Nova Awards
Entry updated 30 October 2023. Tagged: Award, Fan.
UK Fandom-based Awards presented from 1973 to 2014 for Fanzine-related activity, under the auspices of Britain's second regular convention, the annual and still continuing Novacon (which see). For its first four years the Nova Award was selected by a panel of knowledgable fan judges from fanzine titles nominated by Novacon members. The first three awards were given for a specific issue of a UK fanzine, with a tied decision in 1974; thereafter the fanzine award was for a publication's overall performance in the Novacon-to-Novacon eligibility period. From 1977 onward the award was made by popular vote of Novacon members who declared themselves to be familiar with the fanzine scene. In 1981 the additional categories of fan writer and fan artist were added, presented for written and artistic contributions to UK fanzines. In 1995 the Novacon committee announced the first "Best fan" presentation, an occasional special award chosen not by vote but by consensus among the current year's Novacon committee, as with the occasional special plaques presented by Worldcon committees as part of the Hugo ceremony. Electronic fanzines were made eligible after the 2002 presentation. In 2011 the voter pool was expanded to all UK and Irish fans, with email votes now accepted.
Owing to lack of interest and falling voting figures, the Nova Awards were discontinued after the 2014 presentation, although Novacon reserves the right to make further "Best fan" presentations for long service and/or popularity in British fandom. [CB/DRL]
Fanzine
- 1973: Speculation #32 edited by Peter Weston
- 1974: (tie) Big Scab #2 edited by John Brosnan; Zimri #6 edited by Lisa Conesa
- 1975: Maya #8 edited by Rob Jackson
- 1976: Maya edited by Rob Jackson
- 1977: Twll-Ddu edited by Dave Langford
- 1978: Gross Encounters edited by Alan Dorey
- 1979: Seamonsters edited by Simone Walsh
- 1980: One-Off edited by Dave Bridges
- 1981: Tappen edited by Malcolm Edwards
- 1982: Epsilon edited by Rob Hansen
- 1983: A Cool Head edited by Dave Bridges
- 1984: Xyster edited by Dave Wood
- 1985: Prevert edited by John Jarrold
- 1986: Pink Fluffy Bedsocks edited by Owen Whiteoak [one of many titles for essentially the same fanzine]
- 1987: Lip edited by Hazel Ashworth
- 1988: Lip edited by Hazel Ashworth
- 1989: VSOP edited by Jan Orys
- 1990: Fuck the Tories edited by Judith Hanna and Joseph Nicholas
- 1991: Saliromania edited by Michael Ashley
- 1992: Bob? edited by Ian Sorensen
- 1993: Lagoon edited by Simon Ounsley
- 1994: Rastus Johnson’s Cakewalk edited by Greg Pickersgill
- 1995: Attitude edited by Michael Abbott, John Dallman and Pam Wells
- 1996: Banana Wings (initially Waxen Wings and Banana Skins) edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
- 1997: Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
- 1998: Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
- 1999: Barmaid edited by Yvonne Rowse
- 2000: Plokta edited by Steve Davies, Alison Scott and Mike Scott
- 2001: Head! edited by Doug Bell and Christina Lake
- 2002: Plokta edited by Steve Davies, Alison Scott and Mike Scott
- 2003: Zoo Nation edited by Pete Young
- 2004: Zoo Nation edited by Pete Young
- 2005: Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
- 2006: Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
- 2007: Prolapse (see Relapse) edited by Peter Weston
- 2008: Prolapse (see Relapse) edited by Peter Weston
- 2009: Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
- 2010: Journey Planet edited by James Bacon and Chris Garcia
- 2011: Head! edited by Doug Bell and Christina Lake
- 2012: Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
- 2013: Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
- 2014: Vibrator edited by Graham Charnock
Fan writer
- 1981: Chris Atkinson
- 1982: Chris Atkinson
- 1983: Dave Bridges
- 1984: Anne Hammill
- 1985: Abi Frost
- 1986: Owen Whiteoak
- 1987: D West
- 1988: Michael Ashley
- 1989: Simon Polley
- 1990: Dave Langford
- 1991: Michael Ashley
- 1992: Michael Ashley
- 1993: Simon Ounsley
- 1994: Greg Pickersgill
- 1995: Simon Ounsley
- 1996: Alison Freebairn
- 1997: Mark Plummer
- 1998: Maureen Kincaid Speller
- 1999: Yvonne Rowse
- 2000: Yvonne Rowse
- 2001: Alison Freebairn
- 2002: Claire Brialey
- 2003: Claire Brialey
- 2004: Claire Brialey
- 2005: Claire Brialey
- 2006: Claire Brialey
- 2007: Mark Plummer
- 2008: Claire Brialey
- 2009: Claire Brialey
- 2010: Mark Plummer
- 2011: Claire Brialey
- 2012: Mark Plummer
- 2013: Mike Meara
- 2014: Christina Lake
Fan artist
- 1981: Pete Lyon
- 1982: Rob Hansen
- 1983: Margaret Welbank
- 1984: D West
- 1985: Ros Calverly
- 1986: Arthur Thomson
- 1987: D West
- 1988: D West
- 1989: Dave Mooring
- 1990: Dave Mooring
- 1991: D West
- 1992: Dave Mooring
- 1993: Dave Mooring
- 1994: D West
- 1995: D West
- 1996: D West
- 1997: Sue Mason
- 1998: D West
- 1999: Sue Mason
- 2000: Sue Mason
- 2001: Dave Hicks
- 2002: Dave Hicks
- 2003: Sue Mason
- 2004: Sue Mason
- 2005: Alison Scott
- 2006: Sue Mason
- 2007: Alison Scott
- 2008: Alison Scott
- 2009: Sue Mason
- 2010: Arthur Thomson [the only known example of a posthumous Nova Award]
- 2011: Dave Hicks
- 2012: (tie) Sue Mason; D West
- 2013: D West
- 2014: D West
Best fan
- 1995: Brian Burgess
- 1996: Bob Shaw
- 1997: Ken Slater
- 2000: Vernon Brown
- 2003: Ina Shorrock
- 2004: Ray Bradbury [not the US author but the Birmingham SF Group fan who made the Nova Award trophies]
- 2007: Peter Weston
- 2013: David A Hardy
links
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