The British Fantasy Awards (BFA) are awarded annually by the
British Fantasy Society (BFS), first in 1976. Prior to that they were known as The August Derleth Fantasy Awards (see
August Derleth Award). First awarded in 1972 (to ''The Knight of Swords'' by
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English people, English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy fiction, fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic nov ...
) only for novels, the number of award categories increased and in 1976 the BFS renamed them collectively to the British Fantasy Awards. The current award categories are:
* Best Fantasy Novel (the
Robert Holdstock Award)
* Best Horror Novel (the
August Derleth Award)
* Best Novella
* Best Short Fiction
* Best Anthology
* Best Collection
* Magazine/Periodical
* Best Independent Press
* Best Comic/Graphic Novel
* Best Artist
* Film/Television Production
* Best Audio
* Best Non-Fiction
* Best Newcomer (the
Sydney J. Bounds
Sydney James Bounds (4 November 1920 – 24 November 2006) was a British author. He wrote as Sydney J. Bounds and S. J. Bounds, as well as under the pen names Clifford Wallace, James Marshall, Earl Ellison and Rex Marlowe. He wrote over forty no ...
Award)
* The
Karl Edward Wagner Award for "important contribution to the genre or the Society" is given at the discretion of the BFS committee.
The membership of the BFS vote to determine the shortlists of the awards, the winners being decided by juries.
Conventional Fiction Writing
1Previously "Best Short Story", before 2008.
2Was originally presented as a single award known as "Best Novel", the August Derleth Fantasy Award, until split in 2012.
Anthology, Collection, Magazine, and Press
1Provided as "Small Press" until 2015, when that was ended and replace with "Independent"
Multimedia
1Was initially conferred 1973-1980 as "Best Comic"; it was revived in 2009 as "Best Comic / Graphic Novel".
Awarded only to films from 1973-1990, this honor was renewed 2009-2011, (though split into two separate categories), and again starting in 2014 as "Best Film / Television Episode", and then "Best Film / Television Production" from 2016 onward. In the two years 2012-2013, the BFS decided to present for extraordinary contributions to screenplay literature to Woody Allen for ''Midnight in Paris'' (2012) and co-writers Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon for ''Cabin in the Woods'' (2013).
Nominees and winners (other awards)
Award controversy of 2011
In 2011, British writer
Sam Stone
Sam Stone is the horror and fantasy pen name for British Thriller novellist and screenwriter Samantha Lee Howe. She is best known for her ''USA Today!'' best selling novel ''The Stranger In Our Bed'' published by HarperCollins imprint One More ...
won the British Fantasy Award but returned it three days later after editor and anthologist Stephen Jones posted a blog entry pointing out that three of the winning entries (and many of the shortlisted works) were published by
Telos Publishing, a company owned by David Howe. At the time, Howe was also chair of the
British Fantasy Society, British Fantasy Award coordinator, and partner of Stone.
References
External links
British Fantasy Society AwardsExcerpts and synopses of BFA Award winning and nominated novels
{{Fantasy fiction
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama ...
Awards established in 1971
Novella awards
Speculative fiction award-winning novellas
1971 establishments in the United Kingdom
Anthology awards
Short story collection awards