2025 Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding Awards Finalists

Finalists for the Hugo Awards, the Astounding Award for Best New Writer, and the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book have been announced by Seattle Worldcon 2025, the 83rd World Science Fiction Convention. There were 1,738 valid nominating ballots received and counted from members of the 2024 and 2025 World Science Fiction Conventions for the 2025 Hugo Awards. Voting on the final ballot will open during April 2025. Members of the 2025 Worldcon will vote on the ballot, and the awards will be presented in Seattle at Worldcon on August 16, 2025.

For more details see the Worldcon site.

Best Novel (1,078 ballots cast for 554 nominees)

  • The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett (Del Rey; Hodderscape UK)
  • The Ministry of Time, Kaliane Bradley (Avid Reader; Sceptre)
  • A Sorceress Comes to Call, T. Kingfisher (Tor; Titan UK)
  • Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky (Orbit US; Tor UK)
  • Service Model, Adrian Tchaikovsky (Tordotcom; Tor UK)
  • Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell (DAW; Arcadia UK)

Best Novella (739 ballots cast for 209 nominees)

  • Navigational Entanglements, Aliette de Bodard (Tordotcom)
  • What Feasts at Night, T. Kingfisher (Nightfire)
  • The Butcher of the Forest, Premee Mohamed (Tordotcom; Titan UK)
  • The Tusks of Extinction, Ray Nayler (Tordotcom)
  • The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain, Sofia Samatar (Tordotcom)
  • The Brides of High Hill, Nghi Vo (Tordotcom)

Best Novelette (394 ballots cast for 188 nominees)

  • “The Brotherhood of Montague St. Video”, Thomas Ha (Clarkesworld 5/24)
  • “The Four Sisters Overlooking the Sea”, Naomi Kritzer (Asimov’s 9-10/24)
  • “Lake of Souls”, Ann Leckie (Lake of Souls)
  • “By Salt, by Sea, by Light of Stars”, Premee Mohamed (Strange Horizons 6/9/24)
  • “Signs of Life”, Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny 7-8/24)
  • “Loneliness Universe”, Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny 5-6/24)

Best Short Story (610 ballots cast for 673 nominees)

  • “Five Views of the Planet Tartarus”, Rachael K. Jones (Lightspeed 1/24)
  • “Why Don’t We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole”, Isabel J. Kim (Clarkesworld 2/24)
  • “Marginalia”, Mary Robinette Kowal (Uncanny 1-2/24)
  • “Three Faces of a Beheading”, Arkady Martine (Uncanny 5-6/24)
  • “Stitched to Skin Like Family Is”, Nghi Vo (Uncanny 2/24)
  • “We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read”, Caroline M. Yoachim (Lightspeed 5/24)

Best Series (621 ballots cast for 201 nominees)

  • InCryptid, Seanan McGuire (DAW; Tor)
  • Between Earth and Sky, Rebecca Roanhorse (Saga)
  • The Stormlight Archive, Brandon Sanderson (Tor; Gollancz)
  • The Burning Kingdoms, Tasha Suri (Orbit)
  • The Tyrant Philosophers, Adrian Tchaikovsky (Head of Zeus)
  • Southern Reach, Jeff VanderMeer (Farrar, Straus, Giroux; Fourth Estate UK)

Best Graphic Story or Comic (265 ballots cast for 259 nominees)

  • The Deep Dark, Molly Knox Ostertag (Graphix)
  • The Hunger and the Dusk: Vol 1, written by G. Willow Wilson, art by Chris Wildgoose (IDW Publishing)
  • Monstress, Vol. 9: The Possessed, written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda (Image)
  • My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Book Two, Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way written by Ryan North, art by Chris Fenoglio (IDW Publishing)
  • We Called Them Giants, written by Kieron Gillen, art by Stephanie Hans, lettering by Clayton Cowles (Image)

Best Related Work (431 ballots cast for 209 nominees)

  • “The 2023 Hugo Awards: A Report on Censorship and Exclusion”, Chris M. Barkley & Jason Sanford (Genre Grapevine and File 770 2/14/24)
  • Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right, Jordan S. Carroll (University of Minnesota Press)
  • “Charting the Cliff: An Investigation into the 2023 Hugo Nomination Statistics”, Camestros Felapton & Heather Rose Jones (File 770 2/22/24)
  • r/Fantasy’s 2024 Bingo Reading Challenge (r/Fantasy on Reddit), presented by the r/Fantasy Bingo team: Alexandra Forrest (happy_book_bee), Amanda E. (Lyrrael), Arka (RuinEleint), Ashley Rollins (oboist73), Christine Sandquist (eriophora), David H. (FarragutCircle), Diana H. (HeLiBeB), Dianthaa, Dylan H. (RAAAImmaSunGod), Dylan Kilby (an_altar_of_plagues), Elsa (ullsi), Emma Surridge (PlantLady32), Gillian Gray (thequeensownfool), Kahlia (cubansombrero), Kevin James, Kopratic, Kristina (Cassandra_sanguine), Lauren Mulcahy (Valkhyrie), Lisa Richardson, Megan, Megan Creemers (Megan_Dawn), Melissa S. (wishforagiraffe), Mike De Palatis (MikeOfThePalace), Para (improperly_paranoid), Sham, The_Real_JS
  • The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel, Jenny Nicholson (YouTube)
  • Track Changes, Abigail Nussbaum (Briardene)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form (610 ballots cast for 217 nominees)

  • Dune: Part Two, screenplay by Denis Villeneuve & Jon Spaihts, directed by Denis Villeneuve (Legendary Pictures / Warner Bros. Pictures)
  • Flow, screenplay by Gints Zilbalodis & Matīss Kaža, directed by Gints Zilbalodis (Dream Well Studio)
  • Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, screenplay by George Miller and Nick Lathouris, directed by George Miller (Warner Bros. Pictures)
  • I Saw the TV Glow, screenplay by Jane Schoenbrun, directed by Jane Schoenbrun (Fruit Tree / Smudge Films / A24)
  • Wicked, screenplay by Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox, directed by Jon M. Chu (Universal Pictures)
  • The Wild Robot, screenplay by Chris Sanders & Peter Brown, directed by Chris Sanders (DreamWorks Animation)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form (451 ballots cast for 302 nominees)

  • Fallout: “The Beginning”, written by Gursimran Sandhu, directed by Wayne Che Yip (Amazon Prime Video)
  • Agatha All Along: “Death’s Hand in Mine”, written by Gia King & Cameron Squires, directed by Jac Schaeffer (Marvel; Disney+)
  • Doctor Who: “Dot and Bubble”, written by Russell T Davies, directed by Dylan Holmes Williams (BBC; Disney+)
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks: “Fissure Quest”, created by Mike McMahan, written by Lauren McGuire, based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry, directed by Brandon Williams (CBS Eye Animation Productions for Paramount+)
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks: “The New Next Generation”, created and written by Mike McMahan, based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry, directed by Megan Lloyd (CBS Eye Animation Productions for Paramount+)
  • Doctor Who: “73 Yards”, written by Russell T Davies, directed by Dylan Holmes Williams (BBC; Disney+)

Best Game or Interactive Work (298 ballots cast for 187 nominees)

  • 1000xRESIST, developed by sunset visitor 斜陽過客, published by Fellow Traveller
  • Caves of Qud, co-creators Brian Bucklew & Jason Grinblat; contributors Nick DeCapua, Corey Frang, Craig Hamilton, Autumn McDonell, Bastia Rosen, Caelyn Sandel, Samuel Wilson (Freehold Games); sound design A Shell in the Pit; publisher Kitfox Games
  • Dragon Age: The Veilguard, produced by BioWare
  • The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, produced by Nintendo
  • Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, produced by Simogo
  • Tactical Breach Wizards, developed by Suspicious Developments

Best Editor, Short Form (322 ballots cast for 165nominees.)

  • Scott H. Andrews
  • Jennifer Brozek
  • Neil Clarke
  • Jonathan Strahan
  • Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas
  • Sheila Williams

Best Editor, Long Form (162 ballots cast for 89 nominees)

  • Carl Engle-Laird
  • Ali Fisher
  • Lee Harris
  • David Thomas Moore
  • Diana M. Pho
  • Stephanie Stein

Best Professional Artist (214 ballots cast for 209 nominees.)

  • Micaela Alcaino
  • Audrey Benjaminsen
  • Rovina Cai
  • Maurizio Manzieri
  • Tran Nguyen
  • Alyssa Winans

Best Semiprozine (334 ballots cast for 94 nominees)

  • The Deadlands, publisher Sean Markey; editors E. Catherine Tobler, Nicasio Andres Reed, David Gilmore, Laura Blackwell, Annika Barranti Klein; proofreader Josephine Stewart; columnist Amanda Downum; art and design Cory Skerry, Christine M. Scott; social media Felicia Martínez; assistant Shana Du Bois.
  • Escape Pod, editors Mur Lafferty & Valerie Valdes, assistant editors Premee Mohamed & Kevin Wabaunsee, hosts Tina Connolly & Alasdair Stuart, producers Summer Brooks & Adam Pracht; and the entire Escape Pod team
  • FIYAH, publisher and executive editor DaVaun Sanders, poetry editor B. Sharise Moore, art director Christian Ivey, acquiring editors Rebecca McGee, Kerine Wint, Egbiameje Omole, Emmalia Harrington, Genine Tyson, Tonya R. Moore, sponsor coordinator Nelson Rolon
  • khōréō, Zhui Ning Chang, Aleksandra Hill, Danai Christopoulou, Isabella Kestermann, Kanika Agrawal, Sachiko Ragosta, Lian Xia Rose, Jenelle DeCosta, Melissa Ren, Elaine Ho, Ambi Sun, Cyrus Chin, Nivair H. Gabriel, Jeané Ridges, Lilivette Domínguez, Isaree Thatchaichawalit, Jei D. Marcade, M. L. Krishnan, Ysabella Maglanque, Aaron Voigt, Adialyz Del Valle Berríos, Adil Mian, Akilah White, Alexandra Millatmal, Anselma Widha Prihandita, E. Broderick, K. S. Walker, Katarzyna Nowacka, Katie McIvor, Kelsea Yu, Lynn D. Jung, Madeleine Vigneron, Marie Croke, Merulai Femi, Phoebe Low, S. R. Westvik, Sanjna Bhartiya, Sara Messenger, Sophia Uy, Tina Zhu, Yuvashri Harish, Zohar Jacobs
  • Strange Horizons, the Strange Horizons Editorial Collective
  • Uncanny, publishers and editors-in-chief Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas; managing editor Monte Lin; poetry editor Betsy Aoki, podcast producers Erika Ensign & Steven Schapansky

Best Fanzine (243 ballots cast for 77 nominees)

  • Ancillary Review of Books, editors Jake Casella Brookins, Zachary Gillan, Lane Gillespie, Misha Grifka Wander, Gareth A. Reeves, Bianca Skrinyár, Cynthia Zhang
  • Black Nerd Problems, editors William Evans & Omar Holmon
  • The Full Lid, written by Alasdair Stuart, edited by Marguerite Kenner
  • Galactic Journey, founder Gideon Marcus, editor Janice L. Newman, associate writers Cora Buhlert, Jessica Holmes, Kerrie Dougherty, Kris Vyas-Myall, Natalie Devitt, and the rest of
    the Journey team
  • Journey Planet, edited by Allison Hartman Adams, Amanda Wakurak, Ann Gry, Jean Martin,
    Sara Felix, Sarah Gulde, Chuck Serface, David Ferguson, Olav Rokne, Paul Weimer, Steven H
    Silver, Christopher J. Garcia, James Bacon
  • Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog, editors Olav Rokne & Amanda Wakaruk

Best Fancast (376 ballots cast for 197 nominees)

  • The Coode Street Podcast, presented by Jonathan Strahan & Gary K. Wolfe, producer Jonathan Strahan
  • Eight Days of Diana Wynne Jones, presented by Emily Tesh & Rebecca Fraimow
  • Hugo, Girl!, presented by Haley Zapal, Amy Salley, Lori Anderson, Kevin Anderson
  • Hugos There, presented by Seth Heasley
  • A Meal of Thorns, presented by Jake Casella Brookins
  • Worldbuilding for Masochists, presented by Marshall Ryan Maresca, Cass Morris, Natania
    Barron

Best Fan Writer (329 ballots cast for 158 nominees)

  • Camestros Felapton
  • Abigail Nussbaum
  • Roseanna Pendlebury
  • Jason Sanford
  • Alasdair Stuart
  • Örjan Westin

Best Fan Artist (186 ballots cast for 120 nominees)

  • Iain J. Clark
  • Sara Felix
  • Meg Frank
  • Michelle Morrell
  • Alison Scott
  • España Sheriff

Best Poem (219 ballots cast for 266 nominees)

  • “Your Visiting Dragon”, Devan Barlow (Strange Horizons 6/9/24)
  • “A War of Words”, Marie Brennan (Strange Horizons 9/16/24)
  • “We Drink Lava”, Ai Jiang (Uncanny 3-4/24)
  • Calypso, Oliver K. Langmead (Titan)
  • “there are no taxis for the dead”, Angela Liu (Uncanny 5-6/24)
  • “Ever Noir”, Mari Ness (Haven Spec 7/24)

Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book [Not a Hugo Award] (268 ballots cast for 175 nominees)

  • The Feast Makers, H.A. Clarke (Erewhon)
  • So Let Them Burn, Kamilah Cole (Little, Brown; Atom UK)
  • The Maid and the Crocodile, Jordan Ifueko (Amulet; Hot Key UK)
  • Moonstorm, Yoon Ha Lee (Delacorte; Solaris UK)
  • Sheine Lende, Darcie Little Badger (Levine Querido)
  • Heavenly Tyrant, Xiran Jay Zhao (Tundra)

Astounding Award for Best New Writer [Not a Hugo Award] (341 ballots cast for 168 nominees)

  • Moniquill Blackgoose*
  • Bethany Jacobs*
  • Hannah Kaner*
  • Angela Liu*
  • Jared Pechaček
  • Tia Tashiro*

*Finalist in their 2nd year of eligibility.


The following nominees received enough votes to qualify for the final ballot, but were found to be ineligible:

  • Best Series: The Singing Hills Cycle, by Nghi Vo (fewer than 240,000 words in total)
  • Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form: Dune, the Musical (first performed in 2023)

The following nominees received enough votes to qualify for the final ballot, but declined
nomination:

  • Lodestar Award: Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White (Peachtree Teen)
  • Best Semiprozine: Beneath Ceaseless Skies

In three different categories – Best Novella, Best Related Work and Best Professional Artist – the
same total number of total nominees received nominating votes.

 

2 thoughts on “2025 Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding Awards Finalists

  • April 6, 2025 at 6:06 pm
    Permalink

    Why was Dune, the Musical disqualified?

    Reply
    • April 7, 2025 at 7:29 am
      Permalink

      It says “first performed in 2023” so not in the correct year for eligibility.

      Reply

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