Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine


The Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine is given each year for semi-professionally-edited magazines related to science fiction or fantasy which had published four or more issues, with at least one issue appearing in the previous calendar year. Awards were once also given out for professional magazines in the professional magazine category, and are still awarded for fan magazines in the fanzine category. The Hugo Awards have been described as "a fine showcase for speculative fiction" and "the best known literary award for science fiction writing".
The award was first presented in 1984, and has been given annually since. A "semiprozine" is defined for the award as a magazine in the field that is not professional but that either pays its contributors in something other than copies, or is available only for payment. In addition to the regular Hugo awards, beginning in 1996 Retrospective Hugo Awards, or "Retro Hugos", have been available to be awarded for years 50, 75, or 100 years prior in which no awards were given. To date, Retro Hugo awards have been awarded for 1939, 1941, 1943—1946, 1951, and 1954, but the category failed to receive enough to form a ballot each time.
During the 37 nomination years, 38 magazines run by 133 editors have been nominated. Of these, only 8 magazines run by 25 editors have won. Locus won 22 times and was nominated every year until a rules change in 2012 made it ineligible for the category. Uncanny Magazine has won 4 times in a row, 2016–2019, while Science Fiction Chronicle, Clarkesworld Magazine, and Lightspeed are the only other magazines to win more than once, with 2 awards out of 18 nominations, 3 out of 4, and 2 out of 5, respectively, while Ansible has won 1 out of 7 nominations, Interzone has won 1 out of 28, and Weird Tales has won 1 out of its 3 nominations. As editor of Locus Charles N. Brown won 21 of 27 nominations, though he shared 5 of those awards with Kirsten Gong-Wong, 3 with Liza Groen Trombi and 2 with Jennifer A. Hall. Uncannys awards were primarily earned by a team of 5 people, Lynne M. Thomas, Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Erika Ensign, and Steven Schapansky. The sole editor for Chronicles awards was Andrew I. Porter, while David Pringle earned Interzones, and Ann VanderMeer and Stephen H. Segal were the editors for Weird Taless victory. Lightspeeds wins were under John Joseph Adams, Rich Horton, and Stefan Rudnicki, with Wendy N. Wagner and Christie Yant added for the second win, while David Langford was the editor when Ansible was awarded. Clarkesworld Magazines winning years were under Neil Clarke, Sean Wallace, and Kate Baker, with 2 of the three also under Cheryl Morgan and the other under Jason Heller. The New York Review of Science Fiction has received the most number of nominations without ever winning at 22, under the helm of David G. Hartwell, Kathryn Cramer, Kevin J. Maroney, and 8 other editors. The next highest number of nominations without winning is 7 for Speculations under Kent Brewster, Denise Lee, and Susan Fry.

Selection

Hugo Award nominees and winners are chosen by supporting or attending members of the annual World Science Fiction Convention, and the presentation evening constitutes its central event. The selection process is defined in the World Science Fiction Society Constitution as instant-runoff voting with six nominees, except in the case of a tie. The works on the ballot are the most-nominated by members that year, with no limit on the number of works that can be nominated. The 1953 through 1956 and 1958 awards did not include any recognition of runner-up magazines, but since 1959 all six candidates were recorded. Initial nominations are made by members in January through March, while voting on the ballot of six nominations is performed roughly in April through July, subject to change depending on when that year's Worldcon is held. Prior to 2017, the final ballot was five works; it was changed that year to six, with each initial nominator limited to five nominations. Worldcons are generally held near the start of September, and are held in a different city around the world each year. At the 2008 business meeting, an amendment to the World Science Fiction Society's Constitution was passed which would remove this category. The vote to ratify this amendment was held the following year; the ratification failed and the category remained. Instead, a committee was formed to recommend improvements to the category and related categories.

Winners and nominees

In the following table, the years correspond to the date of the ceremony, rather than when the work was first published. Each date links to the "year in literature" article corresponding with when the work was eligible. Entries with a blue background won the award for that year; those with a white background are the other nominees on the short-list. Note that Thrust was renamed to Quantum and was nominated under both names; no other nominated magazine has undergone a name change during the period the award has been active.
* Winners and joint winners
YearWorkEditorRef.
1984Locus*
1984Fantasy Review
1984Science Fiction Chronicle
1984Science Fiction Review
1984Whispers
1985Locus*
1985Fantasy Review
1985Science Fiction Chronicle
1985Science Fiction Review
1985Whispers
1986Locus*
1986Fantasy Review
1986Interzone and David Pringle
1986Science Fiction Chronicle
1986Science Fiction Review
1987Locus*
1987Fantasy Review
1987Interzone and David Pringle
1987Science Fiction Review
1987Science Fiction Chronicle
1988Locus*
1988Aboriginal Science Fiction
1988Interzone and David Pringle
1988Science Fiction Chronicle
1988Thrust
1989Locus*
1989Interzone
1989, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Susan Palwick, and Kathryn Cramer
1989Science Fiction Chronicle
1989Thrust
1990Locus*
1990Interzone
1990, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Susan Palwick, and Kathryn Cramer
1990Science Fiction Chronicle
1990Thrust
1991Locus*
1991Interzone
1991, David G. Hartwell, and Gordon Van Gelder
1991
1991Science Fiction Chronicle
1992Locus*
1992Interzone
1992, David G. Hartwell, and Gordon Van Gelder
1992Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine and Dean Wesley Smith
1992Science Fiction Chronicle
1993Science Fiction Chronicle*
1993Interzone
1993Locus
1993, David G. Hartwell, Ariel Haméon, and Tad Dembinski
1993Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine and Jonathan E. Bond
1994Science Fiction Chronicle*
1994Interzone
1994Locus
1994, David G. Hartwell, Ariel Haméon, and Tad Dembinski
1994Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine and Jonathan E. Bond
1994Tomorrow Speculative Fiction
1995Interzone*
1995Locus
1995, David G. Hartwell, Ariel Haméon, and Tad Dembinski
1995Science Fiction Chronicle
1995Tomorrow Speculative Fiction
1996Locus*
1996Crank!
1996Interzone
1996, David G. Hartwell, Ariel Haméon, and Tad Dembinski
1996Science Fiction Chronicle
1997Locus*
1997Interzone
1997, Tad Dembinski, Ariel Haméon, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney
1997Science Fiction Chronicle
1997Speculations
1998Locus*
1998Interzone
1998, Ariel Haméon, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney
1998Science Fiction Chronicle
1998Speculations
1999Locus*
1999Interzone
1999, Ariel Haméon, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney
1999Science Fiction Chronicle
1999Speculations
2000Locus*
2000Interzone
2000, Ariel Haméon, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney
2000Science Fiction Chronicle
2000Speculations
2001Locus*
2001Interzone
2001, Ariel Haméon, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney
2001Science Fiction Chronicle
2001Speculations and Susan Fry
2002Locus*
2002Absolute Magnitude
2002Interzone
2002, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney
2002Speculations and Kent Brewster
2003Locus*, Jennifer A. Hall, and Kirsten Gong-Wong
2003Ansible
2003Interzone
2003, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney
2003Speculations
2004Locus*, Jennifer A. Hall, and Kirsten Gong-Wong
2004Ansible
2004Interzone
2004, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney
2004Third Alternative
2005Ansible*
2005Interzone and Andy Cox
2005Locus, Jennifer A. Hall, and Kirsten Gong-Wong
2005, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney
2005Third Alternative
2006Locus*, Kirsten Gong-Wong, and Liza Groen Trombi
2006Ansible
2006Emerald City
2006Interzone
2006, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney
2007Locus*, Kirsten Gong-Wong, and Liza Groen Trombi
2007Ansible
2007Interzone
2007Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet and Gavin Grant
2007, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney
2008Locus*, Kirsten Gong-Wong, and Liza Groen Trombi
2008Ansible
2008Helix SF and Lawrence Watt-Evans
2008Interzone
2008, Kristine Dikeman, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney
2009Weird Tales* and Stephen H. Segal
2009Clarkesworld Magazine, Nick Mamatas, and Sean Wallace
2009Interzone
2009Locus, Kirsten Gong-Wong, and Liza Groen Trombi
2009, Kristine Dikeman, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney
2010Clarkesworld Magazine*, Sean Wallace, and Cheryl Morgan
2010Ansible
2010Interzone
2010Locus, Kirsten Gong-Wong, and Liza Groen Trombi
2010Weird Tales and Stephen H. Segal
2011Clarkesworld Magazine*, Sean Wallace, and Cheryl Morgan; podcast directed by Kate Baker
2011Interzone
2011Lightspeed
2011Locus and Kirsten Gong-Wong
2011Weird Tales and Stephen H. Segal
2012Locus* and Kirsten Gong-Wong
2012Apex Magazine, Lynne M. Thomas, and Jason Sizemore
2012Interzone
2012Lightspeed
2012, Kevin J. Maroney, Kris Dikeman, and Avram Grumer
2013Clarkesworld Magazine*, Jason Heller, Sean Wallace, and Kate Baker
2013Apex Magazine, Jason Sizemore, and Michael Damian Thomas
2013Beneath Ceaseless Skies
2013Lightspeed and Stefan Rudnicki
2013Strange Horizons, Jed Hartman, Lee Mandelo, An Owomoyela, Julia Rios, Abigail Nussbaum, A. J. Odasso, Sonya Taaffe, Dave Nagdeman, and Rebecca Cross
2014Lightspeed*, Rich Horton and Stefan Rudnicki
2014Apex Magazine, Jason Sizemore, and Michael Damian Thomas
2014Beneath Ceaseless Skies
2014Interzone
2014Strange Horizons, Lee Mandelo, An Owomoyela, Julia Rios, Abigail Nussbaum, A. J. Odasso, Sonya Taaffe, Rebecca Cross, Anaea Lay, and Shane Garvin
2015Lightspeed*, Stefan Rudnicki, Rich Horton, Wendy N. Wagner, and Christie Yant
2015Abyss & Apex Magazine
2015Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine and Sue Bursztynski
2015Beneath Ceaseless Skies
2015Strange Horizons
2016Uncanny Magazine*, Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Erika Ensign, Steven Schapansky
2016Beneath Ceaseless Skies
2016Daily Science Fiction and Jonathan Laden
2016Sci Phi Journal
2016Strange Horizons, Julia Rios, A. J. Odasso, Vanessa Rose Phin, and Maureen Kincaid Speller
2017Uncanny Magazine*, Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Julia Rios, Erika Ensign, and Steven Schapansky
2017Beneath Ceaseless Skies
2017Cirsova Heroic Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine
2017GigaNotoSaurus
2017Strange Horizons, Catherine Krahe, Vajra Chandrasekera, Vanessa Rose Phin, Li Chua, Aishwarya Subramanian, Tim Moore, and Anaea Lay
2017 and Thea James
2018Uncanny Magazine*, Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Julia Rios, Erika Ensign, and Steven Schapansky
2018Beneath Ceaseless Skies
2018 and Thea James
2018Escape Pod, S.B. Divya, Norm Sherman, and Benjamin C. Kinney
2018Fireside Magazine, Julia Rios, Elsa Sjunneson-Henry, Mikki Kendall, and Pablo Defendini
2018Strange Horizons, Gautam Bhatia, A.J. Odasso, Lila Garrott, Heather McDougal, Ciro Faienza, Tahlia Day, and Vanessa Rose Phin
2019Uncanny Magazine*, Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Erika Ensign, Steven Schapansky, Elsa Sjunneson-Henry, and Dominik Parisien
2019Beneath Ceaseless Skies
2019Fireside Magazine, Elsa Sjunneson-Henry, Chelle Parker, Meg Frank, Tanya DePass, Brian White, and Pablo Defendini
2019FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, DaVaun Sanders, L. D. Lewis, Brandon O'Brien, Kaleb Russell, Danny Lore, and Brent Lambert
2019Shimmer Magazine and E. Catherine Tobler
2019Strange Horizons, Kate Dollarhyde, Vanessa Rose Phin, Vajra Chandrasekera, Romie Stott, Maureen Kincaid Speller
2020Beneath Ceaseless Skies
2020Escape Pod, S.B. Divya, Benjamin C. Kinney, Adam Pracht, Summer Brooks, Tina Connolly, Alasdair Stuart
2020Fireside Magazine, Elsa Sjunneson, copyeditor Chelle Parker, social coordinator Meg Frank, publisher & art director Pablo Defendini, founding editor Brian White
2020FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, Eboni Dunbar, Brent Lambert, L. D. Lewis, Danny Lore, Brandon O'Brien and Kaleb Russell
2020Strange Horizons, Catherine Krahe, AJ Odasso, Dan Hartland, Joyce Chng, Dante Luiz
2020Uncanny Magazine, Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Chimedum Ohaegbu, Erika Ensign, Steven Schapansky