Loncon 3, the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention (“Worldcon”), has announced that the finalists for this year’s Hugo Awards and John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and for the Retrospective (“Retro”) Hugo Awards for 1939, will be announced on Saturday 19 April, starting at 8:30 p.m. BST.
The nominations announcement will be live-streamed from Glasgow (EasterCon), using Ustream at www.ustream.tv/hugo-awards, and broadcast simultaneously at two conventions in the United States.
The shortlists will be published through the Loncon 3 website immediately afterwards. Conventions taking part in the announcement are:
- Satellite 4, the British National Science Fiction Convention (Eastercon), in Glasgow, Scotland (8:30 p.m. BST).
- Norwescon 37, one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier science fiction and fantasy conventions, in SeaTac, WA (12:30 p.m. PDT)
- Minicon 49, Minnesota’s longest-running science fiction convention, in Bloomington, MN (2:30 p.m. CDT)
Nominations will also be released category by category via the Loncon 3 Facebook page at www.facebook.com/londonin2014 and the Loncon 3 Twitter feed at twitter.com/Loncon3.
It would be hard not to recognise that fantasy as a genre has been growing in recent years and so it was no surprise when the Hugo team announced that the number of nomination ballots received for the 2013/2014 awards set a new response record. Loncon 3 Co-Chair Alice Lawson said, “We are all delighted with the massive turnout, which confirms that interest in the Hugo Awards continues to grow to new heights.”
After the announcement of the nominees, the final voting process will begin. Attending, Young Adult, and Supporting members of Loncon 3 will be able to cast final ballots up to 11:59 p.m. PDT on Thursday 31 July 2014.
The winners of the Retro Hugos will be announced on Thursday 14 August, and the 2014 Hugos on Sunday 17 August, during Loncon 3.
Personally, we’re looking forward to seeing which of our favourite authors, friends and even members (tons of authors over on our forums now) make the list… it’s going to be fun! Will you be tuning in?