Glasgow 2024 today announced that the 2024 Hugo Award Base will be designed by Iain J. Clark. The trophy for the 2024 Lodestar Award for Best YA Book will be designed by Sara Felix.

These two phenomenal mixed media artists have tirelessly supported Glasgow 2024 through their creativity and generosity, and the committee says they could not imagine a better tribute to the convention, and their own strengths as artists, than having the two design these iconic works. 

The final base designs will be revealed as part of the convention’s Opening Ceremony in Glasgow on 8th August.

THE 2024 HUGO AWARD BASE. Every year the iconic Hugo rocket is given a unique base design to reflect the personality of the hosting Worldcon. This year’s designer, Iain J. Clark, has been working with Glasgow 2024 since 2019. 

Iain says “I’ve known about the Hugo Awards for most of my adult life (I vividly remember Babylon 5 winning Best Dramatic Presentation in 1996) but the idea that I could design a base for the iconic trophy never entered my head.  You might as well have told me I’d design an Oscar.  And then Glasgow asked me, and I was stunned – so naturally I panicked and said yes.  It’s a huge honor, a huge responsibility, and I take it very seriously.   I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”

Iain works in a variety of materials, primarily acrylics. He has twice won the BSFA Best Artwork Award (for “Shipbuilding Over The Clyde” in 2020, and for “Glasgow Green Woman” in 2021); both pieces were created for the Glasgow 2024 Worldcon. He has been a finalist for the Best Fan Artist Hugo Award in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

For the Dublin 2019 Worldcon he created artworks including the cover of the Souvenir Book, and for Glasgow 2024 his art is appearing on banners, adverts, postcards, campaigns and t-shirts.

He can be found at iainjclarkart.com.

THE 2024 LODESTAR AWARD. The Lodestar Award was first given in 2018, and since its inception has been celebrating the beauty of YA fiction. The first Lodestar award was designed by Sara Felix beginning a trend of trophies that honour the very best in YA Science Fiction and Fantasy.

According to Sara: “I was happy to be asked to design the Lodestar Award as it is one of my favourite awards at the Hugos.  In all my projects with Glasgow I hope the award is as fantastic as the finalists and the winners in this category!” 

Sara Felix is a mixed media artist who has previously designed the Hugo Award bases in 2016 and 2018 (the latter co-designed with Vincent Villafranca).  She has designed multiple Lodestar awards and other special awards for Worldcons in the past.  She is the designer of the Glasgow 2024 logo and much of the art used by the convention. Her space art and tiaras can be seen at multiple conventions around the US and UK throughout each year.

Sara can be found online at sarafelix.com.

[Based on a press release.]