Following the report that Asimov’s, Analog and F&SF have been purchased by a new owner, John Scalzi speculated about the fate of the Astounding Award for Best New Writer. Although voting is administered by the Worldcon, the Astounding Award belongs to Dell Magazines, publisher of Analog prior to this sale. Will Analog’s new owners continue the sponsorship? John Scalzi has volunteered a landing place if one is needed.

Formerly named the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, it has been presented at the Worldcon since 1973, two years after Campbell’s death. The award was established by Conde Nast, publisher of Analog at the time. In 2019 it was renamed for the Golden Age prozine Campbell edited – Astounding — following a storm over the Campbell name catalyzed by Jeannette Ng’s award acceptance remarks about Campbell’s racism.

The new owners could keep on sponsoring the Astounding Award, of course. In case they don’t, John Scalzi made this offer in a post at Whatever:

 If the new owners of Asimov’s and Analog don’t want to take sponsorship of the Astounding Award (or the award is not otherwise folded into the responsibilities of WSFS/the individual Worldcons), we’ll take it on. The ideal plan would be for the Scalzi Family Foundation to act as a bridge sponsor while we set up an endowment that would allow the Astounding Award to be run indefinitely.

UPDATE: Scalzi has learned from Asimov’s editor Sheila Williams that the new owners will continue to sponsor the various awards their magazines have been giving:

Sheila Williams (editor of Asimov’s) says: “Analog and Asimov’s new owners fully intend to support the awards that we and the mystery magazines bestow each year. We are also grateful for your continued support and love that you are determined to help keep Analog’s legacy going.”