Seiun Award
The Seiun Award is a Japanese speculative fiction award for the best science fiction works and achievements during the preceding year. Organized and overseen by, the awards were given each year at the annual Japan Science Fiction Convention. It is the oldest SF award in Japan, which was first given in 1970 at the 9th Japan Science Fiction Convention and has been awarded every year since that.
"Seiun", the Japanese word for "nebula", was named after the first and short-lived professional science fiction magazine in Japan, which appeared in 1954. The award is not related to the American Nebula Award.
It is similar to the Hugo Award, which is presented by the members of the World Science Fiction Society, in that all of the members of the presenting convention are eligible to participate in the selection process. But it is not strictly correct to call it Japan's "equivalent" to the Hugo Awards, as the Hugo Awards are open to works from anywhere in any language while the Seiun implicitly limited the area and the language like the BSFA Award.
Eligibility and the selection process
A professional work or achievement which appeared for the first time in the previous calendar year may be considered eligible. The eligibility of magazines is determined on its nominal publication date, which often tend to be a month or two ahead of the actual date due to Japanese publication custom.There are no written rules about word count for literary fiction categories, so that the decision of eligibility in that regard is left up to the voters.
Usually in spring, SFFAN issues candidate lists for reference in each category, which is chosen by the preliminary vote of their member groups. However, voters can cast their ballots for any eligible works outside of the list in the final ballot.
With consideration for voters' availability, a work which appeared on a magazine or released on audio-visual media but wasn't chosen for the candidate lists may be eligible again when it got published as a book or released in any other media.
Though the regulation has no mention about e-publishing, two literary works have won the award: "Umi no Yubi" by Hirotaka Tobi in Best Japanese Short Story 2015, which appeared on a webzine in the eligible year; "Saigo ni shite Saisho no Idol" by Gengen Kusano in the same category 2017 was published as an e-book.
Categories
There are effectively no official English names for categories, so that they are varied depending on translators. For example, "Novel" may be appeared as "Long Story" or "Long Form"; "Short Story" may be referred to as "Short form" and so on.Current categories | Year started | Current description |
Best Japanese Novel | 1970 | Science fiction novels and stories which appears or are translated for the first time during the eligible year. Serialized works on magazines may be eligible when they are finished; other works may be eligible when it got published as a book. A multi-volume works may also be eligible as a whole series when it is concluded as well. |
Best Japanese Short Story | 1970 | Science fiction novels and stories which appears or are translated for the first time during the eligible year. Serialized works on magazines may be eligible when they are finished; other works may be eligible when it got published as a book. A multi-volume works may also be eligible as a whole series when it is concluded as well. |
Best Translated Novel | 1970 | Science fiction novels and stories which appears or are translated for the first time during the eligible year. Serialized works on magazines may be eligible when they are finished; other works may be eligible when it got published as a book. A multi-volume works may also be eligible as a whole series when it is concluded as well. |
Best Translated Short Story | 1970 | Science fiction novels and stories which appears or are translated for the first time during the eligible year. Serialized works on magazines may be eligible when they are finished; other works may be eligible when it got published as a book. A multi-volume works may also be eligible as a whole series when it is concluded as well. |
Best Dramatic Presentation | 1970 | Films, plays, and any other audio-visual works. Serial works may be treated as is the case with novels. Note: The name was changed from in 1980. |
Best Comic | 1978 | Manga. Serial works may be treated as in the case with novels. |
Best Artist | 1978 | Artists with notable achievements. |
Best Nonfiction | 1985 | Nonfiction works about SF such as studies and critiques, including translated ones. Other criteria is as in the case with Novels. |
Free Nomination | 2002 | Any events which aren't fitted in other categories, such as things, phenomenon, or feats of science and technology. |
Winners and candidates
Best Japanese Long Work
* Winners and joint winners+ No winner selected
Year | Winner | Author | Publisher or publication |
1970 | Kodansha | ||
1971 | Sekai SF Zenshū Vol.29: Sakyo Komatsu, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1972 | Nihon SF Novels, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1973 | Kawade Shobō Shinsha | ||
1974 | Kappa Novels, Kōbunsha | ||
1975 | Kawade Shobō Shinsha | ||
1976 | Shinchōsha | ||
1977 | Nihon SF Novels, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1978 | Tokuma Shoten | ||
1979 | SF Magazine Feb 1976 - Oct 1978 | ||
1980 | SF Magazine Dec 1977 - Aug 1979 | ||
1981 | SF Magazine Jul 1979 - Oct 1980 | ||
1982 | Shinchosha | ||
1983 | Sankei Shuppan | ||
1984 | Hayakawa Bunko JA, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1985 | Hayakawa Bunko JA, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1986 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1987 | Hayakawa Bunko JA, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1988 | series | Tokuma Novels, Tokuma Shonten | |
1989 | Tokuma Shoten | ||
1990 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1991 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1992 | Shinchō Bunko, Shinchōsha | ||
1993 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1994 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1995 | series | C Novels, Chūōkōronsha | |
1996 | series | Hayakawa Publishing | |
1997 | trilogy | Hayakawa Bunko JA, Hayakawa Publishing | |
1998 | Hayakawa Bunko JA, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1999 | Yūichi Sasamoto | Sonorama Bunko, | |
2000 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2001 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2002 | Famitsu Bunko, Enterbrain | ||
2003 | Hayakawa SF Series J collection, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2004 | Hayakawa Bunko JA, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2005 | Sonorama Bunko, Asahi Sonorama | ||
2006 | Hayakawa Bunko JA, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2007 | Shogakukan | ||
2007 | Shogakukan | ||
2008 | series | ASCII Media Works | |
2009 | Hayakawa SF Series J Collection, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2010 | series | Hayakawa Bunko JA, Hayakawa Publishing | |
2011 | PHP Institute | ||
2012 | Hayakawa Bunko JA, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2013 | Kawade Shobō Shinsha | ||
2013 | Kawade Shobō Shinsha | ||
2013 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2013 | Shinchosha | ||
2013 | Kadokawa Shoten | ||
2013 | series | Dengeki Bunko, ASCII Media Works | |
2013 | Hayakawa SF Series J Collection, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2013 | Kadokawa Shoten | ||
2014 | Hayakawa Bunko JA, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2014 | Hayakawa Bunko JA, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2014 | Hayakawa Bunko JA, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2014 | Sogen Nihon SF Selection, Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2014 | Hayakawa SF Series J Collection, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2014 | NOVA Collection, Kawade Shobō Shinsha | ||
2014 | Shinchosha | ||
2015 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2015 | Tokuma Bunko, Tokuma Shoten | ||
2015 | Kodansha | ||
2015 | Kodansha | ||
2015 | Gagaga Bunko, Shogakukan | ||
2015 | KADOKAWA / Kadokawa Shoten | ||
2016 | Hayakawa Bunko JA, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2016 | Hayakawa SF Series J Collection, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2016 | Sogen Nihon SF Selection, Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2016 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2016 | Tokuma Novels, Tokuma Shoten & Kodansha Novels, Kodansha | ||
2016 | Hayakawa Bunko JA, Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2016 | Asahi Shinbun Shuppan | ||
2016 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2016 | Bungeishunjū | ||
2017 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2017 | Kodansha | ||
2017 | Tokuma Shoten | ||
2017 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2017 | Kawade Shobō Shinsha | ||
2017 | Kodansha | ||
2017 | Kawade Shobō Shinsha | ||
2017 | Kodansha | ||
2018 | KADOKAWA | ||
2018 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2018 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2018 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2018 | Dengeki Bunko, KADOKAWA | ||
2018 | KADOKAWA | ||
2018 | Kawade Bunko, Kawade Shobō Shinsha | ||
2018 | Kappa Novels, Kōbunsha | ||
2019 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2019 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2019 | Kodansha | ||
2019 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2020 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2020 | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2020 | KADOKAWA | ||
2020 | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2020 | Shueisha | ||
2020 | Hayakawa Publishing |
Best Japanese Short Story
Best Translated Long Work
* Winners and joint winners+ No winner selected
Year | Winner | Author | Translator | Publisher or publication |
1970 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
1971 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1972 | Nightwings | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1973 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1974 | Dune | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1975 | Up the Line | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
1976 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1977 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1978 | I Will Fear No Evil | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1979 | Ringworld | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1980 | Rendezvous with Rama | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1981 | Inherit the Stars | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
1982 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
1983 | Dragon's Egg | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1984 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1985 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1986 | Elric saga | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1986 | Elric saga | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1987 | Neuromancer | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1988 | Norstrilia | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1989 | Footfall | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
1989 | Footfall | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
1990 | Collision with Chronos | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
1991 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1992 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
1993 | Tau Zero | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
1994 | Entoverse | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
1995 | Hyperion | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1996 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1996 | Timelike Infinity | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1996 | King of Morning, Queen of Day | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1996 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1996 | Voyage to the Red Planet | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1996 | Doomsday Book | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1996 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
1996 | Dead Girls | Treville | ||
1997 | End of an Era | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1997 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
1997 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1997 | Twistor | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1997 | Twistor | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1997 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1997 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
1997 | Mother of Storms | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1997 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1998 | Fallen Angels | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
1998 | Fallen Angels | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
1998 | Fallen Angels | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
1998 | Sunglasses After Dark | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1998 | Jumper | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1998 | Desolation Road | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1998 | Feersum Endjinn | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1998 | Little, Big | Kokusho Kankōkai | ||
1998 | Moving Mars | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1998 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1999 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1999 | Red Mars | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
1999 | Dydeetown World | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1999 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
1999 | Wielkość urojona | Kokusho Kankōkai | ||
1999 | Wielkość urojona | Kokusho Kankōkai | ||
1999 | Wielkość urojona | Kokusho Kankōkai | ||
1999 | When Worlds Collide | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
1999 | When Worlds Collide | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
1999 | Slow River | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
1999 | Snow Crash | ASCII Corporation | ||
2000 | Kirinyaga | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2000 | Endymion / The Rise of Endymion | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2000 | Starplex | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2000 | One of Us | Sony Magazines | ||
2000 | Quarantine | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2000 | Forever Peace | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2000 | Permutation City | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2000 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
2001 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
2001 | Robert Silverberg | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2001 | Ender's Shadow | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2001 | Simulacron-3 | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2001 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2001 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2001 | All Tomorrow's Parties | Kadokawa Shoten | ||
2001 | Darwin's Radio | Sony Magazines | ||
2001 | Barrayar | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2001 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2002 | There and Back Again | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2002 | Children of the Mind | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2002 | Orgasmachine | Core Magazine | ||
2002 | Green Mars | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2002 | Kadokawa Shoten | |||
2002 | Cetaganda | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2002 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2002 | Flashforward | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2002 | Brightness Reef | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2002 | All the Weyrs of Pern | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2003 | Illegal Alien | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2003 | Cryptonomicon | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2003 | Gloriana | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2003 | Davy | Fusosha Publishing | ||
2003 | Freeware | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2003 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2003 | Passage | Sony Magazines | ||
2003 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
2003 | Kawade Shobō Shinsha | |||
2003 | Thraxas | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2004 | Heaven's Reach | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2004 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2004 | Leviathan | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2004 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
2004 | Iwanami Shoten | |||
2004 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2004 | Ethan of Athos | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2004 | Fastwalker | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2005 | Distress | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2005 | To Say Nothing of the Dog | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2005 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2005 | Kokusho Kankōkai | |||
2005 | Kokusho Kankōkai | |||
2005 | Kokusho Kankōkai | |||
2005 | Kokusho Kankōkai | |||
2005 | Kokusho Kankōkai | |||
2005 | Down the Bright Way | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2006 | Diaspora | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2006 | Revelation Space | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2006 | Space Chantey | Kokusho Kankōkai | ||
2006 | Tuf Voyaging | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2006 | trilogy | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2006 | Venus Plus X | Kokusho Kankōkai | ||
2006 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
2007 | Mortal Engines | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2007 | Singularity Sky | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2007 | Mars Crossing | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2007 | Ilium | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2007 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2007 | Chasm City | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2008 | Brightness Falls from the Air | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2008 | Olympos | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2008 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2008 | Old Man's War | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2008 | Kiln People | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2008 | Camouflage | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2008 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2008 | Kokusho Kankōkai | |||
2008 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2009 | Spin | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2009 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2009 | Redemption Ark | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2009 | Light | Kokusho Kankōkai | ||
2009 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2009 | Sun of Suns | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2009 | Seeker | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2010 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2010 | Accelerando | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2010 | Rainbows End | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2010 | Perdido Street Station | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2010 | Probability trilogy | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2010 | Shinchosha | |||
2011 | Eifelheim | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2011 | World War Z | Bungeishunjū | ||
2011 | Small Change trilogy | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2011 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2011 | Hunter's Run | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2011 | Hunter's Run | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2011 | Hunter's Run | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2011 | Un Lun Dun | Kawade Shobō Shinsha | ||
2011 | Genesis | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2012 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2012 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2012 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2012 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
2012 | Dhalgren | Kokusho Kankōkai | ||
2012 | Little Brother | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2012 | Millennium People | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2013 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2013 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2013 | Vortex | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2013 | Blackout | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2013 | Leviathan trilogy | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2014 | Blindsight | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2014 | Incandescence | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2014 | Serpent's Egg | Seishinsha | ||
2014 | Embassytown | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2014 | Kraken | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2014 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2014 | All Clear | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2015 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2015 | Pathfinder | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2015 | Ready Player One | SB Creative | ||
2015 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
2015 | Redshirts | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2015 | Among Others | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2016 | Ancillary Justice | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2016 | Zendegi | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2016 | Ack-Ack Macaque | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2016 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2016 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
2016 | Tokyo Sogensha | |||
2017 | United States of Japan | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2017 | Jack Vance Treasury 1: Magnus Ridolph | Kokusho Kankōkai | ||
2017 | Jack Vance Treasury 1: Magnus Ridolph | Kokusho Kankōkai | ||
2017 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2017 | Roderick | Kawade Shobō Shinsha | ||
2017 | KADOKAWA / Kadokawa Shoten | |||
2017 | Imperial Radch trilogy | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2017 | Enchanted Night | Hakusuisha | ||
2018 | Sleeping Giants | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2018 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2018 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2018 | Hayakawa Publishing | |||
2018 | My Real Children | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2018 | Blue Mars | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2018 | as Rustam Katz | Kyōwakoku | ||
2018 | Jack Vance Treasury 3: Space Opera | Kokusho Kankōkai | ||
2018 | Jack Vance Treasury 3: Space Opera | Kokusho Kankōkai | ||
2019 | Mecha Samurai Empire | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2019 | Artemis | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2019 | We Are Legion | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2019 | Provenance | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2019 | Waking Gods | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2019 | Six Wakes | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2019 | Seveneves | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2020 | The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2020 | The Paradox Men | Takeshobo | ||
2020 | Jade City | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2020 | The Three-Body Problem | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2020 | The Three-Body Problem | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2020 | The Three-Body Problem | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2020 | The Three-Body Problem | Hayakawa Publishing | ||
2020 | Only Human | Tokyo Sogensha | ||
2020 | A Man Lies Dreaming | Takeshobo | ||
2020 | The Murderbot Diaries | Tokyo Sogensha |
Best Translated Short Story
* Winners and joint winners+ No winner selected
Best Dramatic Presentation
Best Comic
Best Artist
Best Nonfiction
Free Nomination
Special Award
SFFAN may give out special awards, which are not voted on. They are regarded as official Seiun Awards. All but one, Uchūjin, of them were given posthumously for people who contributed Japanese SF fandom.Year | Winner |
1980 | Motoichirō Takebe, artist |
1982 | Uchūjin as Japanese oldest Sci-Fi fanzine |
1989 | Osamu Tezuka, comic artist |
2005 | Tetsu Yano, translator/author |
2007 | Yoshihiro Yonezawa, manga critic/author/Comiket's co-founder and president |
2008 | Kōichirō Noda, translator/author |
2010 | Takumi Shibano, translator/author |
2011 | Sakyo Komatsu, author |