James Hosek Named the 2024 Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award Recipient

Color photo of James Hosek, holding a cat
James Hosek

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) today announced that James Hosek will be honored with the 2024 Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award at the 59th Annual SFWA Nebula Awards® for his outstanding work on behalf of the organization. It will be a posthumous award, as Hosek passed away in December.

The Service to SFWA Award recognizes a volunteer of SFWA who best exemplifies the ideal of service to their fellow members. In 2012, the award was renamed in honor of author Kevin O’Donnell, who dedicated 20+ years of volunteer service to the organization.

James Hosek, known to those in the community as Jim, first volunteered for SFWA as an assistant to the Nebula Awards Commissioner in 2016, helping to vet works on the Nebula Reading List and other tasks as necessary. In 2017, Hosek was named SFWA’s Nebula Commissioner and served for seven years, stepping down from the role in September 2023 due to ill health. He died on December 3, 2023.

Deputy Executive Director (and former Nebula Award Commissioner) Terra LeMay says about Jim: “It is often the case that SFWA’s programs are driven by volunteers who serve countless hours behind the scenes, and this is certainly true of our Nebula Awards, which depend on the tireless work of the Nebula Awards Commissioner (NAC). Elucidating the positive qualities that made Jim Hosek the perfect NAC—he was hard-working, ethical, level-headed, kind, scrupulously fair, and so much more…—would take far more space than I’ve been granted here. I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with him and glad we were able to notify him of his selection for this award before his passing. He was one of SFWA’s very best.”

James Hosek will join many distinguished recipients of the Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award, including Connie Willis, Victoria Strauss, Julia Rios, Bud Sparhawk, Lee Martindale, Vonda McIntyre, and Jim Fiscus.

[Based on a press release.]

Where to Livestream the 58th Nebula Awards

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) invites speculative fiction fans and creators to the 58th Annual Nebula Awards® Ceremony. The ceremony will stream live on Sunday, May 14, at 8:00 p.m. Pacific from Anaheim, CA.

During the ceremony, the winners of the 58th Annual Nebula Awards will be revealed (list of finalists). The previously announced honorees will also be presented with their awards: Robin McKinley (SFWA Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master), Octavia E. Butler (Infinity Award, posthumously), Mishell Baker (Kevin O’ Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award), Cerece Rennie Murphy (Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award), and Greg Bear (Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award, posthumously).

Cheryl Platz. Photo Credit: Michael Doucett

Cheryl Platz will act as Toastmaster for the ceremony. Award presenters will join in-person and virtually from across the galaxy, including past Nebula Award winners, SFWA Board members, and other notable members of the science fiction and fantasy (SFF) industry: Jeffe Kennedy, Matthew Mercer, Gay Haldeman, Chinaka Hodge, Christine Taylor-Butler, Mur Lafferty, Michael Capobianco, Aydrea Walden, José Pablo Iriarte, and Leigh Bardugo. The ceremony will conclude with a surprise presenter for the Nebula Award for Best Novel.

The 58th Nebula Awards Ceremony takes place as part of the 2023 Nebula Conference, the premier professional development conference for aspiring and established members of the SFF industries. Its schedule of 50+ programming topics can be viewed here. Content is geared toward creators working in games, comics, prose, poetry, and other mediums of storytelling. Registrations for in-person or virtual attendance are available here, and they also include a year of access to the panel archive, opportunities to network throughout the year, and a standing invitation to SFWA’s Weekly Writing Dates, Romancing SFF, Connecting Flights, and Narrative Worlds programming.

[Based on a press release.]

Mishell Baker to Receive Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award

Mishell Baker

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) will present the 2023 Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award to Mishell Baker at the 58th Annual SFWA Nebula Awards® for her outstanding work on behalf of the organization.

The Service to SFWA Award recognizes a volunteer of SFWA who best exemplifies the ideal of service to their fellow members. In 2012, the award was renamed in honor of author Kevin O’Donnell, Jr., who dedicated 20+ years of volunteer service to the organization.

Mishell Baker has served as the primary contact for SFWA’s Estate Program since 2016. She has liaised with publishers interested in reprinting works by science fiction and fantasy authors who are no longer with us, and acted as an intermediary for individual heirs who wish to keep their contact information confidential. Baker has a well-earned reputation for handling these communications with consistency and sensitivity, providing help in sometimes difficult and confusing situations.  

Michael Capobianco, co-chair of the SFWA Estates-Legacy Committee and former SFWA president, remarked, “Mishell has been the steadfast, behind-the-scenes heart and soul of the Estates Project for going on seven years and I can’t think of anyone who deserves this volunteer service award more.”

SFWA’s Estate Program was created in 2007 by Bud Webster, the 2011 recipient of this same award. The program promotes and preserves the work of writers who helped build the science fiction and fantasy genres. Today, the SFWA Estates-Legacy Committee, among other duties, oversees the Estates database to facilitate legitimate paid publication of reprinted works, enabling editors, publishers, and agents to seek reprint permissions, make payments to estates and heirs, and double-check publication rights.

For her years of dedication and excellence in undertaking this essential volunteer work for the organization and the SFF community, SFWA is proud to present the 2023 Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award to Mishell Baker. She will join many distinguished recipients of the award, including Connie Willis, Victoria Strauss, Julia Rios, Bud Sparhawk, Lee Martindale, Vonda McIntyre, and Jim Fiscus. 

The award will be presented at the 58th Nebula Awards® Ceremony, taking place on May 13, 2023 in Anaheim, CA, and online. The ceremony is part of the 2023 Nebula Conference, an annual professional development conference organized by SFWA for aspiring and established members of the speculative fiction industry. Registrations for the conference and tickets for the ceremony banquet are available here.

[Based on a press release.]

Colin Coyle to Receive Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award

Colin Coyle

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. (SFWA) will present the 2021 Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award to Colin Coyle at the 57th Annual SFWA Nebula Awards® for his outstanding work on behalf of the organization.

The Service to SFWA Award recognizes a volunteer of SFWA who best exemplifies the ideal of service to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. In 2012, the award was renamed in honor of author Kevin O’Donnell, who dedicated 20+ years of volunteer service to the organization.

SFWA President Jeffe Kennedy said, “Summarizing all the ways that Colin has served SFWA feels almost impossible. He’s been a pillar of SFWA’s programs for years and this recognition is long overdue. I’m thrilled to add Colin to this list and I know his name on it will set a high bar for those who will follow after.”

For the last five years, Coyle has been instrumental in shepherding the audio/visual component of the annual Nebula Conference. Coyle tirelessly researched and implemented some of the first hybrid conference components seen in the industry at our Nebula Conference in Pittsburgh in 2017. With his attention to detail and expertise, SFWA was able to simultaneously stream some live panel and workshop events, including the business meeting, to international attendees and members. 

In 2020, when the Nebula Conference moved entirely online due to the ongoing pandemic, Coyle’s contributions ensured that the virtual Nebula Airship launched with both a professional look and feel. Seamless technical integration meant that the entire conference was now accessible to an entirely new and international audience. In a year where many were forced to stay in their homes, Coyle’s work ensured the community could celebrate together. He led the technical aspects of the Nebula Awards ceremony as well, helping to elevate the once simple stage presentation to a professionally produced show. 

In 2019, when SFWA’s publisher of the Nebula Showcase anthology suddenly ceased operations, Coyle stepped up and rescued the anthology, turning it around quickly through his own Parvus Press. This fulfilled a longtime wish of many past Board members, allowing SFWA to offer copies onsite at the Nebula Conference only a few months later and in addition to the usual retail offerings. 

In 2018, Coyle spent the majority of his time at the San Jose Worldcon volunteering in the SFWA suite. Over 350 SFWA members and their guests attended the SFWA suite that year, a record, which required record volunteer hours to manage. 

Colin Coyle will join many distinguished recipients of the Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award, including Connie Willis, Victoria Strauss, Julia Rios, Bud Sparhawk, Lee Martindale, Vonda McIntyre, and Jim Fiscus. The award will be presented at the 57th Nebula Awards® Ceremony, which will take place online and in-person during the 2022 Nebula Conference in Los Angeles, May 20–22, 2022. 

[Based on a press release.]

Connie Willis to Receive Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award

Connie Willis

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. (SFWA) will present the 2021 Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award to Connie Willis at the 56th Annual SFWA Nebula Awards® for her outstanding work on behalf of the organization.

The Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award recognizes a member of SFWA who best exemplifies the ideal of service to their fellow members. Previous recipients of the Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award include Victoria Strauss, Julia Rios, Bud Sparhawk, Lee Martindale, Vonda McIntyre, and Jim Fiscus. The award will be presented at the 56th Nebula Awards® Ceremony, the weekend of June 4–6, 2021.

SFWA President Mary Robinette Kowal shared the following remarks, “Connie Willis is one of my favorite people. She’s been a tireless volunteer for SFWA for decades with clear, compassionate service. She makes every task lighter for those around her.”

Connie Willis is the author of Doomsday BookCrosstalk, and Passage, among many other fictional works. She has won eleven Hugo Awards and seven Nebula Awards. In 2009, Willis was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. She was named a Damon Knight Grand Master by SFWA in 2012. Even with that remarkable career, Willis has consistently made time to volunteer for SFWA in a variety of capacities, including mentorship and several committee roles.

Over the years, Willis’s volunteer efforts have particularly focused on the Emergency Medical Fund (EMF) and the Nebula Awards Rules committees. She has served as a committee member on the EMF since 2014, providing confidential evaluation of applications for medical fund assistance for SFWA members. Willis is also the longest serving member of the Nebula Awards Rules committee, which she joined on its formation in 1995. The Nebula Awards Rules committee works to adjudicate questions on the rules governing the various awards presented by SFWA. During her tenure on the committee, SFWA reimagined the Best Script Award as the Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation and created the Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction and the Nebula Award for Best Game Writing. The committee also designated the Bradbury and Norton Awards as official Nebula Awards®.

The 56th Nebula Awards® will take place during the 2021 Nebula Awards Conference Online.

2019 Nebula Awards

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA, Inc.) announced the winners of the 55th Annual Nebula Awards in a livestreamed ceremony on May 30.

The Nebula Awards, given annually, recognize the best works of science fiction and fantasy published in the previous year. They are selected by members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The first Nebula Awards were presented in 1966.

Novel

  • A Song for a New Day, Sarah Pinsker (Berkley)

Novella

  • This Is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone (Saga)

Novelette

  • Carpe Glitter, Cat Rambo (Meerkat)

Short Story

  • “Give the Family My Love”, A.T. Greenblatt (Clarkesworld 2/19)

The Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction or Fantasy Book

  • Riverland, Fran Wilde (Amulet)

Game Writing

  • The Outer Worlds, Leonard Boyarsky, Megan Starks, Kate Dollarhyde, Chris L’Etoile (Obsidian Entertainment)

The Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation

  • Good Omens: “Hard Times”, Neil Gaiman (Amazon Studios/BBC Studios)

Other awards presented:

Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award

  • Lois McMaster Bujold

Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service Award

  • Julia Rios

Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award

  • John Picacio
  • David Gaughran

Presenters joined virtually from around the country, including Sam Weller, Sarah Pinsker, Rebecca Roanhorse, Lillian Stewart Carl, Greg Bear, George R.R. Martin, Jeffe Kennedy, LeVar Burton, Sarah Gailey, Whitney “Strix” Beltrán, and Charlie Jane Anders. Additionally, Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun addressed the festivities with a message for the Nebula audience.

Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award To Be Presented to Julia Rios

Julia Rios

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA, Inc.) has announced that the Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service Award will be presented to Julia Rios at the 55th Annual SFWA Nebula Awards.

The Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award recognizes a member of SFWA who best exemplifies the ideal of service to his or her fellow members. O’Donnell won the Service Award in 2005 and other recipients have included Lee Martindale, Bud Sparhawk, Jim Fiscus, and Vonda N. McIntyre. The award will be presented at the SFWA Nebula Conference in Woodland Hills, CA, May 28-31.

Julia Rios has established and overseen the SFWA Mentoring Initiative, an all-volunteer service provided free of charge, which aims to connect emerging writers to each other and to established pros with the objective of providing community, sharing knowledge, and offering networking opportunities. Rios is a writer, editor, podcaster, and narrator who has won the Hugo, Aurealis, and Ditmar Awards. They have cohosted the podcasts The Skiffy and Fanty Show and This is Why We’re Like This.

SFWA President Mary Robinette Kowal has said about Rios, “One of the most effective pieces of outreach and education that SFWA currently has is our mentorship program. Julia Rios’s work to match mentors and mentees has been the backbone of that program. More importantly, they set up robust processes so that the program is not person dependent and has room for growth.”

 [Based on a press release.]

Martindale Wins 2019 Kevin O’Donnell Jr. Service to SFWA Award

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America’s Kevin O’Donnell Jr. Service Award will be presented to Lee Martindale during the SFWA Nebula Conference awards ceremony on May 18.

Lee Martindale has been a member of SFWA since 1999 and served on the Election Committee for three years and chaired the Bylaws committee for six years. Beginning in 2005, she served as the Mediation Specialist on the Grievance Committee and in 2008 she took on the position of SFWA Ombudsman. Martindale was elected as the South-Central director in 2010 and served in that position until 2015, when the regional directorships were redesigned to reflect the organization’s change to a 501(c)(3) public charity. She continued to serve as one of the directors-at-large until 2016.

SFWA President Cat Rambo has reflected on her time working with Martindale, “Lee’s service to SFWA includes driving the creation of SFWA’s accessibility guidelines, which have been used by dozens of events outside SFWA’s own, serving for years on the SFWA board and representing it there and at events with a consistent, fair, and business-minded presence, and her current role as part of SFWA’s Grievance Committee. She was a leader in diversity issues such as accessibility and the size rights movement, publishing a book of essays, Prejudice by the Pound, in 2008. It’s a pleasure to recognize her sharp-witted and devoted service to SFWA with the Kevin O’Donnell Jr. Service to SFWA Award.”

The Kevin O’Donnell Jr. Service to SFWA Award recognizes a member of SFWA who best exemplifies the ideal of service to his or her fellow members. O’Donnell (1950-2012), won the Service Award in 2005.

2017 Nebula Awards

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) presented the 52nd Annual Nebula Awards, the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation, and the Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction or Fantasy Book at a ceremony in Pittsburgh, PA on May 19.

Novel

  • The Stone Sky, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)

Novella

  • All Systems Red, Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)

Novelette

  • “A Human Stain”, Kelly Robson (Tor.com 1/4/17)

Short Story

  • “Welcome to Your Authentic Indian ExperienceTM, Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex 8/17)

The Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation

  • Get Out (Written by Jordan Peele)

The Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction or Fantasy Book

  • The Art of Starving, Sam J. Miller (HarperTeen)

Also presented:

Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award

  • John C. “Bud” Sparhawk

Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award

  • Gardner Dozois
  • Sheila Williams

SFWA Damon Knight Grand Master

  • Peter S. Beagle

Here are tweeted photos of the award recipients or accepters.

(Sam J. Miller accepted the Best Novel award for N.K. Jemisin)

Bud Sparhawk Wins Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award

Bud Sparhawk

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) will present the Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award to John C. “Bud” Sparhawk during the annual Nebula Conference, to be held May 17-20 in Pittsburgh.

Bud Sparhawk served as the Eastern Regional Director from 2007 until 2011, when he was elected SFWA Treasurer.

When SFWA reincorporated in 2013, he became SFWA’s first Chief Financial Officer and helped see the organization through a time of transition. In his role as CFO, Sparhawk has formalized many aspects of SFWA’s financial landscape, including hiring a bookkeeper and comptroller, and consolidating a once fragmented system into an organized and tidy infrastructure. In addition to his duties as an officer of the organization, he has advised the Emergency Medical Fund and the Grants Committee and established SFWA’s Financial Advisory Committee.

SFWA President Cat Rambo, reflecting on her time working with Sparhawk, said:

It’s been a privilege to work with Bud throughout my time on the SFWA board. He has been instrumental in leading the organization into new financial stability and transparency as well as implementing the new Givers Fund Grant program.

A prolific writer, Sparhawk has been a three-time Nebula Award finalist, published two novels, and has sold over a hundred shorter works to magazines such as Jim Baen’s Universe, Abyss & Apex, Daily Science Fiction, Asimov’s and Analog. He is also a member of SIGMA, which is a group comprised of SF writers who offer futurism consulting to the government and other NGOs. A U.S. Air Force Veteran, Sparhawk has established a long record of exemplary service both within the SFF community and beyond.

The Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award recognizes a member of SFWA who best exemplifies the ideal of service to his or her fellow members. O’Donnell won the Service Award in 2005.