Nova Award Retired. Mostly.

The Nova Awards, given at Novacon in the UK since 1973 for work in British and Irish fanzines, have been suspended except for the occasional “Special Nova” to honor individuals of merit.

Steve Green confirmed to readers of his LiveJournal that the report in yesterday’s edition of Ansible, coincidentally published on April 1, was not an April Fool’s joke.

Green retired as awards administrator when he passed the Novacon chair to Tony Berry last year. The new committee discontinued the Novas.

Diminished voter support drove the decision, Green explained:

When the entirety of UK and Irish fandom has the opportunity to vote, virtually all of the candidates are available to read online and ballots can be cast electronically, but fewer than two dozen people can be arsed to take part, it’s impossible to see how the Novas could be justified.

2014 Nova Awards

The 2014 Nova Awards for excellence in British and Irish fanzines were announced at Novacon 44 on Sunday, November 16.

Best Fanzine
Vibrator, ed. Graham Charnock

Runners-up:
2nd Head!, ed. Doug Bell & Christina Lake
3rd Banana Wings, ed. Claire Brialey & Mark Plummer

Best Fan Writer
Christina Lake

Runners-up:
2nd Mark Plummer
3rd Roy Kettle

Best Fan Artist
D West

Runners-up:
2nd Harry Bell
3rd Sue Mason

The awards were presented by Novacon 44 guest of honour Kari Sperring. Afterwards, Nova administrator Steve Green announced he was stepping down after more than a decade in the role.

[Thanks to Steve Green for the story.]

2014 Nova Awards Voting Open

Eligible fans can vote for the Nova Awards online through Saturday, November 1, or in person at Novacon, which begins November 14.

The Nova Awards celebrate achievement in UK and Irish fanzines. Voting is open to all Novacon members and any fan resident in the UK or Eire who has read at least six of the eligible titles (many of which are available via eFanzines).

[Thanks to Steve Green for the story.]

2013 Nova Awards

The Nova Awards celebrate achievement in British and Irish science fiction fanzines. The 2013 winners were announced this weekend at Novacon 43 in Nottingham, UK.

Best Fanzine
Banana Wings

Best Fanwriter
Mike Meara

Best Fan Artist
D. West

This is Meara’s first win.

Banana Wings has won 8 Nova Awards, its first in 1996.

D. West has won 11 Nova Awards going back to 1984 – including one as Best Fanwriter.

2012 Nova Awards Ballot

Members of Novacon 42 and sf fans in the UK and Eire have until October 31 to vote for the Nova Awards and pick the Best Fanzine, Best Fanwriter and Best Fanartist of 2012.

The curious list of fanzines eligible for the Novas makes me wonder when was Las Vegas annexed by the United Kingdom? (All Jac’d Up.) Chris Garcia’s apartment, too. (Three issues of The Drink Tank.) Who knew about this close Buckingham-Bay Area connection? Was it Garcia, the big James Bond fan, who talked the Queen into taking up parasailing?

The Nova Award winners will be announced over the November 9-11 weekend.

[Gently thieved from Ansible Links.]

2011 Nova Winners

The 2011 Nova Awards for excellence in British and Irish fanzines were presented November 13 at Novacon 41 in Nottingham, England.

Best Fanzine

  • 1. Head, edited by Doug Bell & Christina Lake
  • 2. A Meara For Observers, edited by Mike Meara
  • 3. Banana Wings, edited by Claire Brialey & Mark Plummer

Best Fanzine Writer

  • 1. Claire Brialey
  • 2. Yvonne Rowse
  • 3. James Bacon
  •     Mark Plummer

Best Fanzine Artist

  • 1. Dave Hicks
  • 2. Steve Green
  •     Steve Jeffrey
  •     Sue Mason
  •    Alison Scott

[Thanks to Nova Awards Administrator Steve Green for the story.]

Nova Awards Expanded

The Nova Awards, which have recognized excellence in British fanzines since 1973, are receiving a major update. Now all UK and Irish fans will be eligible to vote, not just the members of Novacon.

Ballots can be downloaded from the Novacon website, novacon.org.uk. Votes will be accepted via e-mail.

The award winners are announced at Novacon, scheduled this year from November 11-13.

The full press release follows the jump.

[Thanks to Steve Green for the story.]

Continue reading

2010 Nova Award Winners

The 2010 Nova Awards for best fanzine, fan writer, and fan artist were presented at Novacon in Nottingham, UK during the November 12 weekend.

Best Fanzine: Journey Planet #7, edited by Christopher J Garcia, Claire Brialey and James Bacon
Best Fan Writer: Mark Plummer
Best Fan Artist: ATom

The winners are determined by a vote of Novacon members. The top three finishers in each category are listed here.

ATom, faanish name of renowned fanartist Arthur Thomson who died in 1990, is the first posthumous Nova winner since the awards were created in 1973. His work continues to be featured in several top British fanzines.

Steve Green said on Facebook, “I must confess I felt a little weird halfway through counting the Nova Award votes, as I looked set to win a Nova of my very own. Still, if I was going to beaten by anyone, Arthur Thomson is one hell of a candidate.”

[Thanks to Steve Green for the story.]