The Unleash Award is the annual award for the best Dutch 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...

/science-fiction and horror

Horror fiction

Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...

/suspense

Suspense

Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead-up to a big event or dramatic...

 short story with a wordcount between 2,000 and 6,000 words.

Other annual Dutch awards in the SF/F/H genres are the Paul Harland Prize

Paul Harland Prize

The Paul Harland Prize is the oldest annual award for original Dutch short science fiction, fantasy or horror stories. It is named after Dutch science fiction author Paul Harland, who died in 2003....

 (for short stories and novelettes with a word count up to 10,000 words) and Fantastels (for short stories and novelettes with a word count up to 12,000 words).

History

The prize was initially awarded in two separate categories and twice a year (with overall winners). Since 2009 it is awarded once a year.

Winners

! Editie !! Category Fantasy/SF !! Category Horror/Suspense
|-
| Fall 2006 >

Alex de Jong; Sven de Keyser

>- | Spring 2007

Harald Timmer

>- | Overall 2006/2007

Sven de Keyser

>- | Fall 2007

Django Mathijsen

>- | Spring 2008

Django Mathijsen

>- | Overall 2007/2008

Django Mathijsen

! > | 2011 >

>- | 2009	>- | 2010	Anaïd Haen