Nova Award

The Nova Award was an annual fanzine award presented at Novacon since 1973. It was retired (mostly) in 2015, apart from an occasional "Special Nova" for individuals of special merit. Awards were granted for "Best Fanzine", "Best Fanartist" and Best Fanwriter".
== History== 
The awards were instituted as part of Novacon in 1973, to recognise "achievement in British and Irish sf fanzines""Nova Awards" - Wikipedia In those early years, the nominees were put forward by members of the convention, but the actual judging was done by a panel of BNFs who did not have ties to any of the nominated zines. In 1974 the panel was unable to come to a consensus to break a tie and in 1975 the award was given, not to the panel's preferred zine (Wrinkled Shrew) but to the zine they felt had to be awarded under the rules (Maya), resulting in criticism from (and in) various zines. In 1977, the award was determined by fans "able to demonstrate familiarity with the field", by popular vote.
According to Dave Langford, you couldn't please everyone:
In 1981, the awards were expanded to include Best Fanwriter" and "Best Fanartist" and in 1995 "Best Fan" (on an ad hoc basis). In 2011, the rules were changed to allow voting by non-Novacon members resident in the UK and Eire and able to meet the "familiarity" criterion. 
In 2015, it was announced by the Novacon committee that the awards would be discontinued, due to a lack of voter participation. The awards administrator of the time, Steve Green explained it thus:
The committee allowed that occasional "Special Nova" awards might be handed out in future to exceptional individuals, however to date there have been none awarded.
== Awards ==
Year	Best Fanzine 	Best Fan Writer 	Best Fan Artist 	Best Fan
1973	Speculation #32, ed. Peter Weston 	NA 	NA 	NA
1974	(tie) Zimri #6, ed. Lisa Conesa; Big Scab #2, ed. John Brosnan 	NA 	NA 	NA
1975	Maya #8, ed. Rob Jackson 	NA 	NA 	NA
1976	Maya, ed. Rob Jackson 	NA 	NA 	NA
1977	Twll-Ddu, ed. Dave Langford 	NA 	NA 	NA
1978	Gross Encounters, ed. Alan Dorey 	NA 	NA 	NA
1979	Seamonsters, ed. Simone Walsh 	NA 	NA 	NA
1980	One-Off, ed. Dave Bridges 	NA 	NA 	NA
1981	Tappen, ed. Malcolm Edwards 	Chris Atkinson 	Pete Lyon 	NA
1982	Epsilon, ed. Rob Hansen 	Chris Atkinson 	Rob Hansen 	NA
1983	A Cool Head, ed. Dave Bridges 	Dave Bridges 	Margaret Welbank 	NA
1984	Xyster, ed. Dave Wood 	Anne Hammill 	D West 	NA
1985	Prevert, ed. John Jarrold 	Abi Frost 	Ros Calverly 	NA
1986	Pink Fluffy Bedsocks, ed. Owen Whiteoak 	Owen Whiteoak 	Arthur Thomson ("Atom") 	NA
1987	Lip, ed. Hazel Ashworth 	D West 	D West 	NA
1988	Lip, ed. Hazel Ashworth 	Michael Ashley 	D West 	NA
1989	VSOP, ed. Jan Orys 	Simon Polley 	Dave Mooring 	NA
1990	Fuck the Tories, ed. Joseph Nicholas, Judith Hanna 	Dave Langford 	Dave Mooring 	NA
1991	Saliromania, ed. Michael Ashley 	Michael Ashley 	D West 	NA
1992	Bob?, ed. Ian Sorensen 	Michael Ashley 	Dave Mooring 	NA
1993	Lagoon, ed. Simon Ounsley 	Simon Ounsley 	Dave Mooring 	NA
1994	Rastus Johnson’s Cakewalk, ed. Greg Pickersgill 	Greg Pickersgill 	D West 	NA
1995	Attitude, ed. Michael Abbott, John Dallman, Pam Wells 	Simon Ounsley 	D West 	Brian Burgess
1996	Banana Wings, ed. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer 	Alison Freebairn 	D West 	Bob Shaw
1997	Banana Wings, ed. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer 	Mark Plummer 	Sue Mason 	Ken Slater
1998	Banana Wings, ed. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer 	Maureen Kincaid Speller	D West 	NA
1999	Barmaid, ed. Yvonne Rowse 	Yvonne Rowse 	Sue Mason 	NA
2000	Plokta, ed. Alison Scott, Steve Davies, Mike Scott 	Yvonne Rowse 	Sue Mason 	Vernon Brown
2001	Head, ed. Doug Bell, Christina Lake 	Alison Freebairn 	Dave Hicks 	NA
2002	Plokta, ed. Alison Scott, Steve Davies, Mike Scott 	Claire Brialey 	Dave Hicks 	NA
2003	Zoo Nation, ed. Pete Young 	Claire Brialey 	Sue Mason 	Ina Shorrock
2004	Zoo Nation, ed. Pete Young 	Claire Brialey 	Sue Mason 	Ray Bradbury
2005	Banana Wings, ed. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer 	Claire Brialey 	Alison Scott 	NA
2006	Banana Wings, ed. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer 	Claire Brialey 	Sue Mason 	NA
2007	Prolapse, ed. Peter Weston 	Mark Plummer 	Alison Scott 	Peter Weston
2008	Prolapse, ed. Peter Weston 	Claire Brialey 	Alison Scott 	NA
2009	Banana Wings, eds. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer 	Claire Brialey 	Sue Mason 	NA
2010	Journey Planet, eds. Christopher J Garcia, James Bacon, Claire Brialey	Mark Plummer 	Arthur "Atom" Thomson* 	NA
2011	Head, ed. Doug Bell, Christina Lake 	Claire Brialey 	Dave Hicks 	NA
2012	Banana Wings, eds. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer 	Mark Plummer 	(tie) Sue Mason and D West	NA
2013	Banana Wings, eds. Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer 	Mike Meara 	D West 	David A. Hardy
2014	Vibrator, ed. Graham Charnock 	Christina Lake 	D West 	NA
*the first Nova Award ever won posthumously.
==References==
Category:Science Fiction Awards
Category:1973 Awards
Category:1970s Awards
Category:1980s Awards
Category:1990s Awards
Category:2000s Awards
Category:2010s Awards
Category:Zine Fandom
Category:Fiction Writing
Category:Non-fiction Writing
Category:Visual Art