LAcon V, the 84th World Science Fiction Convention, announced on April 21, 2026 the finalists for the 2026 Hugo Awards, Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book, and Astounding Award for Best New Writer. The full list of finalists is on the 2026 Hugo Awards page.
“The 2026 Hugo Award ballot reflects the wide spectrum of contemporary science fiction and fantasy,” said convention chair Joyce Lloyd. “This shortlist highlights established voices and emerging creators. These are works that comfort us in hard times and challenge us to not only envision, but to work towards, better tomorrows and more inclusive worlds.”
All members of the World Science Fiction Convention are able to vote on the Hugo Awards, including those who have memberships in the virtual portion of the convention. Voting on the final ballot will begin in early May. Information about registration is available at lacon.org/register. In addition to the traditional categories, the 2026 awards will again include a Best Poem category, following a trial run in 2025.
“There was a lot of enthusiasm for the Best Poem category in Seattle,” Hugo Awards Administrator Tammy Coxen said. “We felt that running the category for an additional year would help provide data about its long-term viability before the business meeting chooses whether or not to ratify the amendment and add Best Poem to the Hugo Awards as a permanent category.”
LAcon V, the 2026 World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), is presented by the Southern California Institute for Fan Interests (SCIFI), Inc., a California 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
The members of the 2025 and 2026 World Science Fiction Conventions cast 1,488 valid nominating ballots, including 6 paper ballots, for the 2026 Hugo Awards. The nominators made 23,543 nominations for 4,299 works and individuals across 21 categories.
Voting on the final ballot will open in early May 2026. Only LAcon V WSFS members will be able to vote on the final ballot and choose the winners for the 2026 Awards.
The 2026 Hugo Awards, the Lodestar Award, and the Astounding Award will be presented on Sunday evening, August 30, 2025 at a formal ceremony at LAcon V.
Questions about the Hugo Awards process should be directed to hugo-help@lacon.org. Please do not submit questions to the Hugo Awards website, as we do not administer the Hugo Awards and can only pass your questions on to the award administrators.