Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist
Encyclopedia
The Hugo Award
s are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction
or fantasy
works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback
, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories
, and was once officially known as the Science Fiction Achievement Award. The award has been described as "a fine showcase for speculative fiction" and "the best known literary award for science fiction writing". The Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist is given each year for artists of works related to science fiction or fantasy released in the previous calendar year. The award was first presented in 1953, and with the exception of 1954, 1957, and 1958 has been awarded annually. 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 1946, 1951, and 1954, and in each case an award for professional artist was given.
Hugo Award nominees and winners are chosen by supporting or attending members of the annual World Science Fiction Convention
, or Worldcon, 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 five nominees, except in the case of a tie. These five 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 awards from 1953 through 1958 did not include any recognition of runner-up artists, but since 1959 all five candidates have been recorded. Initial nominations are made by members in January through March, while voting on the ballot of five nominations is performed roughly in April through July, subject to change depending on when that year's Worldcon is held. Worldcons are generally held near Labor Day
, and in a different city around the world each year.
During the 59 nomination years, 55 artists have been nominated; 20 of these have won, including co-winners and Retro Hugos. Michael Whelan
has received the most awards, with 13 wins out of 24 nominations. Frank Kelly Freas
has 10 wins and 27 nominations, the most nominations of any artist. Other artists with large numbers of wins or nominations include Bob Eggleton
with 8 wins out of 22 nominations, Ed Emshwiller
with 5 out of 9, and Don Maitz
with 2 out of 17. David A. Cherry
and Thomas Canty are tied for the most nominations without an award at 10 each.
* Winners and joint winners
, the World Science Fiction Society created the concept of "Retro Hugos", in which the Hugo award could be retroactively awarded for 50, 75, or 100 years prior. Retro Hugos may only be awarded for years in which a Worldcon was hosted, but no awards were originally given. Retro Hugos have been awarded three times, for 1946, 1951, and 1954. All of these awards were given 50 years later. The next year that Retro Hugos can be awarded is 2014, for 1939.
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
s are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
or fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback
Hugo Gernsback
Hugo Gernsback , born Hugo Gernsbacher, was a Luxembourgian American inventor, writer, editor, and magazine publisher, best remembered for publications that included the first science fiction magazine. His contributions to the genre as publisher were so significant that, along with H. G...
, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
, and was once officially known as the Science Fiction Achievement Award. The award has been described as "a fine showcase for speculative fiction" and "the best known literary award for science fiction writing". The Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist is given each year for artists of works related to science fiction or fantasy released in the previous calendar year. The award was first presented in 1953, and with the exception of 1954, 1957, and 1958 has been awarded annually. 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 1946, 1951, and 1954, and in each case an award for professional artist was given.
Hugo Award nominees and winners are chosen by supporting or attending members of the annual World Science Fiction Convention
Worldcon
Worldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention held each year since 1939 . It is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society...
, or Worldcon, and the presentation evening constitutes its central event. The selection process is defined in the World Science Fiction Society Constitution as instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...
with five nominees, except in the case of a tie. These five 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 awards from 1953 through 1958 did not include any recognition of runner-up artists, but since 1959 all five candidates have been recorded. Initial nominations are made by members in January through March, while voting on the ballot of five nominations is performed roughly in April through July, subject to change depending on when that year's Worldcon is held. Worldcons are generally held near Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
, and in a different city around the world each year.
During the 59 nomination years, 55 artists have been nominated; 20 of these have won, including co-winners and Retro Hugos. Michael Whelan
Michael Whelan
Michael Whelan is an American artist of imaginative realism. For more than 30 years he worked as an illustrator specializing in science fiction and fantasy cover art...
has received the most awards, with 13 wins out of 24 nominations. Frank Kelly Freas
Frank Kelly Freas
Frank Kelly Freas , called the "Dean of Science Fiction Artists", was a science fiction and fantasy artist with a career spanning more than 50 years.-Early life, education, and personal life:...
has 10 wins and 27 nominations, the most nominations of any artist. Other artists with large numbers of wins or nominations include Bob Eggleton
Bob Eggleton
Bob Eggleton is a science fiction, fantasy, and horror artist. Eggleton has been honored with the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist eight times, first winning in 1994. He also won the Hugo Award for Best Related Book in 2001 for his art book "Greetings From Earth"...
with 8 wins out of 22 nominations, Ed Emshwiller
Ed Emshwiller
Ed Emshwiller was a visual artist notable for illustrations of many science fiction magazine covers and for his pioneering experimental films...
with 5 out of 9, and Don Maitz
Don Maitz
Don Maitz is an American science fiction, fantasy, and commercial artist. His most widely-known creation is the "Captain" character of the Captain Morgan brand of rum, although he is perhaps most notable for twice winning the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist, science fiction's highest honor...
with 2 out of 17. David A. Cherry
David A. Cherry
David A. Cherry is an American artist, primarily in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He has been nominated eleven times for Hugo Awards, and 18 times for Chesley Awards , and he is a past president of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists.Cherry is the brother of the...
and Thomas Canty are tied for the most nominations without an award at 10 each.
Winners and nominees
In the following tables, the years correspond to the date of the ceremony. Artists are eligible based on their work of the previous calendar year. Entries with a blue background and an asterisk (*) next to the artist's name have won the award; those with a white background are the nominees on the short-list.* Winners and joint winners
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| and Diane Dillon Leo and Diane Dillon Leo and Diane Dillon are an American husband and wife team of illustrators. Among their awards are two consecutive Caldecott Medals for the children's books Why Mosquitoes Buzz In People's Ears and Ashanti To Zulu: African Traditions.... |
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| and Diane Dillon Leo and Diane Dillon Leo and Diane Dillon are an American husband and wife team of illustrators. Among their awards are two consecutive Caldecott Medals for the children's books Why Mosquitoes Buzz In People's Ears and Ashanti To Zulu: African Traditions.... |
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| and Diane Dillon Leo and Diane Dillon Leo and Diane Dillon are an American husband and wife team of illustrators. Among their awards are two consecutive Caldecott Medals for the children's books Why Mosquitoes Buzz In People's Ears and Ashanti To Zulu: African Traditions.... * |
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Retro Hugos
Beginning with the 1996 Worldcon54th World Science Fiction Convention
The 54th World Science Fiction Convention , also known as L.A.con III, was held 29 August – 2 September 1996 at the Anaheim Hilton, Anaheim Marriott, and the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, USA.The chairman was Mike Glyer....
, the World Science Fiction Society created the concept of "Retro Hugos", in which the Hugo award could be retroactively awarded for 50, 75, or 100 years prior. Retro Hugos may only be awarded for years in which a Worldcon was hosted, but no awards were originally given. Retro Hugos have been awarded three times, for 1946, 1951, and 1954. All of these awards were given 50 years later. The next year that Retro Hugos can be awarded is 2014, for 1939.
| Year | Year awarded | Artist | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
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