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Dragon Awards
| Dragon Awards |
|---|
| Best science fiction, fantasy, horror, and alternate history works of previous year |
| Atlanta, Georgia |
| United States |
| Dragon Con |
| 2016 |
| awards.dragoncon.org |
The Dragon Awards are a set of literary and media awards presented annually by Dragon Con. Voted on by fandom, the awards highlight excellence in the speculative categories of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and alternate history across various media — novels, comic books, movies, television series, video games, and tabletop enterprises.
The Dragon Awards were first presented in 2016, created on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Dragon Con to "recognize excellence in all things Science Fiction and Fantasy." By 2018, 11,000 voters cast a ballot, given out annually at Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia.
A distinct feature of the awards, there is a diverse set of subgenera on the ballot.
The finalists for the first Dragon Awards were announced on August 11, 2016, and the winners were announced on September 4 that year.
In 2017, nominated authors Allison Littlewood, John Scalzi, and N. K. Jemisin asked Dragon Con to remove their names from the ballot; Scalzi subsequently reconsidered and remained in the contest. However, the coordinators of the Dragon Awards initially refused to remove the 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.
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. The Dragon Awards website states that they "[reserve] the right to invalidate suspect or questionable ballots without notice," 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." Language describing the review of nominations does not state that nominations are counted numerically but are "gathered and reviewed to create a final ballot." 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."
- a voting step where the finalists selected from the nominated works are voted on by each voter.
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. Another concern raised is regarding the opaqueness of the nomination and voting process.
The full list of last-stage nominees can be found at List of Dragon Award finalists.
| Year | Work | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somewhither: Being the First Part of A Tale of the Unwithering Realm | John C. Wright | Castalia House | ||
| Babylon's Ashes | James S. A. Corey | Orbit Books | ||
| Artemis | Andy Weir | Crown Publishing Group | ||
| A Star-Wheeled Sky | Brad R. Torgersen | Baen Books | ||
| The Last Emperox | John Scalzi | Tor Books | ||
| Project Hail Mary | Andy Weir | Ballantine Books | ||
| Leviathan Falls | James S. A. Corey | Hachette Book Group | ||
| The Icarus Plot | Timothy Zahn | Baen Books | ||
| Starter Villain | John Scalzi | Tor Books | ||
| This Inevitable Ruin | Matt Dinniman | Ace Books |
| Year | Work | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Son of the Black Sword | Larry Correia | Baen Books | ||
| Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge | Larry Correia, John Ringo | Baen Books | ||
| Oathbringer | Brandon Sanderson | Tor Books | ||
| House of Assassins | Larry Correia | Baen Books | ||
| The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern | Doubleday | ||
| Battle Ground | Jim Butcher | Ace Books | ||
| Book of Night | Holly Black | Tom Doherty Associates | ||
| Witch King | Martha Wells | Tordotcom | ||
| Iron Flame | Rebecca Yarros | Red Tower Books | ||
| The Devils | Joe Abercrombie | Tor Books |
| Year | Work | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Souldancer | Brian Niemeier | self-published | ||
| The Changeling | Victor LaValle | Spiegel & Grau | ||
| Sleeping Beauties | Stephen King and Owen King | Scribner | ||
| Little Darlings | Melanie Golding | Crooked Lane Books | ||
| The Twisted Ones | T. Kingfisher | Saga | ||
| The Hollow Places | T. Kingfisher | Saga | ||
| The Book of Accidents | Chuck Wendig | Del Rey Books | ||
| A House with Good Bones | T. Kingfisher | Tor Books | ||
| Black River Orchard | Chuck Wendig | Del Rey Books | ||
| Bury Your Gays | Chuck Tingle | Tor Nightfire |
| Year | Work | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| League of Dragons | Naomi Novik | Del Rey Books | ||
| Fallout | Harry Turtledove | Del Rey Books | ||
| Uncharted | Kevin J. Anderson and Sarah A. Hoyt | Baen Books | ||
| Black Chamber | S. M. Stirling | Baen Books | ||
| Witchy Kingdom | D. J. Butler | Baen Books | ||
| 1637: No Peace Beyond the Line | Eric Flint and Charles E. Gannon | Baen Books | ||
| The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley | Mercedes Lackey | DAW Books | ||
| Lost In Time | A. G. Riddle | Head of Zeus | ||
| All the Dead Shall Weep | Charlaine Harris | Saga Press | ||
| The Martian Contingency | Mary Robinette Kowal | Tor Books |
The category "Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel" was removed from the awards in 2023.
| Year | Work | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hell's Foundations Quiver | David Weber | Tor Books | ||
| Iron Dragoons | Richard Fox | Triplane Press | ||
| A Call to Vengeance | Timothy Zahn, David Weber and Thomas Pope | Baen Books | ||
| Uncompromising Honor | David Weber | Baen Books | ||
| Savage Wars | Jason Anspach & Nick Cole (author) | Galaxy's Edge | ||
| Gun Runner | Larry Correia & John Brown | Baen Books | ||
| A Call to Insurrection | David Weber, Timothy Zahn, and Thomas Pope | Simon & Schuster |
The category "Best Apocalyptic Novel" was removed from the awards in 2018.
| Year | Work | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ctrl Alt Revolt! | Nick Cole | self-published | ||
| Walkaway | Cory Doctorow | Tor Books |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leia: Princess of Alderaan | Claudia Gray | Disney-Lucasfilm | ||
| Thrawn: Alliances | Timothy Zahn | Penguin Random House | ||
| Firefly: The Ghost Machine | James Lovegrove | Titan Books | ||
| Firefly: Generations | Tim Lebbon | Titan Books | ||
| Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil | Timothy Zahn | Random House Worlds |
| Year | Work | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Shepherd's Crown | Terry Pratchett | Doubleday | ||
| The Hammer of Thor | Rick Riordan | Disney-Hyperion Books | ||
| Children of Blood and Bone | Tomi Adeyemi | Henry Holt and Company | ||
| Bloodwitch | Susan Dennard | Tor Books | ||
| Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth | Bella Forrest | Nightlight Books | ||
| A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking | T. Kingfisher | Argyll Productions | ||
| A Dark and Starless Forest | Sarah Hollowell | HMH Books for Young Readers | ||
| The Golden Enclaves | Naomi Novik | Del Rey Books | ||
| Midnight at the Houdini | Delilah S. Dawson | Delacorte Press | ||
| Sunrise on the Reaping | Suzanne Collins | Scholastic Press |
The category "Best Illustrative Cover" was first introduced in 2023.
| Year | Work | Artist(s) | Author(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tower of Silence | Kurt Miller | Larry Correia | Baen Books | ||
| Of Jade and Dragons | Kelly Chong | Amber Chen | Viking Books for Young Readers | ||
| Wind and Truth | Michael Whelan | Brandon Sanderson | Tor Books |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ms. Marvel | Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona | Marvel Comics | ||
| The Dresden Files: Dog Men | Jim Butcher, Mark Powers | Dynamite Entertainment | ||
| Mighty Thor | Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman | Marvel Comics | ||
| Saga | Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples | Image Comics | ||
| Avengers | Jason Aaron & Ed McGuinness | Marvel | ||
| X-Men | Jonathan Hickman & Mahmud Asrar | Marvel | ||
| Immortal X-Men | Kieron Gillen and Mark Brooks | Marvel |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Sandman: Overture | Neil Gaiman, J. H. Williams III | Vertigo Comics | ||
| The Dresden Files: Wild Card | Jim Butcher, Carlos Gomez | Dynamite Entertainment | ||
| White Sand, Volume 1 | Brandon Sanderson, Rik Hoskin and Julius M. Gopez | Dynamite Entertainment | ||
| X-Men: Grand Design – Second Genesis | Ed Piskor | Marvel Comics | ||
| Battlestar Galactica: Counterstrike! | John Jackson Miller & Daniel HDR | Dynamite Entertainment | ||
| The Magicians: New Class | Lev Grossman, Lilah Sturges & Pius Bak | Archaia Entertainment | ||
| Dune: House Atreides Volume 2 | Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Dev Pramanik | BOOM! Studios |
"Best Comic Book" and "Best Graphic Novel" existed as separate categories before 2023.
| Year | Work | Author(s)/Artist(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dune: House Harkonnen | Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Michael Shelfer | BOOM! Studios | ||
| Monstress | Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda | Image Comics | ||
| Daredevil: Cold Day In Hell | Charles Soule and Steve McNiven | Marvel Comics |
| Year | Work | Creator(s) | Studio | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Martian | Ridley Scott (director), Drew Goddard (writer) | Scott Free Productions, Kinberg Genre | ||
| 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 | ||
| Black Panther | Ryan Coogler (director, writer), Joe Robert Cole (writer) | Marvel Studios | ||
| Avengers: Endgame | Russo brothers (directors) | Marvel Studios | ||
| Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | J. J. Abrams | Disney | ||
| The Old Guard | Gina Prince-Bythewood | Netflix | ||
| Dune | Denis Villeneuve | Legendary Pictures | ||
| Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves | Jonathan Goldstein (director, writer), John Francis Daley (director, writer), Michael Gilio (writer) | Paramount Pictures | ||
| Dune: Part Two | Denis Villeneuve (director, writer), Jon Spaihts (writer) | Legendary Pictures | ||
| Deadpool & Wolverine | Shawn Levy (director, writer), Ryan Reynolds (writer) | Marvel Studios |
| Year | Work | Creator(s) | Released on | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game of Thrones | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss | HBO | ||
| Stranger Things | The Duffer Brothers | Netflix | ||
| Game of Thrones | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss | HBO | ||
| Good Omens | Neil Gaiman | Amazon Prime Video | ||
| The Mandalorian | Jon Favreau | Disney+ | ||
| The Expanse | Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby | Amazon Prime Video | ||
| Stranger Things | The Duffer Brothers | Netflix | ||
| The Sandman | Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer and Allan Heinberg | Netflix | ||
| Fallout | Amazon Prime Video | |||
| Andor | Disney+ |
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 | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout 4 | Bethesda Softworks | ||
| The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Nintendo | ||
| Middle-earth: Shadow of War | Monolith Productions | ||
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Rockstar Games | ||
| Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order | Respawn Entertainment | ||
| Assassin's Creed: Valhalla | Ubisoft | ||
| Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout Shelter | Bethesda Softworks | ||
| Pokémon Go | Niantic | ||
| Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery | Jam City | ||
| Harry Potter: Wizards Unite | Niantic, WB Games San Francisco | ||
| Minecraft Earth | Mojang Studios | ||
| Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells | Zynga | ||
| Diablo Immortal | Blizzard |
"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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | Nintendo | ||
| Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios | ||
| Assassin's Creed Shadows | Ubisoft Quebec |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pandemic: Legacy | Z-Man Games | ||
| Betrayal at House on the Hill: Widow's Walk | Avalon Hill | ||
| Red Dragon Inn 6: Villains | Slugfest Games | ||
| Betrayal Legacy | Avalon Hill Games | ||
| Tapestry | Stonemaier Games | ||
| Imperium | Dire Wolf Games | ||
| Star Wars Outer Rim: Unfinished Business | Fantasy Flight Games |
| Year | Work | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game (7th edition) | Chaosium | ||
| Magic: The Gathering: Eldritch Moon | Wizards of the Coast | ||
| Magic: The Gathering: Unstable | Wizards of the Coast | ||
| Call of Cthulhu: Masks of Nyarlathotep Slipcase Set | Chaosium | ||
| Magic: The Gathering: Throne of Eldraine | Wizards of the Coast | ||
| Warhammer: Age of Sigmar: Soulbound Role-Playing Game | Cubicle 7 | ||
| Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms | Wizards of the Coast |
"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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magic the Gathering: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | Wizards of the Coast | ||
| D&D The Deck of Many Things | Wizards of the Coast | ||
| Magic the Gathering: Final Fantasy | Wizards of the Coast |
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