The Robert E. Howard Foundation Award winners for 2020 and 2021, honoring the top contributions in Howard scholarship and in the promotion of Howard’s life and works from the past two years, were announced at Robert E. Howard Days in Cross Plains on June 11.

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2020 REHF Awards

THE ATLANTEAN — Outstanding Achievement, Book (non-anthology/collection)
(Books may be print or digital, must be a minimum of 50,000 words, and must be substantively devoted to the life and/or work of REH. Reprinted works without significant revisions are not eligible.)

• Bobby Derie. Weird Talers: Essays on Robert E. Howard and Others (Hippocampus Press)

THE VALUSIAN — Outstanding Achievement, Book (anthology/collection)
(Books may be print or digital, must be a minimum of 50,000 words, and must be substantively devoted to the life and/or work of REH. Reprinted works without significant revisions are not eligible.)

• Wheatley, Mark (ed.). Songs of Giants: the Poetry of Pulp (Insight Studios)

THE HYRKANIAN—Outstanding Achievement, Essay (Print)
(Essays must have made their first public published appearance in the previous calendar year and be substantive scholarly essays on the life and/or work of REH. Short pieces, interviews, reviews, trip reports, and other minor works do not count.)(Tie)

• Nicole Emmelhainz-Carney. “By This Pen I Rule: Robert E. Howard as Gatekeeper in the Development of Weird Fiction” (The Dark Man Vol.10, issue 1)

THE CIMMERIAN—Outstanding Achievement, Essay (Online)
(Essays must have made their first public published appearance in the previous calendar year and be substantive scholarly essays on the life and/or work of REH. Short blog posts, speeches, reviews, trip reports, and other minor works do not count.)

[TIE]

• Bob Byrne. editor of the “Hither Came Conan” series on BlackGate.com — LINK
• David C. Smith. “Robert E. Howard as a Writer of Consequence” — LINK

THE STYGIAN—Outstanding Achievement, Website or Periodical
(Eligible candidates are limited to print or digital magazines, journals, blogs, or internet sites with substantive material that is primarily devoted to scholarship on the life and works of Robert E. Howard. Websites must have been updated with new content at least once in the previous calendar year. Print periodicals must have had an issue published in the previous calendar year. Non-static social media like Facebook and Twitter would not be eligible.)

• The Dark Man: Journal of Robert E. Howard and Pulp Studies (Editors: Jaron Carney and Nicole Emmelhainz) – https://https://www.thedarkmanjournal.org/

THE BLACK LOTUS – Outstanding Achievement, Multimedia
(Eligible candidates have produced a multimedia or audio/visual work or series of works, such as videos, documentaries, podcasts, animation, etc. related to the life and work of REH)

• Ben Friberg – Howard Days 2019 Videos – LINK

THE RANKIN — Artistic achievement in the depiction of REH’s life and/or work
(Art must have made its first public published appearance in the previous calendar year.)

• Etienne Le Roux, artist for Conan Le Cimmerien – La Citadelle Ecarlate (Glenat 2019)

SPECIAL AWARDS SECTION

THE CROM AWARD
Awarded by the Foundation Board of Directors for Special Achievement/Recognition

• Dierk Gunther and Patrice Louinet for receiving Ph.D.s with theses on Robert E. Howard at Hiroshima University and the Sorbonne, respectively.

2021 REHF Awards

THE ATLANTEAN — Outstanding Achievement, Book (non-anthology/collection)
(Books may be print or digital, must be a minimum of 50,000 words, and must be substantively devoted to the life and/or work of REH. Reprinted works without significant revisions are not eligible.)

• Brian Murphy. Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword-and-Sorcery (Pulp Hero Press)

THE VALUSIAN — Outstanding Achievement, Book (anthology/collection)
(Books may be print or digital, must be a minimum of 50,000 words, and must be substantively devoted to the life and/or work of REH. Reprinted works without significant revisions are not eligible.)

• Ted Abrams & Elizabeth Nee (editors). The Rattle of Bones (Clover Press)

THE HYRKANIAN—Outstanding Achievement, Essay (Print)
(Essays must have made their first public published appearance in the previous calendar year and be substantive scholarly essays on the life and/or work of REH. Short pieces, interviews, reviews, trip reports, and other minor works do not count.)

• Karen Joan Kohoutek. “More Than Meets the Eye: The Women Protagonists of the Conan Stories” (The Dark Man 11.1)

THE CIMMERIAN—Outstanding Achievement, Essay (Online)
(Essays must have made their first public published appearance in the previous calendar year and be substantive scholarly essays on the life and/or work of REH. Short blog posts, speeches, reviews, trip reports, and other minor works do not count.)

• John Bullard. “Beyond the Black River”: Is It Really “Beyond the Brazos River”? (Adventures Fantastic. 3 Part Serial) Beginning with: LINK

THE STYGIAN—Outstanding Achievement, Website or Periodical
(Eligible candidates are limited to print or digital magazines, journals, blogs, or internet sites with substantive material that is primarily devoted to scholarship on the life and works of Robert E. Howard. Websites must have been updated with new content at least once in the previous calendar year. Print periodicals must have had an issue published in the previous calendar year. Non-static social media like Facebook and Twitter would not be eligible.)(Tie)

• REH World (Editor: Stale Gismervik) – https://reh.world

 THE BLACK LOTUS – Outstanding Achievement, Multimedia
(Eligible candidates have produced a multimedia or audio/visual work or series of works, such as videos, documentaries, podcasts, animation, etc. related to the life and work of REH)

• Ben Friberg. “Tour of Robert E Howard Home”, – LINK

THE RANKIN — Artistic achievement in the depiction of REH’s life and/or work
(Art must have made its first public published appearance in the previous calendar year.)(Tie)

• E.M. Gist, cover artist for Conan the Barbarian #13-17 (Marvel, 2020)

SPECIAL AWARDS SECTION

THE CROM AWARD
Awarded by the Foundation Board of Directors for Special Achievement/Recognition

• Era Lee Hanke

THE VENARIUM — Emerging Scholar-due to 2 of the nominees being nominated for both years, we have decided to put both years’ lists together to help lessen the splitting of votes or electing the same person twice. Please vote for 1 person in each year, hopefully not the same person.

2020 THE VENARIUM — Emerging Scholar
(Candidates will have recently begun making significant contributions to Howard scholarship through publications and/or presentations over the past few years. Previous winners are not eligible.)

• Jason Ray Carney

2021 THE VENARIUM — Emerging Scholar
(Candidates will have recently begun making significant contributions to Howard scholarship through publications and/or presentations over the past few years. Previous winners are not eligible.)

• John Bullard

BLACK CIRCLE AWARD – Lifetime Achievement
(Individuals who have made significant and long-lasting contributions to REH scholarship, publishing, or the promotion of Howard’s life and works. Eligible candidates must have been publicly involved in Howard-related activities for a minimum of two decades. Sixty percent of the vote is required for induction into the Black Circle)

2020

• Paul Herman became closely associated with Robert E. Howard’s literary agent Glenn Lord, and an active member of Howard fandom. Paul created his own small press and published many collections of Howard’s stories. Much of the behind-the-scenes work of insuring the preservation of Glenn Lord’s collection of Robert E. Howard manuscripts and letters, and the formation of the Robert E. Howard Foundation and its associated press are due to Paul’s hard work.

2021

• Arlene Stephenson is the President of Project Pride, and has been involved with Robert E. Howard’s legacy in Cross Plains for over twenty years. Her guidance and hard work have been essential to the preservation of the Robert E. Howard House and Museum, and she helps organize Howard Days and its various activities.