2020 Hugo Awards

2020 Hugo Award TrophyPresented at: CoNZealand, Wellington, New Zealand on August 1, 2020

Host: George R.R. Martin

Base design: John Flower

Awards Administration: Tammy Coxen, Nicholas Whyte, Ian Moore, Kat Jones, Susan de Guardiola


CoNZealand received and counted 1,584 valid nominating ballots (2 of which were received by mail) with a total of 27,033 nominations from the members of Dublin 2019: an Irish Worldcon (Worldcon 77) and CoNZealand (Worldcon 78). CoNZealand received and counted 2,221 final ballots (5 of which were received by mail).

Full Nominating and Final Ballot Voting Details can be seen here (PDF). In addition to the official statistics, Nicholas Whyte, a member of the 2020 Hugo Awards Administration Subcommittee, provided additional analysis of the results.

2020 Hugo Award Ceremony video

2020 Hugo Award Finalists Announcement video

Best Novel

  • A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine (Tor; Tor UK)
  • Middlegame, by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
  • Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir (Tor.com Publishing)
  • The Light Brigade, by Kameron Hurley (Saga; Angry Robot UK)
  • The City in the Middle of the Night, by Charlie Jane Anders (Tor; Titan)
  • The Ten Thousand Doors of January, by Alix E. Harrow (Redhook; Orbit UK)

Best Novella

  • This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (Saga Press; Jo Fletcher Books)
  • In an Absent Dream, by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
  • To Be Taught, If Fortunate, by Becky Chambers (Harper Voyager; Hodder & Stoughton)
  • The Haunting of Tram Car 015, by P. Djèlí Clark (Tor.com Publishing)
  • “Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom”, by Ted Chiang (Exhalation (Borzoi/Alfred A. Knopf; Picador))
  • The Deep, by Rivers Solomon, with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes (Saga Press/Gallery)

Best Novelette

  • Emergency Skin, by N.K. Jemisin (Forward Collection (Amazon))
  • “Omphalos”, by Ted Chiang (Exhalation (Borzoi/Alfred A. Knopf; Picador))
  • “Away With the Wolves”, by Sarah Gailey (Uncanny Magazine: Disabled People Destroy Fantasy Special Issue, September/October 2019)
  • “For He Can Creep”, by Siobhan Carroll (Tor.com, 10 July 2019)
  • “The Blur in the Corner of Your Eye”, by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny Magazine, July-August 2019)
  • “The Archronology of Love”, by Caroline M. Yoachim (Lightspeed, April 2019)

Best Short Story

  • “As the Last I May Know”, by S.L. Huang (Tor.com, 23 October 2019)
  • “Do Not Look Back, My Lion”, by Alix E. Harrow (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, January 2019)
  • “And Now His Lordship Is Laughing”, by Shiv Ramdas (Strange Horizons, 9 September 2019)
  • “A Catalog of Storms”, by Fran Wilde (Uncanny Magazine, January/February 2019)
  • “Blood Is Another Word for Hunger”, by Rivers Solomon (Tor.com, 24 July 2019)
  • “Ten Excerpts from an Annotated Bibliography on the Cannibal Women of Ratnabar Island”, by Nibedita Sen (Nightmare Magazine, May 2019)

Best Series

  • The Expanse, by James S. A. Corey (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
  • InCryptid, by Seanan McGuire (DAW)
  • Planetfall series, by Emma Newman (Ace; Gollancz)
  • Winternight Trilogy, by Katherine Arden (Del Rey; Del Rey UK)
  • The Wormwood Trilogy, by Tade Thompson (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
  • Luna, by Ian McDonald (Tor; Gollancz)

Best Related Work

  • “2019 John W. Campbell Award Acceptance Speech”, by Jeannette Ng
  • Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin, produced and directed by Arwen Curry
  • The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick, by Mallory O’Meara (Hanover Square)
  • Becoming Superman: My Journey from Poverty to Hollywood, by J. Michael Straczynski (Harper Voyager US)
  • The Pleasant Profession of Robert A. Heinlein, by Farah Mendlesohn (Unbound)
  • Joanna Russ, by Gwyneth Jones (University of Illinois Press (Modern Masters of Science Fiction))

Best Graphic Story or Comic

  • LaGuardia, written by Nnedi Okorafor, art by Tana Ford, colours by James Devlin (Berger Books; Dark Horse)
  • Monstress, Volume 4: The Chosen, written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda (Image)
  • Mooncakes, by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker, letters by Joamette Gil (Oni Press; Lion Forge)
  • Paper Girls, Volume 6, written by Brian K. Vaughan, drawn by Cliff Chiang, colours by Matt Wilson, letters by Jared K. Fletcher (Image)
  • The Wicked + The Divine, Volume 9: “Okay”, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, colours by Matt Wilson, letters by Clayton Cowles (Image)
  • Die, Volume 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker, by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans, letters by Clayton Cowles (Image)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

  • Good Omens, written by Neil Gaiman, directed by Douglas Mackinnon (Amazon Studios/BBC Studios/Narrativia/The Blank Corporation)
  • Captain Marvel, screenplay by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Walt Disney Pictures/Marvel Studios/Animal Logic (Australia))
  • Russian Doll (Season One), created by Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler, directed by Leslye Headland, Jamie Babbit and Natasha Lyonne (3 Arts Entertainment/Jax Media/Netflix/Paper Kite Productions/Universal Television)
  • Avengers: Endgame, screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo (Marvel Studios)
  • Us, written and directed by Jordan Peele (Monkeypaw Productions/Universal Pictures)
  • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, screenplay by Chris Terrio and J.J. Abrams, directed by J.J. Abrams (Walt Disney Pictures/Lucasfilm/Bad Robot)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

  • The Good Place: “The Answer”, written by Daniel Schofield, directed by Valeria Migliassi Collins (Fremulon/3 Arts Entertainment/Universal Television)
  • (tie) Watchmen: “A God Walks into Abar”, written by Jeff Jensen and Damon Lindelof, directed by Nicole Kassell (HBO)
  • (tie) The Mandalorian: “Redemption”, written by Jon Favreau, directed by Taika Waititi (Disney+)
  • The Expanse: “Cibola Burn”, written by Daniel Abraham & Ty Franck and Naren Shankar, directed by Breck Eisner (Amazon Prime Video)
  • Watchmen: “This Extraordinary Being”, written by Damon Lindelof and Cord Jefferson, directed by Stephen Williams (HBO)
  • Doctor Who: “Resolution”, written by Chris Chibnall, directed by Wayne Yip (BBC)

Note: Watchmen and The Mandalorian tied for second place.

Best Editor, Short Form

  • Ellen Datlow
  • Jonathan Strahan
  • Sheila Williams
  • (tie) Neil Clarke
  • (tie) Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas
  • C.C. Finlay

Note: Neil Clarke and Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas tied for fourth place.

Best Editor, Long Form

  • Navah Wolfe
  • Diana M. Pho
  • Sheila E. Gilbert
  • Devi Pillai
  • Miriam Weinberg
  • Brit Hvide

Best Professional Artist

  • John Picacio
  • Galen Dara
  • Yuko Shimizu
  • Rovina Cai
  • Tommy Arnold
  • Alyssa Winans

Best Semiprozine

  • Uncanny Magazine, editors-in-chief Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas, nonfiction/managing editor Michi Trota, managing editor Chimedum Ohaegbu, podcast producers Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky
  • FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, executive editor Troy L. Wiggins, editors Eboni Dunbar, Brent Lambert, L.D. Lewis, Danny Lore, Brandon O’Brien and Kaleb Russell
  • Strange Horizons, Vanessa Rose Phin, Catherine Krahe, AJ Odasso, Dan Hartland, Joyce Chng, Dante Luiz and the Strange Horizons staff
  • Escape Pod, editors Mur Lafferty and S.B. Divya, assistant editor Benjamin C. Kinney, audio producers Adam Pracht and Summer Brooks, hosts Tina Connolly and Alasdair Stuart
  • Beneath Ceaseless Skies, editor Scott H. Andrews
  • Fireside Magazine, editor Julia Rios, managing editor Elsa Sjunneson, copyeditor Chelle Parker, social coordinator Meg Frank, publisher & art director Pablo Defendini, founding editor Brian White

Best Fanzine

  • The Book Smugglers, editors Ana Grilo and Thea James
  • nerds of a feather, flock together, editors Adri Joy, Joe Sherry, Vance Kotrla, and The G
  • Journey Planet, editors James Bacon, Christopher J Garcia, Alissa McKersie, Ann Gry, Chuck Serface, John Coxon and Steven H Silver
  • Galactic Journey, founder Gideon Marcus, editor Janice Marcus, senior writers Rosemary Benton, Lorelei Marcus and Victoria Silverwolf
  • Quick Sip Reviews, editor Charles Payseur
  • The Rec Center, editors Elizabeth Minkel and Gavia Baker-Whitelaw

Best Fancast

  • Our Opinions Are Correct, presented by Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders
  • Galactic Suburbia, presented by Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce and Tansy Rayner Roberts, producer Andrew Finch
  • The Coode Street Podcast, presented by Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe
  • The Skiffy and Fanty Show, presented by Jen Zink and Shaun Duke
  • Be The Serpent, presented by Alexandra Rowland, Freya Marske and Jennifer Mace
  • Claire Rousseau’s YouTube channel, produced & presented by Claire Rousseau

Best Fan Writer

  • Bogi Takács
  • Cora Buhlert
  • Alasdair Stuart
  • James Davis Nicoll
  • Paul Weimer
  • Adam Whitehead

Best Fan Artist

  • Elise Matthesen
  • Sara Felix
  • Iain Clark
  • Meg Frank
  • Grace P. Fong
  • Ariela Housman

Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book (not a Hugo)

  • Catfishing on CatNet, by Naomi Kritzer (Tor Teen)
  • Minor Mage, by T. Kingfisher (Argyll)
  • Dragon Pearl, by Yoon Ha Lee (Disney/Hyperion)
  • Riverland, by Fran Wilde (Amulet)
  • Deeplight, by Frances Hardinge (Macmillan)
  • The Wicked King, by Holly Black (Little, Brown; Hot Key)

Astounding Award for Best New Writer, sponsored by Dell Magazines (not a Hugo)

  • 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)