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.