa Conesa; Big Scab #2, ed. John Brosnan | NA | NA | NA |
| 1975 | Maya #8, ed. Rob Jackson | NA | NA | NA |
| 1976 | Maya, ed. Rob Jackson | NA | NA | NA |
| 1977 | Twll-Ddu, ed. Dave Langford | NA | NA | NA |
| 1978 | Gross Encounters, ed. Alan Dorey | NA | NA | NA |
| 1979 | Seamonsters, ed. Simone Walsh | NA | NA | NA |
| 1980 | One-Off, ed. Dave Bridges | NA | NA | NA |
| 1981 | Tappen, ed. Malcolm Edwards | Chris Atkinson | Pete Lyon | NA |
| 1982 | Epsilon, ed. Rob Hansen | Chris Atkinson | Rob Hansen | NA |
| 1983 | A Cool Head, ed. Dave Bridges | Dave Bridges | Margaret Welbank | NA |
| 1984 | Xyster, ed. Dave Wood | Anne Hammill | D West | NA |
| 1985 | Prevert, ed. John Jarrold | Abi Frost | Ros Calverly | NA |
| 1986 | Pink Fluffy Bedsocks, ed. Owen Whiteoak | Owen Whiteoak | Arthur Thomson ("Atom") | NA |
| 1987 | Lip, ed. Hazel Ashworth | D West | D West | NA |
| 1988 | Lip, ed. Hazel Ashworth | Michael Ashley | D West | NA |
| 1989 | VSOP, ed. Jan Orys | Simon Polley | Dave Mooring | NA |
| 1990 | Fuck the Tories, ed. Joseph Nicholas, Judith Hanna | Dave Langford | Dave Mooring | NA |
| 1991 | Saliromania, ed. Michael Ashley | Michael Ashley | D West | NA |
| 1992 | Bob?, ed. Ian Sorensen | Michael Ashley | Dave Mooring | NA |
| 1993 | Lagoon, ed. Simon Ounsley | Simon Ounsley | Dave Mooring | NA |
| 1994 | Rastus Johnson’s Cakewalk, ed. Greg Pickersgill | Greg Pickersgill | D West | NA |
| 1995 | Attitude, ed. Michael Abbott, John Dallman, Pam Wells | Simon Ounsley | D West | Brian Burgess |
| 1996 | Banana Wings, ed. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer | Alison Freebairn | D West | Bob Shaw |
| 1997 | Banana Wings, ed. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer | Mark Plummer | Sue Mason | Ken Slater |
| 1998 | Banana Wings, ed. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer | Maureen Kincaid Speller | D West | NA |
| 1999 | Barmaid, ed. Yvonne Rowse | Yvonne Rowse | Sue Mason | NA |
| 2000 | Plokta, ed. Alison Scott, Steve Davies, Mike Scott | Yvonne Rowse | Sue Mason | Vernon Brown |
| 2001 | Head, ed. Doug Bell, Christina Lake | Alison Freebairn | Dave Hicks | NA |
| 2002 | Plokta, ed. Alison Scott, Steve Davies, Mike Scott | Claire Brialey | Dave Hicks | NA |
| 2003 | Zoo Nation, ed. Pete Young | Claire Brialey | Sue Mason | Ina Shorrock |
| 2004 | Zoo Nation, ed. Pete Young | Claire Brialey | Sue Mason | Ray Bradbury |
| 2005 | Banana Wings, ed. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer | Claire Brialey | Alison Scott | NA |
| 2006 | Banana Wings, ed. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer | Claire Brialey | Sue Mason | NA |
| 2007 | Prolapse, ed. Peter Weston | Mark Plummer | Alison Scott | Peter Weston |
| 2008 | Prolapse, ed. Peter Weston | Claire Brialey | Alison Scott | NA |
| 2009 | Banana Wings, eds. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer | Claire Brialey | Sue Mason | NA |
| 2010 | Journey Planet, eds. Christopher J Garcia, James Bacon, Claire Brialey | Mark Plummer | Arthur "Atom" Thomson* | NA |
| 2011 | Head, ed. Doug Bell, Christina Lake | Claire Brialey | Dave Hicks | NA |
| 2012 | Banana Wings, eds. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer | Mark Plummer | (tie) Sue Mason and D West | NA |
| 2013 | Banana Wings, eds. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer | Mike Meara | D West | David A. Hardy |
| 2014 | Vibrator, ed. Graham Charnock | Christina Lake | D West | NA |
*the first Nova Award ever won posthumously.
References
- ^ Nova Award Retired. Mostly, by Mike Glyer, File 770, April 2, 2015
- ^ a b "Nova Awards" - Wikipedia
- ^ "Jargon In British Science Fiction Fandom" by Dave Langford, July 1, 1992. Online at Project Galactic Guide [1]
- ^ "Nova Award Retired. Mostly." by Mike Glyson, File 770, April 2, 2025.