The Dragon Awards are a set of literary and media awards voted on by fandom and presented annually since 2016 by Dragon Con for excellence in various categories of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in various media — novels, movies, television, and games.
| Dragon Awards | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best science fiction, fantasy, horror, and alternate history works of previous year |
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Dragon Con |
| First awarded | 2016 |
| Website | awards |
History
The Dragon Awards were first presented in 2016,[1][2] created on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Dragon Con to "recognize excellence in all things Science Fiction and Fantasy."[3][4] By 2018, 11,000 voters cast a ballot,[5] given out annually at Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia.
A unique feature of the Awards is that it runs a diverse set of subgenera on the ballot.[6]
The finalist short list for the first Dragon Awards was announced on August 11, 2016,[7] and the winners were announced on September 4 that year.[8]
In 2017, nominated authors Allison Littlewood, John Scalzi, and N. K. Jemisin asked Dragon Con to remove their names from the ballot; John Scalzi shortly reconsidered and remained in the contest. However, the coordinators of the Dragon Awards initially refused to remove other authors' names from the running, which generated criticism across blogs and science fiction related publications, ultimately leading the organizers to comply with nominee wishes when they desire to abstain.[9][10][11]
Nomination and voting processes
The nominations and votes are collected electronically. Participation is available to everyone, requiring only an e-mail address, but no membership or other fees, to vote.[12] The Dragon Awards website states that they "[reserve] the right to invalidate suspect or questionable ballots without notice,"[13] and that "All decisions regarding the voting process and selection of winners shall be made by DRAGON CON in its sole discretion, shall be final, and shall not be subject to challenge or appeal."[14] Language describing the review of nominations does not state that nominations are counted numerically but are "gathered and reviewed to create a final ballot."[15] Neither counts of nominations nor votes have ever been made public.
The award process consists of two steps:
- a nomination step where each voter nominates one work of choice in each category. The nominations are "gathered and reviewed to create a final ballot."[15]
- a voting step where the finalists selected from the nominated works are voted on by each voter.
Reception
The Dragon Awards have been criticized because of the appearance that the awards were created in conjunction with campaigns by the Rabid and Sad Puppies to attack the Hugo Award.[12] Another concern raised is regarding the opaqueness of the nomination and voting process.[11]
Winners
The full list of nominees ("shortlist") can be found at List of Dragon Award nominees.
Best Science Fiction Novel
| Year | Work | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Somewhither: Being the First Part of A Tale of the Unwithering Realm | John C. Wright | Castalia House | [16] |
| 2017 | Babylon's Ashes | James S. A. Corey | Orbit Books | [17] |
| 2018 | Artemis | Andy Weir | Crown Publishing Group | [18][19] |
| 2019 | A Star-Wheeled Sky | Brad R. Torgersen | Baen Books | [20] |
| 2020 | The Last Emperox | John Scalzi | Tor Books | [21] |
| 2021 | Project Hail Mary | Andy Weir | Ballantine Books | [22] |
| 2022 | Leviathan Falls | James S. A. Corey | Hachette Book Group | [23][24] |
| 2023 | The Icarus Plot | Timothy Zahn | Baen Books | [25] |
Best Fantasy Novel
Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel
| Year | Work | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Shepherd's Crown | Terry Pratchett | Doubleday | [16] |
| 2017 | The Hammer of Thor | Rick Riordan | Disney-Hyperion Books | [17] |
| 2018 | Children of Blood and Bone | Tomi Adeyemi | Henry Holt and Company | [18][26] |
| 2019 | Bloodwitch | Susan Dennard | Tor Books | [20] |
| 2020 | Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth | Bella Forrest | Nightlight Books | [21] |
| 2021 | A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking | T. Kingfisher | Argyll Productions | [22] |
| 2022 | A Dark and Starless Forest | Sarah Hollowell | HMH Books for Young Readers | [23][24] |
| 2023 | The Golden Enclaves | Naomi Novik | Del Rey Books | [25] |
Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel
The category "Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel" was removed from the awards in 2023.
| Year | Work | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Hell's Foundations Quiver | David Weber | Tor Books | [16] |
| 2017 | Iron Dragoons | Richard Fox | Triplane Press | [17] |
| 2018 | A Call to Vengeance | Timothy Zahn, David Weber and Thomas Pope | Baen Books | [18] |
| 2019 | Uncompromising Honor | David Weber | Baen Books | [20] |
| 2020 | Savage Wars | Jason Anspach & Nick Cole (author) | Galaxy's Edge | [21] |
| 2021 | Gun Runner | Larry Correia & John Brown | Baen Books | [22] |
| 2022 | A Call to Insurrection | David Weber, Timothy Zahn, and Thomas Pope | Simon & Schuster | [23][24] |
Best Alternate History Novel
| Year | Work | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | League of Dragons | Naomi Novik | Del Rey Books | [16] |
| 2017 | Fallout | Harry Turtledove | Del Rey Books | [17] |
| 2018 | Uncharted | Kevin J. Anderson and Sarah A. Hoyt | Baen Books | [18] |
| 2019 | Black Chamber | S. M. Stirling | Baen Books | [20] |
| 2020 | Witchy Kingdom | D.J. Butler | Baen Books | [21] |
| 2021 | 1637: No Peace Beyond the Line | Eric Flint and Charles E. Gannon | Baen Books | [22] |
| 2022 | The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley | Mercedes Lackey | DAW Books | [23][24] |
| 2023 | Lost In Time | A. G. Riddle | Head of Zeus | [25] |
Best Apocalyptic Novel
The category "Best Apocalyptic Novel" was removed from the awards in 2018.
| Year | Work | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Ctrl Alt Revolt! | Nick Cole | self-published | [16] |
| 2017 | Walkaway | Cory Doctorow | Tor Books | [17][27] |
Best Media Tie-In Novel
The category "Best Media Tie-In Novel" was first introduced in 2018 and removed from the awards in 2023.
| Year | Work | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Leia: Princess of Alderaan | Claudia Gray | Disney-Lucasfilm | [18] |
| 2019 | Thrawn: Alliances | Timothy Zahn | Penguin Random House | [20] |
| 2020 | Firefly: The Ghost Machine | James Lovegrove | Titan Books | [21] |
| 2021 | Firefly: Generations | Tim Lebbon | Titan Books | [22] |
| 2022 | Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil | Timothy Zahn | Random House Worlds | [23][24] |
Best Horror Novel
| Year | Work | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Souldancer | Brian Niemeier | self-published | [16] |
| 2017 | The Changeling | Victor LaValle | Spiegel & Grau | [17] |
| 2018 | Sleeping Beauties | Stephen King and Owen King | Scribner | [18] |
| 2019 | Little Darlings | Melanie Golding | Crooked Lane Books | [20] |
| 2020 | The Twisted Ones | T. Kingfisher | Saga | [21] |
| 2021 | The Hollow Places | T. Kingfisher | Saga | [22] |
| 2022 | The Book of Accidents | Chuck Wendig | Del Rey Books | [23][24] |
| 2023 | A House with Good Bones | T. Kingfisher | Tor Books | [25] |
Best Illustrative Cover
The category "Best Illustrative Cover" was first introduced in 2023.
| Year | Work | Artist(s) | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Tower of Silence | Kurt Miller | Larry Correia | Baen Books | [25] |
Best Comic Book
The categories "Best Comic Book" and "Best Graphic Novel" were combined into a single category in 2023.
| Year | Work | Author(s)/ Artist(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Ms. Marvel | Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona | Marvel Comics | [28] |
| 2017 | The Dresden Files: Dog Men | Jim Butcher, Mark Powers | Dynamite Entertainment | [29][30] |
| 2018 | Mighty Thor | Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman | Marvel Comics | [18][31] |
| 2019 | Saga | Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples | Image Comics | [20][31] |
| 2020 | Avengers | Jason Aaron & Ed McGuinness | Marvel | [21] |
| 2021 | X-Men | Jonathan Hickman & Mahmud Asrar | Marvel | [22] |
| 2022 | Immortal X-Men | Kieron Gillen and Mark Brooks | Marvel | [23][24] |
Best Graphic Novel
The categories "Best Comic Book" and "Best Graphic Novel" were combined into a single category in 2023.
| Year | Work | Author(s)/ Artist(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Sandman: Overture | Neil Gaiman, J. H. Williams III | Vertigo Comics | [16] |
| 2017 | The Dresden Files: Wild Card | Jim Butcher, Carlos Gomez | Dynamite Entertainment | [17] |
| 2018 | White Sand, Volume 1 | Brandon Sanderson, Rik Hoskin and Julius M. Gopez | Dynamite Entertainment | [18][32] |
| 2019 | X-Men: Grand Design – Second Genesis | Ed Piskor | Marvel Comics | [20][32] |
| 2020 | Battlestar Galactica: Counterstrike! | John Jackson Miller & Daniel HDR | Dynamite Entertainment | [21] |
| 2021 | The Magicians: New Class | Lev Grossman, Lilah Sturges & Pius Bak | Archaia Entertainment | [22] |
| 2022 | Dune: House Atreides Volume 2 | Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Dev Pramanik | BOOM! Studios | [23][24] |
Best Comic Book/Graphic Novel
"Best Comic Book" and "Best Graphic Novel" existed as separate categories before 2023.
| Year | Work | Author(s)/ Artist(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Dune: House Harkonnen | Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Michael Shelfer | BOOM! Studios | [25] |
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series
| Year | Work | Creator(s) | Released on | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Game of Thrones | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss | HBO | [28] |
| 2017 | Stranger Things | The Duffer Brothers | Netflix | [29] |
| 2018 | Game of Thrones | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss | HBO | [18] |
| 2019 | Good Omens | Neil Gaiman | Amazon Prime Video | [33] |
| 2020 | The Mandalorian | Jon Favreau | Disney+ | [21] |
| 2021 | The Expanse | Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby | Amazon Prime Video | [22] |
| 2022 | Stranger Things | The Duffer Brothers | Netflix | [23][24] |
| 2023 | The Sandman | Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer and Allan Heinberg | Netflix | [25] |
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie
| Year | Work | Creator(s) | Studio | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Martian | Ridley Scott (director), Drew Goddard (writer) | Scott Free Productions, Kinberg Genre, TSG Entertainment | [28] |
| 2017 | Wonder Woman | Patty Jenkins (director), Allan Heinberg (writer), Zack Snyder (writer), Jason Fuchs (writer) | RatPac-Dune Entertainment, DC Films, Tencent Pictures, Wanda Pictures, Atlas Entertainment, Cruel and Unusual Films | [29] |
| 2018 | Black Panther | Ryan Coogler (director, writer), Joe Robert Cole (writer) | Marvel Studios | [18] |
| 2019 | Avengers: Endgame | Russo brothers (directors) | Marvel Studios | [33] |
| 2020 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | J. J. Abrams | Disney | [21] |
| 2021 | The Old Guard | Gina Prince-Bythewood | Netflix | [22] |
| 2022 | Dune | Denis Villeneuve | Legendary Pictures | [23][24] |
| 2023 | Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves | Jonathan Goldstein (director, writer), John Francis Daley (director, writer), Michael Gilio (writer) | Paramount Pictures | [25] |
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC/Console Game
The categories "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC/Console Game" and "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game" were combined into a single category in 2023.
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game
The categories "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC/Console Game" and "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game" were combined into a single category in 2023.
| Year | Work | Developers(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Fallout Shelter | Bethesda Softworks | [34] |
| 2017 | Pokémon Go | Niantic | [35] |
| 2018 | Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery | Jam City | [18] |
| 2019 | Harry Potter: Wizards Unite | Niantic, WB Games San Francisco | [20] |
| 2020 | Minecraft Earth | Mojang Studios | [36] |
| 2021 | Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells | Zynga | [22] |
| 2022 | Diablo Immortal | Blizzard | [23][24] |
Best Digital Game
"Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC/Console Game" and "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game" existed as separate categories before 2023.
| Year | Work | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | Nintendo | [25] |
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game
The categories "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game" and "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game" were combined into a single category in 2023.
| Year | Work | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Pandemic: Legacy | Z-Man Games | [34] |
| 2017 | Betrayal at House on the Hill: Widow's Walk | Avalon Hill | [35] |
| 2018 | Red Dragon Inn 6: Villains | Slugfest Games | [18] |
| 2019 | Betrayal Legacy | Avalon Hill Games | [20] |
| 2020 | Tapestry | Stonemaier Games | [36] |
| 2021 | Imperium | Dire Wolf Games | [22] |
| 2022 | Star Wars Outer Rim: Unfinished Business | Fantasy Flight Games | [23][24] |
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game
| Year | Work | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game (7th edition) | Chaosium | [34] |
| 2017 | Magic: The Gathering: Eldritch Moon | Wizards of the Coast | [35] |
| 2018 | Magic: The Gathering: Unstable | Wizards of the Coast | [18] |
| 2019 | Call of Cthulhu: Masks of Nyarlathotep Slipcase Set | Chaosium | [20] |
| 2020 | Magic: The Gathering: Throne of Eldraine | Wizards of the Coast | [36] |
| 2021 | Warhammer: Age of Sigmar: Soulbound Role-Playing Game | Cubicle 7 | [22] |
| 2022 | Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms | Wizards of the Coast | [23][24] |
Best Tabletop Game
"Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game" and "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game" existed as separate categories before 2023.
| Year | Work | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Magic the Gathering: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | Wizards of the Coast | [25] |