New Zealand Will Host 78th Worldcon in 2020

At the WSFS Business Meeting on Sunday morning (August 19), the results of the 2020 Worldcon Site Selection voting were revealed.

The New Zealand in 2020 bid received 643 votes of the 726 votes cast. There were no other official candidates; however, votes were received for the following:

  • New Zealand in 2020: 643
  • Xmas in Boston 2020: 22
  • Peggy Rae’s House: 3
  • Xerps: 3
  • Minneapolis in ’73: 2
  • Olive Country: 2
  • Aotearoa in 2020: 1
  • Bimin Zana, Wakanda: 1
  • El Fabulosa Bungalow: 1
  • Glug’s Chalet: 1
  • Grantville, WV: 1
  • John Sapienza’s Yard: 1
  • Marsopolis: 1
  • Minneapolis in ’74: 1
  • Slab City: 1
  • Tonopah NV: 1
  • None of the Above: 8

Total With Preference: 693
Needed to Elect (Majority): 347

No Preference: 33
Total Votes Cast: 726

CoNZealand, the 78th World Science Fiction Convention, will take place from Wednesday, July 29 through Sunday, August 2, 2020 in Wellington on the North Island of New Zealand. Details for the convention are contained in their Worldcon bid document.

The con chairs will be Norman Cates and Kelly Buehler.

Author Guests of Honour will be Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon. Lackey’s first genre publication was in 1985; she is best known for her numerous fantasy series including the Valdemar novels and the Elemental Masters stories. Dixon has collaborated with Lackey on numerous novels, and is also known for his genre artwork, especially his contributions to Wizards of the Coast’s Dungeons & Dragons source books.

NZ Artist Guest of Honour will be Greg Broadmore, a concept designer, artist, writer and sculptor with Peter Jackson’s Weta Workshop whose work includes genre films District 9, King Kong, and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

Fan Guest of Honour will be Rose Mitchell, longtime fan, conrunner, and current President of the Australian Science Fiction Foundation.

Toastmaster will be George R. R. Martin, known for his Song of Ice and Fire saga which has been made into the HBO series Game of Thrones, and for his epic Hugo Loser Parties.

Supporting memberships for the convention will be $75 NZD (approx. $50 USD), and Attending memberships are currently $370 NZD (approx. $247 USD). Site Selection voters are automatically Supporting Members, and may upgrade to Attending for $300 NZD (approx. $200 USD). Kiwi and Silver Fern level Pre-supporters will receive discounts on memberships as well. There will also be special discounted membership levels for Young Adult (born in or after 2000), Child (born in or after 2005), Kid-in-tow (born in or after 2015), and Unwaged (NZ residents only).

CoNZealand links:

[Thanks to Jo Van Ekeren for the story.]

6 thoughts on “New Zealand Will Host 78th Worldcon in 2020

  1. The New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, is so awesome. Her enthusiasm in this video is spectacular and contagious. 😀

  2. @Ray, I agree, but I’m guessing since it wasn’t close, it was more interesting for the administrators to leave it as separate.

  3. Wait, Minneapolis in ’74? They’re bidding for 2073 and (still) for 1973, not any kind of ’74 last I’d heard.

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