Book award · Science fiction, fantasy & horror (reader poll)

Locus Awards: winners & nominees

Chosen by the readers of Locus, the trade magazine of the SF and fantasy field, since 1971, with separate categories for science fiction, fantasy, horror and young adult novels.

572
Wins recorded
18
Categories
1971–2026
Years covered
24
Books in our catalogue

Locus Awards 2026

  • 🏆 We Will Rise Again· Best Anthology
  • 🏆We Will Rise Again — Karen Lord· Best Anthology
  • 🏆We Will Rise Again — Malka Older· Best Anthology
  • 🏆We Will Rise Again — Annalee Newitz· Best Anthology
  • 🏆The Everlasting — Alix E. Harrow· Best Fantasy Novel
  • 🏆Sour Cherry — Natalia Theodoridou· Best First Novel
  • 🏆The Buffalo Hunter Hunter — Stephen Graham Jones· Best Horror Novel
  • 🏆We Begin Where Infinity Ends· Best Novelette
  • 🏆The River Has Roots — Amal El-Mohtar· Best Novella
  • 🏆Death of the Author — Nnedi Okorafor· Best Science Fiction Novel
  • 🏆In My Country· Best Short Story
  • 🏆On the Calculation of Volume III — Solvej Balle· Best Translated Novel
  • 🏆Starstrike — Yoon Ha Lee· Best Young Adult Book
  • ✦The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2025 — Olivie Blake· Best Anthology

All 129 2026 entries →

Locus Awards 2025

  • 🏆 The Black Girl Survives in This One· Best Anthology
  • 🏆Lake of Souls — Ann Leckie· Best Collection
  • 🏆A Sorceress Comes to Call — Ursula Vernon· Best Fantasy Novel
  • 🏆Someone You Can Build a Nest In — John Wiswell· Best First Novel
  • 🏆Bury Your Gays — Chuck Tingle· Best Horror Novel
  • 🏆By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars — Premee Mohamed· Best Novelette
  • 🏆What Feasts at Night — Ursula Vernon· Best Novella
  • 🏆The Man Who Saw Seconds — Alexander Boldizar· Best Science Fiction Novel
  • 🏆Why Don't We Just Kill the Kid In the Omelas Hole — Isabel J. Kim· Best Short Story
  • 🏆Moonstorm — Yoon Ha Lee· Best Young Adult Book
  • ✦ The Inhumans and Other Stories: A Selection of Bengali Science Fiction· Best Anthology
  • ✦ Deep Dream: Science Fiction Exploring the Future of Art· Best Anthology
  • ✦ EGYPT + 100: Stories from a Century After Tahrir· Best Anthology
  • ✦ New Adventures in Space Opera· Best Anthology

All 113 2025 entries →

Locus Awards 2024

  • 🏆 Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror· Best Anthology
  • 🏆Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror — Jordan Peele· Best Anthology
  • 🏆Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror — John Joseph Adams· Best Anthology
  • 🏆 John Picacio· Best Artist
  • 🏆White Cat, Black Dog — Kelly Link· Best Collection
  • 🏆Witch King — Martha Wells· Best Fantasy Novel
  • 🏆The Saint of Bright Doors — Vajra Chandrasekera· Best First Novel
  • 🏆A House with Good Bones — Ursula Vernon· Best Horror Novel
  • 🏆The Rainbow Bank — Uchechukwu Nwaka· Best Novelette
  • 🏆Thornhedge — Ursula Vernon· Best Novella
  • 🏆System Collapse — Martha Wells· Best Science Fiction Novel
  • 🏆How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub — P. Djèlí Clark· Best Short Story
  • 🏆Promises Stronger Than Darkness — Charlie Jane Anders· Best Young Adult Book
  • ✦Nordic Visions: The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction — Margret Helgadottir· Best Anthology

All 292 2024 entries →

Locus Awards 2023

  • 🏆Africa Risen — Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki· Best Anthology
  • 🏆 Africa Risen· Best Anthology
  • 🏆Africa Risen — Zelda Knight· Best Anthology
  • 🏆Africa Risen — Sheree Thomas· Best Anthology
  • 🏆Charles Vess· Best Artist
  • 🏆Boys, Beasts & Men — Sam J. Miller· Best Collection
  • 🏆Babel — R.F. Kuang· Best Fantasy Novel
  • 🏆The Mountain in the Sea — Ray Nayler· Best First Novel
  • 🏆What Moves the Dead — Ursula Vernon· Best Horror Novel
  • 🏆If You Find Yourself Speaking to God, Address God with the Informal You — John Chu· Best Novelette
  • 🏆A Prayer for the Crown-Shy — Becky Chambers· Best Novella
  • 🏆The Kaiju Preservation Society — John Scalzi· Best Science Fiction Novel
  • 🏆Rabbit Test — Samantha Mills· Best Short Story
  • 🏆Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak — Charlie Jane Anders· Best Young Adult Book

All 135 2023 entries →

Locus Awards 2022

  • 🏆We're Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2020 — C. L. Clark· Best Anthology
  • 🏆We're Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2020 — Charles Payseur· Best Anthology
  • 🏆 We're Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2020· Best Anthology
  • 🏆Charles Vess· Best Artist
  • 🏆Even Greater Mistakes — Charlie Jane Anders· Best Collection
  • 🏆Jade Legacy — Fonda Lee· Best Fantasy Novel
  • 🏆A Master of Djinn — P. Djèlí Clark· Best First Novel
  • 🏆My Heart Is a Chainsaw — Stephen Graham Jones· Best Horror Novel
  • 🏆That Story Isn't the Story — John Wiswell· Best Novelette
  • 🏆Fugitive Telemetry — Martha Wells· Best Novella
  • 🏆A Desolation Called Peace — Arkady Martine· Best Science Fiction Novel
  • 🏆Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather· Best Short Story
  • 🏆Victories Greater Than Death — Charlie Jane Anders· Best Young Adult Book
  • ✦The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction (2021): Volume 1 — Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki· Best Anthology

All 300 2022 entries →

Locus Awards 2021

  • 🏆 The Book of Dragons· Best Anthology
  • 🏆The Book of Dragons — Jonathan Strahan· Best Anthology
  • 🏆 John Picacio· Best Artist
  • 🏆The Hidden Girl and Other Stories — Ken Liu· Best Collection
  • 🏆The City We Became — N. K. Jemisin· Best Fantasy Novel
  • 🏆Elatsoe — Darcie Little Badger· Best First Novel
  • 🏆Mexican Gothic — Silvia Moreno-Garcia· Best Horror Novel
  • 🏆The Pill — Meg Elison· Best Novelette
  • 🏆Ring Shout; or, Hunting Ku Kluxes in the End Times — P. Djèlí Clark· Best Novella
  • 🏆Network Effect — Martha Wells· Best Science Fiction Novel
  • 🏆Little Free Library — Naomi Kritzer· Best Short Story
  • 🏆A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking — Ursula Vernon· Best Young Adult Book
  • ✦The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2020 — Nibedita Sen· Best Anthology
  • ✦The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2020 — Elizabeth Bear· Best Anthology

All 278 2021 entries →

Locus Awards 2020

All 261 2020 entries →

Locus Awards 2019

All 259 2019 entries →

Locus Awards 2018

All 265 2018 entries →

Locus Awards 2017

  • 🏆The Big Book of Science Fiction — Jeff VanderMeer· Best Anthology
  • 🏆The Big Book of Science Fiction — Ann VanderMeer· Best Anthology
  • 🏆 Julie Dillon· Best Artist
  • 🏆Ken Liu· Best Collection
  • 🏆All the Birds in the Sky — Charlie Jane Anders· Best Fantasy Novel
  • 🏆The Fireman — Joe Hill· Best Horror Novel
  • 🏆You'll Surely Drown Here If You Stay· Best Novelette
  • 🏆Every Heart a Doorway — Seanan McGuire· Best Novella
  • 🏆Death's End — Liu Cixin· Best Science Fiction Novel
  • 🏆Seasons of Glass and Iron — Amal El-Mohtar· Best Short Story
  • ✦ The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Eight· Best Anthology
  • ✦ Children of Lovecraft· Best Anthology
  • ✦ The Mammoth Book of Cthulhu· Best Anthology
  • ✦The Mammoth Book of Cthulhu — Paula Guran· Best Anthology

All 287 2017 entries →

Locus Awards 2016

  • 🏆Old Venus — George R. R. Martin· Best Anthology
  • 🏆 Old Venus· Best Anthology
  • 🏆Old Venus — Gardner Dozois· Best Anthology
  • 🏆Trigger Warning — Neil Gaiman· Best Collection
  • 🏆Uprooted — Naomi Novik· Best Fantasy Novel
  • 🏆Black Dog — Neil Gaiman· Best Novelette
  • 🏆Slow Bullets — Alastair Reynolds· Best Novella
  • 🏆Cat Pictures Please — Naomi Kritzer· Best Short Story
  • 🏆The Shepherd's Crown — Terry Pratchett· Best Young Adult Book
  • ✦ Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology· Best Anthology
  • ✦Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology — Jeff VanderMeer· Best Anthology
  • ✦ Year's Best Weird Fiction, Volume Two· Best Anthology
  • ✦ The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Seven· Best Anthology
  • ✦Warrior Women — Paula Guran· Best Anthology

All 271 2016 entries →

Locus Awards 2015

All 255 2015 entries →

Locus Awards books in our catalogue