Astounding Award

The Astounding Award for Best New Writer is currently administered by WSFS and the results are announced at the Hugo Award ceremony. However, the Astounding is awarded by Dell Magazines, not by WSFS. Historical data about the Astounding Award (renamed from the John W. Campbell Award as of the 2020 award year) is presented here as part of of WSFS’s duty to Dell Magazines regarding administration of the award.

Based on guideance provided to us by the Award Sponsor (currently Dell magazines, publisher of Analog), Awards from 2019 and earlier can be cited as either “John W. Campbell Award” or “Astounding Award,” while awards from 2020 onward should always be cited as “Astounding Award.” As the editor of Analog, Trevor Quachri, explained it to us, “It is in all other aspects the same award (just as Analog is a continuation of Astounding, not a wholly different publication).

For additional information, see the Astounding Award website. WSFS does not manage the Astounding Awards website. The Astounding Awards website does not administer the Award, but the site does attempt to maintain eligibility lists and keep track of the Award Sponsor’s rules for the Award.

*Finalists in their 2nd year of eligibility (when known).

No Award: In some years, the members voted to place No Award higher than some of the finalists. When this has happened, we list No Award as a finalist in the order that it places. If No Award is not listed, it means that it placed lower than all of the finalists.

2022

  • Shelley Parker-Chan (1st year of eligibility)
  • Tracy Deonn (2nd year of eligibility)
  • Micaiah Johnson (2nd year of eligibility)
  • A.K. Larkwood (2nd year of eligibility)
  • Everina Maxwell (1st year of eligibility)
  • Xiran Jay Zhao (1st year of eligibility)

2021

  • Emily Tesh (2nd year of eligibility)
  • Micaiah Johnson (1st year of eligibility)
  • Jenn Lyons (2nd year of eligibility)
  • Lindsay Ellis (1st year of eligibility)
  • Simon Jimenez (1st year of eligibility)
  • A.K. Larkwood (1st year of eligibility)

2020
The award was renamed the Astounding Award as of this year.

  • R.F. Kuang (2nd year of eligibility)
  • Nibedita Sen (2nd year of eligibility)
  • Tasha Suri (2nd year of eligibility)
  • Emily Tesh (1st year of eligibility)
  • Sam Hawke (2nd year of eligibility)
  • Jenn Lyons (1st year of eligibility)

2019
Prior to and including this year, the award was named the John W. Campbell Award.

  • Jeannette Ng*
  • Rivers Solomon*
  • S.A. Chakraborty*
  • Katherine Arden*
  • R.F. Kuang
  • Vina Jie-Min Prasad*

2018

  • Rebecca Roanhorse
  • Katherine Arden
  • Sarah Kuhn*
  • Jeannette Ng
  • Vina Jie-Min Prasad
  • Rivers Solomon

2017

  • Ada Palmer
  • Malka Older*
  • Sarah Gailey
  • Laurie Penny*
  • Kelly Robson*
  • No Award
  • J. Mulrooney

2016

  • Andy Weir*
  • Alyssa Wong*
  • No Award
  • Pierce Brown*
  • Sebastien de Castell*
  • Brian Niemeier

2015

  • Wesley Chu*
  • No Award
  • Kary English*
  • Eric S. Raymond
  • Jason Cordova
  • Rolf Nelson

2014

  • Sofia Samatar*
  • Max Gladstone*
  • Wesley Chu
  • Ramez Naam*
  • Benjanun Sriduangkaew

2013

  • Mur Lafferty*
  • Stina Leicht*
  • Chuck Wendig*
  • Max Gladstone
  • Zen Cho*

2012

  • E. Lily Yu*
  • Brad R. Torgersen*
  • Karen Lord*
  • Mur Lafferty
  • Stina Leicht

2011

  • Lev Grossman*
  • Lauren Beukes
  • Saladin Ahmed*
  • Dan Wells*
  • Larry Correia*

2010

  • Seanan McGuire
  • Felix Gilman*
  • Gail Carriger
  • Lezli Robyn*
  • Saladin Ahmed

2009

  • David Anthony Durham*
  • Aliette de Bodard*
  • Tony Pi*
  • Gord Sellar
  • Felix Gilman

2008

  • Mary Robinette Kowal*
  • Scott Lynch*
  • David Louis Edelman*
  • Joe Abercrombie*
  • Jon Armstrong
  • David Anthony Durham

2007

  • Naomi Novik
  • Scott Lynch
  • Sarah Monette*
  • Brandon Sanderson*
  • Lawrence M Schoen

2006

  • John Scalzi
  • K. J. Bishop*
  • Sarah Monette
  • Chris Roberson*
  • Brandon Sanderson
  • Steph Swainston*

2005

  • Elizabeth Bear
  • Steph Swainston
  • K. J. Bishop
  • Chris Roberson
  • David Moles

2004

  • Jay Lake
  • David D. Levine*
  • Karin Lowachee*
  • Tim Pratt
  • Chris Moriarty

2003

  • Wen Spencer*
  • Charles Coleman Finlay
  • Ken Wharton*
  • Karin Lowachee
  • David D. Levine

2002

  • Jo Walton*
  • Alexander C. Irvine
  • Ken Wharton
  • Wen Spencer
  • Tobias S. Buckell

2001

  • Kristine Smith*
  • Jo Walton
  • Thomas Harlan
  • Douglas Smith
  • James L. Cambias

2000

  • Cory Doctorow
  • Ellen Klages
  • Shane Tourtellotte
  • Kristine Smith
  • Thomas Harlan

1999

  • Nalo Hopkinson
  • Kage Baker
  • Julie E. Czerneda
  • Susan R. Matthews*
  • James Van Pelt

1998

  • Mary Doria Russell
  • Susan R. Matthews
  • Andy Duncan
  • Richard Garfinkle*
  • Raphael Carter*

1997

  • Michael A. Burstein*
  • Sharon Shinn*
  • Richard Garfinkle
  • Raphael Carter
  • Katya Reimann

1996

  • David Feintuch*
  • Felicity Savage*
  • Michael A. Burstein
  • Sharon Shinn
  • Tricia Sullivan

1995

  • Jeff Noon
  • Felicity Savage
  • Linda J. Dunn
  • David Feintuch
  • Daniel Marcus

1994

  • Amy Thomson
  • Holly Lisle*
  • Carrie Richerson*
  • Elizabeth Willey
  • Jack Nimersheim

1993

  • Laura Resnick*
  • Nicholas A. DiChario
  • Barbara Delaplace*
  • Michelle Sagara (aka: Michelle West)*
  • Holly Lisle
  • Carrie Richerson

1992

  • Ted Chiang
  • Laura Resnick
  • Barbara Delaplace
  • Michelle Sagara (aka: Michelle West)
  • Greer Ilene Gilman

1991

  • Julia Ecklar
  • Nancy A. Collins*
  • John Cramer (aka: John G. Cramer)*
  • Michael Kandel
  • Scott Cupp

1990

  • Kristine Kathryn Rusch*
  • Allen Steele
  • Nancy A. Collins
  • John Cramer (aka: John G. Cramer)
  • Katherine Neville

1989

  • Michaela Roessner
  • Delia Sherman
  • Christopher Hinz
  • Kristine Kathryn Rusch
  • Melanie Rawn
  • P. J. Beese and Todd Cameron Hamilton
  • William Sanders

1988

  • Judith Moffett
  • Rebecca Ore*
  • Martha Soukup
  • C. S. Friedman
  • Loren J. MacGregor

1987

  • Karen Joy Fowler*
  • Lois McMaster Bujold
  • Katharine Eliska Kimbriel
  • Rebecca Ore
  • Leo Frankowski
  • Robert Reed

1986

  • Melissa Scott*
  • Guy Gavriel Kay
  • Carl Sagan
  • Karen Joy Fowler
  • Tad Williams
  • David Zindell

1985

  • Lucius Shepard
  • Melissa Scott
  • Geoffrey A. Landis
  • Elissa Malcohn
  • Bradley Denton
  • Ian McDonald

1984

  • R. A. MacAvoy
  • Joseph H. Delaney*
  • Lisa Goldstein*
  • Warren Norwood*
  • Sheri S. Tepper
  • Joel Rosenberg

1983

  • Paul O. Williams*
  • Lisa Goldstein
  • David R. Palmer
  • Joseph H. Delaney
  • Sandra Miesel
  • Warren Norwood

1982

  • Alexis Gilliland
  • Robert Stallman*
  • David Brin
  • Paul O. Williams
  • Michael Swanwick

1981

  • Somtow Sucharitkul*
  • Robert L. Forward
  • Susan C. Petrey
  • Diane Duane*
  • Robert Stallman
  • Kevin Christensen

1980

  • Barry B. Longyear*
  • Somtow Sucharitkul
  • Diane Duane
  • Lynn Abbey
  • Karen G. Jollie
  • Alan Ryan

1979

  • Stephen R. Donaldson*
  • James P. Hogan
  • Elizabeth A. Lynn*
  • Cynthia Felice
  • Barry B. Longyear
  • Charles Sheffield

1978

  • Orson Scott Card
  • Stephen R. Donaldson
  • Jack L. Chalker*
  • Elizabeth A. Lynn
  • Bruce Sterling

1977

  • C. J. Cherryh
  • Jack L. Chalker
  • M. A. Foster*
  • Carter Scholz

1976

  • Tom Reamy
  • John Varley*
  • Arsen Darnay
  • Joan D. Vinge
  • M. A. Foster

1975

  • P. J. Plauger
  • Alan Brennert
  • Suzy McKee Charnas
  • Felix C. Gotschalk
  • Brenda Pearce
  • John Varley

1974

  • Spider Robinson
  • Lisa Tuttle*
  • Jesse Miller
  • Thomas F. Monteleone
  • Guy Snyder

1973

  • Jerry Pournelle
  • George Alec Effinger
  • Ruth Berman
  • George R. R. Martin
  • Robert Thurston
  • Lisa Tuttle