World Fantasy Special Award—Non-professional
The World Fantasy Awards are given each year by the World Fantasy Convention for the best fantasy fiction and art published in English during the preceding calendar year. The awards have been described by sources such as The Guardian as a "prestigious fantasy prize", and as one of the three most renowned speculative fiction awards, along with the Hugo and Nebula Awards. The World Fantasy Special Award—Non-professional is given each year to individuals for their non-professional work in the preceding calendar year in fields related to fantasy that are not covered by other World Fantasy Award categories. These have included editors of magazines and novels, publishers, and authors of non-fiction works. Occasionally some publishing companies have been nominated along with individual editors and publishers. The nomination reasons have sometimes not been specified beyond "contributions to the genre". Individuals are also eligible for the Special Award—Professional category for their professional work. The World Fantasy Special Award—Non-professional has been awarded annually since 1975.
World Fantasy Award nominees and winners are decided by attendees and judges at the annual World Fantasy Convention. A ballot is posted in June for attendees of the current and previous two conferences to determine two of the finalists, and a panel of five judges adds three or more nominees before voting on the overall winner. The panel of judges is typically made up of fantasy authors and is chosen each year by the World Fantasy Awards Administration, which has the power to break ties. The final results are presented at the World Fantasy Convention at the end of October. Through 2015, winners were presented with a statuette of H. P. Lovecraft; more recent winners receive a statuette of a tree.
During the 45 nomination years, 252 individuals and 3 organizations have been nominated; 52 people and 2 organizations have won, including ties and co-nominees. The organizations that have been nominated are: The British Fantasy Society, with one winning nomination; The Friends of Arthur Machen, with one unsuccessful nomination; and Fedogan & Bremer, with one win out of three nominations. Stuart David Schiff has received the most awards at four wins out of six nominations, for his work at Whispers magazine and Whispers Press. R. B. Russell has won four times out of nine nominations, and Rosalie Parker four out of seven, for their work at Tartarus Press. Three other individuals have won twice: Paul C. Allen out of three nominations for Fantasy Newsletter, Richard Chizmar out of seven for Cemetery Dance and Cemetery Dance Publications, and W. Paul Ganley out of ten for Weirdbook and Weirdbook Press. Ganley's ten nominations are the most of anyone, followed by Stephen Jones with nine, winning once, for Fantasy Tales and other work, Scott H. Andrews with one win out of seven nominations for his work at Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and David Sutton with one win out of seven for Fantasy Tales.
Winners and nominees
In the following table, the years correspond to the date of the ceremony, rather than when the work was performed. The table includes the stated reason the individual was nominated, which may not have been the only fantasy-related non-professional work they did during the previous calendar year. "N/A" in the reason column represents a nomination where no reason was given. Entries with a blue background and an asterisk next to the individual's name have won the award; those with a white background are the other nominees on the shortlist.* Winners
| Year | Winner or nominee | Reason | Ref. |
| 1975 | * | Whispers | |
| 1975 | publishing | ||
| 1975 | Nyctalops | ||
| 1976 | * | Carcosa, publisher | |
| 1976 | * | Carcosa, publisher | |
| 1976 | * | Carcosa, publisher | |
| 1976 | publishing/editing | ||
| 1976 | publishing/editing | ||
| 1976 | publishing/editing | ||
| 1976 | publishing/editing | ||
| 1976 | publishing/editing | ||
| 1977 | * | editing/publishing Whispers | |
| 1977 | editing/publishing Fantasy Crossroads | ||
| 1977 | editing/publishing Chacal | ||
| 1977 | publishing/editing Xenophile | ||
| 1977 | publishing/editing Midnight Sun | ||
| 1977 | editing/publishing Nyctalops | ||
| 1978 | * | publishing and editing | |
| 1978 | Weirdbook | ||
| 1978 | Midnight Sun | ||
| 1978 | Fantasy Tales | ||
| 1978 | Nyctalops | ||
| 1978 | Fantasy Crossroads | ||
| 1979 | * | ' | |
| 1979 | Fantasy Newsletter | ||
| 1979 | Shayol | ||
| 1979 | Shayol | ||
| 1979 | Weirdbook | ||
| 1979 | Whispers and Whispers Press | ||
| 1980 | * | Fantasy Newsletter | |
| 1980 | Shayol | ||
| 1980 | Shayol | ||
| 1980 | Nyctalops | ||
| 1980 | Whispers and Whispers Press | ||
| 1981 | * | Shayol | |
| 1981 | * | Shayol | |
| 1981 | Triskell Press; Dragonfields | ||
| 1981 | Triskell Press; Dragonfields | ||
| 1981 | Weirdbook | ||
| 1981 | Fantasy Tales; Airgedlamh | ||
| 1981 | Fantasy Tales; Airgedlamh | ||
| 1982 | * | Fantasy Newsletter | |
| 1982 | * | Fantasy Newsletter | |
| 1982 | Weirdbook | ||
| 1982 | Fantasy Tales | ||
| 1982 | Fantasy Tales | ||
| 1982 | Trumpet | ||
| 1983 | * | Whispers and Whispers Press | |
| 1983 | Weirdbook | ||
| 1983 | American Fantasy | ||
| 1983 | Kadath | ||
| 1983 | Fantasy Tales | ||
| 1983 | Fantasy Tales | ||
| 1984 | * | Fantasy Tales | |
| 1984 | * | Fantasy Tales | |
| 1984 | Crypt of Cthulhu | ||
| 1984 | criticism | ||
| 1984 | Weirdbook | ||
| 1984 | Fantasy Newsletter/Fantasy Review | ||
| 1985 | * | Whispers and Whispers Press | |
| 1985 | Scream/Press | ||
| 1985 | Weirdbook and Weirdbook Press | ||
| 1985 | Dark Harvest | ||
| 1985 | Dark Harvest | ||
| 1986 | * | reviewing | |
| 1986 | ' | ||
| 1986 | Dark Harvest | ||
| 1986 | Dark Harvest | ||
| 1986 | Scream/Press | ||
| 1986 | Weirdbook and Weirdbook Press | ||
| 1987 | * | Weirdbook and Weirdbook Press | |
| 1987 | * | Scream/Press | |
| 1987 | Fantasy Tales | ||
| 1987 | Fantasy Tales | ||
| 1987 | ' | ||
| 1988 | * | American Fantasy | |
| 1988 | * | American Fantasy | |
| 1988 | * | ' | |
| 1988 | Fantasy Tales | ||
| 1988 | Fantasy Tales | ||
| 1988 | Dark Harvest | ||
| 1988 | Dark Harvest | ||
| 1989 | * | Pulphouse | |
| 1989 | * | Pulphouse | |
| 1989 | Dagon Press | ||
| 1989 | Grue | ||
| 1989 | Horrorstruck | ||
| 1990 | * | Grue | |
| 1990 | |||
| 1990 | Charnel House | ||
| 1990 | Charnel House | ||
| 1990 | Cemetery Dance | ||
| 1991 | * | Cemetery Dance | |
| 1991 | Strange Plasma | ||
| 1991 | Gauntlet | ||
| 1991 | Necronomicon Press | ||
| 1992 | * | Weirdbook | |
| 1992 | Charnel House | ||
| 1992 | Charnel House | ||
| 1992 | Grue | ||
| 1992 | Gauntlet | ||
| 1992 | Eldritch Tales | ||
| 1993 | * | Roadkill Press | |
| 1993 | * | Roadkill Press | |
| 1993 | Wildside Press | ||
| 1993 | Wildside Press | ||
| 1993 | Tal Publications | ||
| 1993 | Horror's Head Press | ||
| 1993 | Cemetery Dance | ||
| 1993 | Charnel House | ||
| 1993 | Charnel House | ||
| 1994 | * | Necronomicon Press | |
| 1994 | small press reviews | ||
| 1994 | Horror's Head Press | ||
| 1994 | Charnel House | ||
| 1994 | Charnel House | ||
| 1994 | Cemetery Dance Publications | ||
| 1995 | * | Broken Mirrors Press; Crank! | |
| 1995 | Wildside Press | ||
| 1995 | Wildside Press | ||
| 1995 | Cemetery Dance Publications | ||
| 1995 | Lexicon Urthus: A Dictionary for the Urth Cycle | ||
| 1995 | Voices from Shadow | ||
| 1996 | * | Necronomicon Press | |
| 1996 | Fedogan & Bremer | book publishing | |
| 1996 | Century | ||
| 1996 | Century | ||
| 1996 | Century | ||
| 1996 | Edgewood Press | ||
| 1996 | contributions to the genre | ||
| 1997 | * | Ash-Tree Press | |
| 1997 | * | Ash-Tree Press | |
| 1997 | Fedogan & Bremer | book publishing | |
| 1997 | DarkEcho | ||
| 1998 | Fedogan & Bremer* | book publishing | |
| 1998 | Cemetery Dance and Cemetery Dance Publications | ||
| 1998 | Tigereyes Press | ||
| 1998 | |||
| 1998 | |||
| 1998 | Gauntlet and Gauntlet book publishing | ||
| 1999 | * | Cemetery Dance Publications | |
| 1999 | Tachyon Publications | ||
| 1999 | Edgewood Press | ||
| 1999 | Pumpkin Books | ||
| 2000 | * | N/A | |
| 2000 | Terminal Fright Press | ||
| 2000 | Fedogan & Bremer | ||
| 2000 | Fedogan & Bremer | ||
| 2000 | Haunted Library | ||
| 2000 | Subterranean Press | ||
| 2000 | Tartarus Press | ||
| 2001 | * | At the Foot of the Story Tree: An Inquiry into the Fiction of Peter Straub | |
| 2001 | Tartarus Press | ||
| 2001 | Tartarus Press | ||
| 2001 | Ash-Tree Press | ||
| 2001 | Ash-Tree Press | ||
| 2001 | Fedogan & Bremer | ||
| 2001 | Fedogan & Bremer | ||
| 2001 | Night Shade Books | ||
| 2001 | Night Shade Books | ||
| 2001 | Night Shade Books | ||
| 2001 | PS Publishing | ||
| 2002 | * | Tartarus Press | |
| 2002 | * | Tartarus Press | |
| 2002 | PS Publishing | ||
| 2002 | Sidecar Preservation Society | ||
| 2002 | Horror Garage | ||
| 2002 | Cocytus Press | ||
| 2003 | * | Night Shade Books | |
| 2003 | * | Night Shade Books | |
| 2003 | * | Night Shade Books | |
| 2003 | Small Beer Press | ||
| 2003 | Small Beer Press | ||
| 2003 | Prime Books | ||
| 2003 | Old Earth Books | ||
| 2003 | PS Publishing | ||
| 2004 | * | Tartarus Press | |
| 2004 | * | Tartarus Press | |
| 2004 | Wheatland Press | ||
| 2004 | Wheatland Press | ||
| 2004 | Earthling Publications | ||
| 2004 | Tangent Online | ||
| 2004 | SF Site | ||
| 2004 | SF Site | ||
| 2004 | SF Site | ||
| 2005 | * | Sarob Press | |
| 2005 | |||
| 2005 | Ariel | ||
| 2005 | |||
| 2005 | All Hallows | ||
| 2005 | All Hallows | ||
| 2005 | Old Earth Books | ||
| 2006 | * | Telos Publishing | |
| 2006 | * | Telos Publishing | |
| 2006 | Faunus, Machenalia, and The Life of Arthur Machen | ||
| 2006 | SF Site | ||
| 2006 | SF Site | ||
| 2006 | SF Site | ||
| 2006 | |||
| 2006 | |||
| 2007 | reviews and criticism in Locus and elsewhere | ||
| 2007 | her work at Clarion West | ||
| 2007 | |||
| 2007 | Strange Horizons | ||
| 2007 | Electric Velocipede | ||
| 2008 | Endicott Studios Website | ||
| 2008 | * | Endicott Studios Website | |
| 2008 | Café Irreal | ||
| 2008 | Café Irreal | ||
| 2008 | Electric Velocipede | ||
| 2008 | Tartarus Press | ||
| 2008 | Tartarus Press | ||
| 2008 | Travellers in Darkness: The Souvenir Book of the World Horror Convention 2007 | ||
| 2009 | * | Howard Waldrop collections from Old Earth Books | |
| 2009 | her work with The Mythopoeic Society | ||
| 2009 | setting out to inspire and for serving as inspiration for works of poetry, fantasy, and SF over the last decade through her jewelry-making and her "artist's challenges". | ||
| 2009 | Clarkesworld Magazine | ||
| 2009 | Clarkesworld Magazine | ||
| 2009 | Clarkesworld Magazine | ||
| 2009 | Electric Velocipede | ||
| 2010 | * | Strange Horizons | |
| 2010 | Readercon | ||
| 2010 | Readercon | ||
| 2010 | Readercon | ||
| 2010 | Readercon | ||
| 2010 | Clarkesworld Magazine | ||
| 2010 | Clarkesworld Magazine | ||
| 2010 | Clarkesworld Magazine | ||
| 2010 | Electric Velocipede | ||
| 2010 | Powers: Secret Histories | ||
| 2010 | Tartarus Press | ||
| 2010 | Tartarus Press | ||
| 2011 | * | Twelfth Planet Press | |
| 2011 | Brighton Shock!: The Souvenir Book Of The World Horror Convention 2010 | ||
| 2011 | Brighton Shock!: The Souvenir Book Of The World Horror Convention 2010 | ||
| 2011 | Brighton Shock!: The Souvenir Book Of The World Horror Convention 2010 | ||
| 2011 | Sybil's Garage and Senses Five Press | ||
| 2011 | Bibliophile Stalker | ||
| 2011 | |||
| 2012 | * | Tartarus Press | |
| 2012 | * | Tartarus Press | |
| 2012 | Bibliophile Stalker blog | ||
| 2012 | Clarkesworld Magazine | ||
| 2012 | Clarkesworld Magazine | ||
| 2012 | Clarkesworld Magazine | ||
| 2012 | Clarkesworld Magazine | ||
| 2012 | Fantasy Magazine | ||
| 2012 | Wormwood | ||
| 2013 | * | Unutterable Horror: A History of Supernatural Fiction, Volumes 1 & 2 | |
| 2013 | Aqueduct Press | ||
| 2013 | Beneath Ceaseless Skies | ||
| 2013 | Bibliophile Stalker blog | ||
| 2013 | Centipede Press | ||
| 2013 | Hannes Bok: A Life in Illustration | ||
| 2014 | * | Clarkesworld Magazine | |
| 2014 | * | Clarkesworld Magazine | |
| 2014 | * | Clarkesworld Magazine | |
| 2014 | Beneath Ceaseless Skies | ||
| 2014 | Fantasy-Faction | ||
| 2014 | Clarion West administration | ||
| 2014 | |||
| 2015 | * | Tartarus Press | |
| 2015 | * | Tartarus Press | |
| 2015 | Beneath Ceaseless Skies | ||
| 2015 | Born to Fear: Interviews with Thomas Ligotti | ||
| 2015 | Civilian Reader | ||
| 2015 | Fairwood Press | ||
| 2016 | * | Black Gate | |
| 2016 | Tales After Tolkien Society | ||
| 2016 | Beneath Ceaseless Skies | ||
| 2016 | |||
| 2016 | |||
| 2016 | sort|Fantasy Illustration Library, Volume Two: Gods and Goddesses|The Fantasy Illustration Library, Volume Two: Gods and Goddessessortname|Brian|White|nolink=1sortname|Lynne M.|Thomassortname|Michael Damian|Thomas|nolink=1sortname|Justina|Ireland|nolink=1sortname|Troy L.|Wiggins|nolink=1sortname|Scott H.|Andrews|nolink=1sortname|Khaalidah|Muhammad-Ali|nolink=1sortname|Jen R.|Albert|nolink=1sortname|R. B.|Russell|R.B. Russellsortname|Rosalie|Parkersortname|Lynne M.|Thomassortname|Michael Damian|Thomas|nolink=1sortname|Scott H.|Andrews|nolink=1sortname|Terri|Windlingsortname|Mike|Allen|Mike Allen sortname|E. Catherine|Tobler|nolink=1sortname|Lynne M.|Thomassortname|Michael Damian|Thomas|nolink=1 |