The Balrog Awards were a set of awards given annually from 1979 to 1985 for the best works and achievements of

speculative fiction Speculative fiction is a term that has been used with a variety of (sometimes contradictory) meanings. The broadest interpretation is as a category of fiction encompassing genres with elements that do not exist in reality, recorded history, nat ...

in the previous year. The awards were named after the

balrog A Balrog () is a powerful demonic monster in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. One first appeared in print in his high-fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings'', where the Fellowship of the Ring encounter a Balrog known as Durin's Bane in the Min ...

, a fictional creature from J. R. R. Tolkien's

Middle-earth Middle-earth is the fictional setting of much of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy. The term is equivalent to the '' Miðgarðr'' of Norse mythology and ''Middangeard'' in Old English works, including ''Beowulf''. Middle-earth is ...

legendarium Tolkien's legendarium is the body of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic writing, unpublished in his lifetime, that forms the background to his ''The Lord of the Rings'', and which his son Christopher summarized in his compilation of ''The Silmaril ...

.''Locus'' Index to SF Awards: About the Balrog Awards
Accessed 26 March 2021. The awards were originally announced by editor Jonathan Bacon in Issue #15 of ''Fantasy Crossroads'' and presented at the Fool-Con II convention on

April Fool's Day April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved in these pranks, which may ...

, 1979 at Johnson County Community College,

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

.''Nemedian Chroniclers''
Issue #4, p. 12. The awards were never taken seriously and are often referred to, tongue-in-cheek, as the "coveted Balrog Awards".

Awards (By Year)

1979

* Best Novel: ''

Blind Voices ''Blind Voices'' is a 1978 science fiction novel by Tom Reamy. Reamy's only novel, it was published "posthumously in a complete but not final draft"Tom Reamy Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in '' Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a characte ...

* Best Short Fiction: "Death from Exposure",

Pat Cadigan Patricia Oren Kearney Cadigan (born September 10, 1953) is a British-American science fiction author, whose work is most often identified with the cyberpunk movement. Her novels and short stories often explore the relationship between the huma ...

* Best Collection/Anthology: ''Born to Exile'',

Phyllis Eisenstein Phyllis Eisenstein (February 26, 1946 – December 7, 2020) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy short stories as well as novels. Her work was nominated for both the Hugo Award and Nebula Award. Early life Eisenstein was born Phy ...

* Best Poet:

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and ...

* Best Artist:

Tim Kirk Tim Kirk is both a professional artist and an American fan artist. He worked as a senior designer at Tokyo DisneySea, as an Imagineer for the Walt Disney company. He began his professional art career during the mid-1970s as an illustrator at ...

* Best Amateur Publication: ''Shayol'' * Best Professional Publication: ''Age of Dreams'',

Alicia Austin Alicia Austin (born 1942) is an American fantasy and science fiction artist and illustrator. She works in print-making, Prismacolor, pastels and watercolors. Early life and education Austin was born in Providence, Kentucky. As her father was ...

* Best Amateur Achievement: Paul C. Allen (for ''Fantasy Newsletter'' and "Of Swords & Sorcery") * Best Professional Achievement: J. R. R. Tolkien and

Donald M. Grant Donald Metcalf Grant (April 3, 1927 – August 19, 2009) was an American publisher. Biography He was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1927 and graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1949. Grant's interest in fantasy and science ...

(tie) * Judges' Choice: Jonathan Bacon (for ''Fantasy Crossroads'') * Judges' Choice:

Andre Norton Andre Alice Norton (born Alice Mary Norton, February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, who also wrote works of historical and contemporary fiction. She wrote primarily under the pen name ...

(for lifetime achievement)

1980

* Best Novel: ''

Dragondrums ''Dragondrums'' is a young adult science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. Published by Atheneum Books in 1979, it was the sixth to appear in the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey.. Retrie ...

'',

Anne McCaffrey Anne Inez McCaffrey (1 April 1926 – 21 November 2011) was an American-Irish writer known for the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, ''Weyr Search'', 19 ...

* Best Short Fiction: "The Last Defender of Camelot",

Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...

* Best Collection/Anthology: '' Night Shift'',

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

* Best Poet:

H. Warner Munn Harold Warner Munn (November 5, 1903 – January 10, 1981) was an American writer of fantasy, horror and poetry,Don Herron, "Munn, H(arold) Warner", in Jack Sullivan, ''The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural'' (New York, Viking ...

* Best Artist:

Michael Whelan Michael Whelan (born 29 June 1950) is an American artist of imaginative realism. For more than 30 years, he worked as an illustrator, specializing in science fiction and fantasy cover art. Since the mid-1990s, he has pursued a fine art career ...

* Best Amateur Publication: ''

Fantasy Newsletter ''Fantasy Newsletter'' was a major fantasy fanzine founded by Paul C. Allen and later issued by Robert A. Collins. Frequent contributors included Fritz Leiber and Gene Wolfe. Publication history The first issue appeared in June 1978, and Alle ...

'' * Best Professional Publication: '' Omni'' * Best Amateur Achievement: Paul Allen (for ''

'' and "Of Swords and Sorcery") * Best Professional Achievement:

* SF Film Hall of Fame: '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' and ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...

'' (tie) * Fantasy Film Hall of Fame: ''

Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcor ...

'' * Special Award: Ian Ballantine &

Betty Ballantine Betty Ballantine (born Elizabeth Jones; September 25, 1919 – February 12, 2019) was an American publisher, editor, and writer. She was born during the Raj to a British colonial family. After her marriage to Ian Ballantine in 1939, she moved ...

1981

* Best Novel: ''

The Wounded Land ''The Wounded Land'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Stephen R. Donaldson, the first book of the second trilogy of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series. It is followed by '' The One Tree''. The book is dedicated to Lester del Rey ...

'',

Stephen R. Donaldson Stephen Reeder Donaldson (born May 13, 1947) is an American fantasy, science fiction and mystery novelist, most famous for ''The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant'', his ten-novel fantasy series. His work is characterized by psychological complexit ...

* Best Short Fiction: "The Web of the Magi", Richard Cowper * Best Collection/Anthology: ''

Unfinished Tales ''Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth'' is a collection of stories and essays by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never completed during his lifetime, but were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980. Many of the tale ...

'', J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by

Christopher Tolkien Christopher John Reuel Tolkien (21 November 1924 – 16 January 2020) was an English academic editor, becoming a French citizen in later life. The son of author and academic J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien edited much of his father ...

* Best Poet:

* Best Artist:

Frank Frazetta Frank Frazetta (born Frank Frazzetta ; February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010) was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers, and other media. He i ...

* Best Amateur Publication: ''

'' * Best Professional Publication: ''

F&SF ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy fiction magazine, fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence E. Spivak, Lawrence Spiva ...

'' * Best Amateur Achievement: Paul C. Allen & Susan Allen (for ''

'') * Best Professional Achievement:

George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the '' Star Wars'' and '' Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as c ...

(for contributions, including the ''Star Wars'' saga) * SF Film Hall of Fame: ''

The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based on a stor ...

'' * Fantasy Film Hall of Fame: '' The Wizard of Oz'' * Special Award:

Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, as well as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known b ...

* Special Award:

Fritz Leiber Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Robert ...

1982

* Best Novel: '' Camber the Heretic'',

Katherine Kurtz Katherine Irene Kurtz (born October 18. 1944) is an American fantasy writer, author of sixteen historical fantasy novels in the '' Deryni'' series, as well as occult and urban fantasy. Resident in Ireland for over twenty years, she moved to Virg ...

* Best Short Fiction: "A Thief in Korianth", C. J. Cherryh * Best Collection/Anthology: '' Shadows of Sanctuary'',

Robert Lynn Asprin Robert Lynn Asprin (June 28, 1946 – May 22, 2008) was an American science fiction and fantasy author and active fan, known best for his humorous series '' MythAdventures'' and '' Phule's Company''. Background Robert Asprin was born in St. J ...

, ed. * Best Poet: Frederick Mayer * Best Artist: Real Musgrave * Best Amateur Publication: '' Eldritch Tales'' * Best Professional Publication: '' Omni'' * Best Amateur Achievement: Robert A. Collins (for saving ''

'') * Best Professional Achievement:

and

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...

(tie) * SF Film Hall of Fame: '' Forbidden Planet'' * Fantasy Film Hall of Fame: ''

King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...

'' * Judges' Choice: Leo & Diane Dillon

1983

* Best Novel: '' The One Tree'',

* Best Short Fiction: "All of Us Are Dying", George Clayton Johnson * Best Collection/Anthology: ''Storm Season'',

, ed. * Best Poet: Frederick J. Mayer * Best Artist:

Tim Hildebrandt Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, known as the Brothers Hildebrandt (born January 23, 1939), are American twin brothers who worked collaboratively as fantasy and science fiction artists for many years. They produced illustrations for comic books, movie p ...

* Best Amateur Publication: ''Shayol'' * Best Professional Publication: ''

'' * Best Amateur Achievement: Allan Bechtold (for SF workshops) * Best Professional Achievement:

Ben Bova Benjamin William Bova (November 8, 1932November 29, 2020) was an American writer and editor. During a writing career of 60 years, he was the author of more than 120 works of science fact and fiction, an editor of ''Analog Science Fiction and Fac ...

(for writing and editing '' Omni'' and ''

Analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...

'') * SF Film Hall of Fame: ''

The Day the Earth Stood Still ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (a.k.a. ''Farewell to the Master'' and ''Journey to the World'') is a 1951 American science fiction film from 20th Century Fox, produced by Julian Blaustein and directed by Robert Wise. It stars Michael Re ...

'' * Fantasy Film Hall of Fame: ''

Dark Crystal ''The Dark Crystal'' is a 1982 dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment and The Jim ...

'' * Special Award: Kirby McCauley

1984

* Best Novel: '' The Armageddon Rag'', George R. R. Martin * Best Short Story: "Wizard Goes A-Courtin'", John Morressy * Best Collection/Anthology: ''

Unicorn Variations ''Unicorn Variations'' is a collection of stories and essays by American author Roger Zelazny, published in 1983. Contents *"Introduction" *"Unicorn Variation "Unicorn Variation" is a 1981 fantasy story by American writer Roger Zelazny. It was ...

'',

* Best Poet: Frederick J. Mayer * Best Artist: Real Musgrave * Best Amateur Publication: ''

'' * Best Professional Publication: ''

'' * Best Amateur Achievement: Stan Gardner (for saving the Balrogs) * Best Professional Achievement: Pendragon Gallery (for promoting fantasy artwork) * SF Film Hall of Fame: ''

Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's ...

'' * Fantasy Film Hall of Fame: ''

Bambi ''Bambi'' is a 1942 American animated drama film directed by David Hand (supervising a team of sequence directors), produced by Walt Disney and based on the 1923 book ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'' by Austrian author and hunter Felix Salten ...

'' * Judges' Choice:

Mercer Mayer Mercer Mayer (born December 30, 1943) is an American children's author and illustrator. He has published over 300 books, using a wide range of illustrative styles. Mayer is best known for his '' Little Critter'' and '' Little Monster'' series o ...

(for educating children in

fantasy art Fantastic art is a broad and loosely defined art genre. It is not restricted to a specific school of artists, geographical location or historical period. It can be characterised by subject matter – which portrays non-realistic, mystical, my ...

)

1985

* Best Novel: '' The Practice Effect'',

David Brin Glen David Brin (born October 6, 1950) is an American scientist and author of science fiction. He has won the Hugo,Patricia A. McKillip Patricia Anne McKillip (February 29, 1948 – May 6, 2022) was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. She has been called "one of the most accomplished prose stylists in the fantasy genre", and wrote predominantly standalone fantasy n ...

* Best Collection/Anthology: ''Daughter of Regals and Other Tales'',

* Best Poet:

Ardath Mayhar Ardath Frances Hurst Mayhar (February 20, 1930 – February 1, 2012) was an American writer and poet. Mayhar wrote over 60 books ranging from science fiction to horror to young adult to historical to westerns, Some of her novels appeared under ...

* Best Artist: Richard Pini & Wendy Pini * Best Amateur Publication: ''Eldritch Tales'' * Best Professional Publication: ''Masques'', J. N. Williamson, ed. * Best Amateur Achievement: David B. Silva (for ''The Horror Show'') * Best Professional Achievement: Hap Henriksen (for the National SF/Fantasy Hall of Fame) * SF Film Hall of Fame: '' Starman'' * SF Film Hall of Fame: '' E.T. The Extraterrestrial'' * Fantasy Film Hall of Fame: ''

Raiders of the Lost Ark ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ro ...

'' * Special Award:

Lester del Rey Lester del Rey (June 2, 1915 – May 10, 1993) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the author of many books in the juvenile Winston Science Fiction series, and the editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and scienc ...

References

{{Fantasy fiction American literary awards B Science fiction awards Fantasy awards Things named after Tolkien works

Awards (By Year)

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

See also

References