# Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer

The Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer is the Hugo Award given each year for writers of works related to science fiction or fantasy which appeared in low- or non-paying publications such as semiprozines or fanzines or in generally available electronic media during the previous calendar year. There is no restriction that the writer is not also a professional author, and several such authors have won the award for their non-paying works. The award was first presented in 1967 and has been awarded annually.
During the 66 regular and retro nomination years, 113 writers have been nominated; 28 of these have won, including ties. David Langford has received the largest number of awards, with 21 wins out of 31 nominations. He was nominated every year from 1979 through 2009, and won 19 times in a row from 1989 through 2007. The other writers to win more than once are Richard E. Geis, with seven wins out of sixteen nominations; Mike Glyer, with four wins out of twenty-five nominations; Susan Wood Glicksohn, with three of eight; Harry Warner, Jr., with two out of nine; Wilson Tucker, with two out of nine; Bob Shaw, who won both times he was nominated; Forrest J Ackerman, with three out of five Retro Hugos; and Ray Bradbury, who won both Retro Hugos he was nominated for. The writers with the most nominations without winning are Evelyn C. Leeper, who was nominated twelve times in a row from 1990 through 2001, and Steven H Silver, whose twelve nominations span 2000–2013.

## History

The Hugo Awards are presented 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". 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, and the fan writer award has been given each time.
   Fan writing is a peculiar entity, generally having little in common with professional fiction writing. Fan writing can be somber or witty (and even humorous, though that is rarer), expository or abstruse; it can make the momentous commonplace and the trivial momentous, according to the desire of the writer. Commonly, fan writing is a reflection of being a fan (as opposed to the many people who simply read science fiction) in a world mostly populated with people who aren't.
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 six nominees, except in the case of a tie. The works on the ballot are the six most-nominated by members that year, with no limit on the number of works that can be nominated. 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 Labor Day, and in a different city around the world each year.

## Winners and nominees

In the following tables, the years correspond to the date of the ceremony. Writers are eligible based on their work of the previous calendar year. Entries with a yellow background and an asterisk (*) next to the writer's name have won the award; those with a gray background are the nominees on the short-list. In some years writers who received sufficient nominations to be listed on the ballot declined; these are marked as withdrawn in the entry and are not listed on the main Hugo Award site.
* Winners and joint winners
Winners and nominees :
| Year | Writer(s) |
| 1967 | Alexei Panshin* |
| 1967 | Norm Clarke |
| 1967 | Bill Donaho |
| 1967 | Harry Warner, Jr. |
| 1967 | Paul J. Willis |
| 1968 | Ted White* |
| 1968 | Ruth Berman |
| 1968 | Harry Warner, Jr. |
| 1968 | Harlan Ellison (withdrawn) |
| 1968 | Alexei Panshin (withdrawn) |
| 1969 | Harry Warner, Jr.* |
| 1969 | Richard Delap |
| 1969 | Banks Mebane |
| 1969 | Walt Willis |
| 1969 | Ted White (withdrawn) |
| 1970 | Wilson Tucker* |
| 1970 | Piers Anthony |
| 1970 | Charles N. Brown |
| 1970 | Richard Delap |
| 1970 | Richard E. Geis |
| 1971 | Richard E. Geis* |
| 1971 | Terry Carr |
| 1971 | Tom Digby |
| 1971 | Elizabeth Fishman |
| 1971 | Ted Pauls |
| 1972 | Harry Warner, Jr.* |
| 1972 | Terry Carr |
| 1972 | Tom Digby |
| 1972 | Rosemary Ullyot |
| 1972 | Bob Vardeman |
| 1972 | Susan Wood Glicksohn |
| 1973 | Terry Carr* |
| 1973 | Charles N. Brown |
| 1973 | Richard E. Geis |
| 1973 | Sandra Miesel |
| 1973 | Rosemary Ullyot |
| 1973 | Susan Wood Glicksohn |
| 1974 | Susan Wood Glicksohn* |
| 1974 | Laura Basta |
| 1974 | Richard E. Geis |
| 1974 | Jacqueline Lichtenberg |
| 1974 | Sandra Miesel |
| 1975 | Richard E. Geis* |
| 1975 | John Bangsund |
| 1975 | Sandra Miesel |
| 1975 | Don C. Thompson |
| 1975 | Susan Wood Glicksohn |
| 1976 | Richard E. Geis* |
| 1976 | Charles N. Brown |
| 1976 | Don D'Ammassa |
| 1976 | Don C. Thompson |
| 1976 | Susan Wood Glicksohn |
| 1977 | Richard E. Geis* |
| 1977 | Susan Wood Glicksohn* |
| 1977 | Don D'Ammassa |
| 1977 | Michael Glicksohn |
| 1977 | Don C. Thompson |
| 1978 | Richard E. Geis* |
| 1978 | Charles N. Brown |
| 1978 | Don D'Ammassa |
| 1978 | Don C. Thompson |
| 1978 | Susan Wood Glicksohn |
| 1979 | Bob Shaw* |
| 1979 | Richard E. Geis |
| 1979 | David Langford |
| 1979 | Roy Kettle |
| 1979 | D. West |
| 1980 | Bob Shaw* |
| 1980 | Richard E. Geis |
| 1980 | Mike Glyer |
| 1980 | Arthur D. Hlavaty |
| 1980 | David Langford |
| 1981 | Susan Wood Glicksohn* |
| 1981 | Richard E. Geis |
| 1981 | Mike Glyer |
| 1981 | Arthur D. Hlavaty |
| 1981 | David Langford |
| 1982 | Richard E. Geis* |
| 1982 | Mike Glyer |
| 1982 | Arthur D. Hlavaty |
| 1982 | David Langford |
| 1983 | Richard E. Geis* |
| 1983 | Mike Glyer |
| 1983 | Arthur D. Hlavaty |
| 1983 | David Langford |
| 1984 | Mike Glyer* |
| 1984 | Richard E. Geis |
| 1984 | Arthur D. Hlavaty |
| 1984 | David Langford |
| 1984 | Teresa Nielsen Hayden |
| 1985 | David Langford* |
| 1985 | Leigh Edmonds |
| 1985 | Richard E. Geis |
| 1985 | Mike Glyer |
| 1985 | Arthur D. Hlavaty |
| 1986 | Mike Glyer* |
| 1986 | Don D'Ammassa |
| 1986 | Richard E. Geis |
| 1986 | Arthur D. Hlavaty |
| 1986 | David Langford |
| 1986 | Patrick Nielsen Hayden |
| 1987 | David Langford* |
| 1987 | Mike Glyer |
| 1987 | Arthur D. Hlavaty |
| 1987 | Patrick Nielsen Hayden |
| 1987 | Simon Ounsley |
| 1987 | D. West |
| 1987 | Owen Whiteoak (withdrawn) |
| 1988 | Mike Glyer* |
| 1988 | Arthur D. Hlavaty |
| 1988 | David Langford |
| 1988 | Guy H. Lillian III |
| 1988 | Leslie Turek |
| 1989 | David Langford* |
| 1989 | Avedon Carol |
| 1989 | Mike Glyer |
| 1989 | Arthur D. Hlavaty |
| 1989 | Guy H. Lillian III |
| 1989 | Chuq Von Rospach |
| 1990 | David Langford* |
| 1990 | Mike Glyer |
| 1990 | Arthur D. Hlavaty |
| 1990 | Evelyn C. Leeper |
| 1990 | Leslie Turek |
| 1991 | David Langford* |
| 1991 | Avedon Carol |
| 1991 | Mike Glyer |
| 1991 | Arthur D. Hlavaty |
| 1991 | Evelyn C. Leeper |
| 1991 | Teresa Nielsen Hayden |
| 1992 | David Langford* |
| 1992 | Avedon Carol |
| 1992 | Mike Glyer |
| 1992 | Andrew Hooper |
| 1992 | Evelyn C. Leeper |
| 1992 | Harry Warner, Jr. |
| 1993 | David Langford* |
| 1993 | Mike Glyer |
| 1993 | Andrew Hooper |
| 1993 | Evelyn C. Leeper |
| 1993 | Harry Warner, Jr. |
| 1994 | David Langford* |
| 1994 | Sharon N. Farber |
| 1994 | Mike Glyer |
| 1994 | Andrew Hooper |
| 1994 | Evelyn C. Leeper |
| 1995 | David Langford* |
| 1995 | Sharon N. Farber |
| 1995 | Mike Glyer |
| 1995 | Andrew Hooper |
| 1995 | Evelyn C. Leeper |
| 1996 | David Langford* |
| 1996 | Sharon N. Farber |
| 1996 | Andrew Hooper |
| 1996 | Evelyn C. Leeper |
| 1996 | Joseph T. Major |
| 1997 | David Langford* |
| 1997 | Sharon N. Farber |
| 1997 | Mike Glyer |
| 1997 | Andrew Hooper |
| 1997 | Evelyn C. Leeper |
| 1998 | David Langford* |
| 1998 | Bob Devney |
| 1998 | Mike Glyer |
| 1998 | Andrew Hooper |
| 1998 | Evelyn C. Leeper |
| 1998 | Joseph T. Major |
| 1999 | David Langford* |
| 1999 | Bob Devney |
| 1999 | Mike Glyer |
| 1999 | Evelyn C. Leeper |
| 1999 | Maureen Kincaid Speller |
| 2000 | David Langford* |
| 2000 | Bob Devney |
| 2000 | Mike Glyer |
| 2000 | Evelyn C. Leeper |
| 2000 | Steven H Silver |
| 2001 | David Langford* |
| 2001 | Bob Devney |
| 2001 | Mike Glyer |
| 2001 | Evelyn C. Leeper |
| 2001 | Steven H Silver |
| 2002 | David Langford* |
| 2002 | Jeff Berkwits |
| 2002 | Bob Devney |
| 2002 | John L. Flynn |
| 2002 | Mike Glyer |
| 2002 | Steven H Silver |
| 2003 | David Langford* |
| 2003 | Bob Devney |
| 2003 | John L. Flynn |
| 2003 | Mike Glyer |
| 2003 | Steven H Silver |
| 2004 | David Langford* |
| 2004 | Jeff Berkwits |
| 2004 | Bob Devney |
| 2004 | John L. Flynn |
| 2004 | Cheryl Morgan |
| 2005 | David Langford* |
| 2005 | Claire Brialey |
| 2005 | Bob Devney |
| 2005 | Cheryl Morgan |
| 2005 | Steven H Silver |
| 2006 | David Langford* |
| 2006 | Claire Brialey |
| 2006 | John Hertz |
| 2006 | Cheryl Morgan |
| 2006 | Steven H Silver |
| 2007 | David Langford* |
| 2007 | Christopher Garcia |
| 2007 | John Hertz |
| 2007 | John Scalzi |
| 2007 | Steven H Silver |
| 2008 | John Scalzi* |
| 2008 | David Langford |
| 2008 | Christopher Garcia |
| 2008 | Cheryl Morgan |
| 2008 | Steven H Silver |
| 2009 | Cheryl Morgan* |
| 2009 | Christopher Garcia |
| 2009 | John Hertz |
| 2009 | David Langford |
| 2009 | Steven H Silver |
| 2010 | Frederik Pohl* |
| 2010 | Claire Brialey |
| 2010 | Christopher Garcia |
| 2010 | James Nicoll |
| 2010 | Lloyd Penney |
| 2011 | Claire Brialey* |
| 2011 | James Bacon |
| 2011 | Christopher Garcia |
| 2011 | James Nicoll |
| 2011 | Steven H Silver |
| 2012 | Jim C. Hines* |
| 2012 | James Bacon |
| 2012 | Claire Brialey |
| 2012 | Christopher Garcia |
| 2012 | Steven H Silver |
| 2013 | Tansy Rayner Roberts* |
| 2013 | James Bacon |
| 2013 | Christopher Garcia |
| 2013 | Mark Oshiro |
| 2013 | Steven H Silver |
| 2014 | Kameron Hurley* |
| 2014 | Liz Bourke |
| 2014 | Foz Meadows |
| 2014 | Abigail Nussbaum |
| 2014 | Mark Oshiro |
| 2015 | Laura J. Mixon* |
| 2015 | Dave Freer |
| 2015 | Amanda S. Green |
| 2015 | Jeffro Johnson |
| 2015 | Cedar Sanderson |
| 2016 | Mike Glyer* |
| 2016 | Douglas Ernst |
| 2016 | Morgan Holmes |
| 2016 | Jeffro Johnson |
| 2016 | Shamus Young |
| 2017 | Abigail Nussbaum* |
| 2017 | Mike Glyer |
| 2017 | Jeffro Johnson |
| 2017 | Natalie Luhrs |
| 2017 | Foz Meadows |
| 2017 | Chuck Tingle |
| 2018 | Sarah Gailey* |
| 2018 | Camestros Felapton |
| 2018 | Mike Glyer |
| 2018 | Foz Meadows |
| 2018 | Charles Payseur |
| 2018 | Bogi Takács |
| 2019 | Foz Meadows* |
| 2019 | James Nicoll |
| 2019 | Charles Payseur |
| 2019 | Elsa Sjunneson |
| 2019 | Alasdair Stuart |
| 2019 | Bogi Takács |
| 2020 | Bogi Takács* |
| 2020 | Cora Buhlert |
| 2020 | James Nicoll |
| 2020 | Alasdair Stuart |
| 2020 | Paul Weimer |
| 2020 | Adam Whitehead |
| 2021 | Elsa Sjunneson* |
| 2021 | Cora Buhlert |
| 2021 | Charles Payseur |
| 2021 | Jason Sanford |
| 2021 | Alasdair Stuart |
| 2021 | Paul Weimer |
| 2022 | Cora Buhlert* |
| 2022 | Chris M. Barkley |
| 2022 | Bitter Karella |
| 2022 | Alex Brown |
| 2022 | Jason Sanford |
| 2022 | Paul Weimer |
| 2023 | Chris M. Barkley* |
| 2023 | Bitter Karella |
| 2023 | Arthur Liu |
| 2023 | RiverFlow |
| 2023 | Jason Sanford |
| 2023 | Örjan Westin |
| 2024 | Paul Weimer* |
| 2024 | Bitter Karella |
| 2024 | James Nicoll |
| 2024 | Jason Sanford |
| 2024 | Alasdair Stuart |
| 2024 | Örjan Westin |

### Retro Hugos

Beginning with the 1996 Worldcon, 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 eight times, for 1939, 1941, 1943–1946, 1951, and 1954.
Retro Hugo winners and nominees :
| Year | Year awarded | Writer |
| 1939 | 2014 | Ray Bradbury* |
| 1939 | 2014 | Forrest J Ackerman |
| 1939 | 2014 | Wilson Tucker |
| 1939 | 2014 | Harry Warner, Jr. |
| 1939 | 2014 | Donald A. Wollheim |
| 1941 | 2016 | Ray Bradbury* |
| 1941 | 2016 | Forrest J Ackerman |
| 1941 | 2016 | H. P. Lovecraft |
| 1941 | 2016 | Wilson Tucker |
| 1941 | 2016 | Harry Warner, Jr. |
| 1943 | 2018 | Forrest J Ackerman* |
| 1943 | 2018 | Jack Speer |
| 1943 | 2018 | Wilson Tucker |
| 1943 | 2018 | Harry Warner, Jr. |
| 1943 | 2018 | Art Widner |
| 1943 | 2018 | Donald A. Wollheim |
| 1944 | 2019 | Forrest J Ackerman* |
| 1944 | 2019 | Myrtle Douglas (as Morojo) |
| 1944 | 2019 | Jack Speer |
| 1944 | 2019 | Wilson Tucker |
| 1944 | 2019 | Art Widner |
| 1944 | 2019 | Donald A. Wollheim |
| 1945 | 2020 | Fritz Leiber* |
| 1945 | 2020 | Myrtle Douglas (as Morojo) |
| 1945 | 2020 | J. Michael Rosenblum |
| 1945 | 2020 | Jack Speer |
| 1945 | 2020 | Wilson Tucker |
| 1945 | 2020 | Harry Warner, Jr. |
| 1946 | 1996 | Forrest J Ackerman* |
| 1946 | 1996 | Charles E. Burbee |
| 1946 | 1996 | Francis Towner Laney |
| 1946 | 1996 | Wilson Tucker |
| 1946 | 1996 | Art Widner |
| 1951 | 2001 | Robert Silverberg* |
| 1951 | 2001 | Lee Hoffman |
| 1951 | 2001 | Wilson Tucker |
| 1951 | 2001 | James White |
| 1951 | 2001 | Walt Willis |
| 1954 | 2004 | Wilson Tucker* |
| 1954 | 2004 | Redd Boggs |
| 1954 | 2004 | Lee Hoffman |
| 1954 | 2004 | James White |
| 1954 | 2004 | Walt Willis |