*Note* SpecFicNZ does not list awards that require a fee. It is our belief that writers should get paid for their work, not pay to have it read, recognized, or published.

While some of the awards listed below are not be specifically geared toward speculative fiction, spec fic entries are allowed, and we hope you’ll make them.

1. The Sir Julius Vogel Awards (SJV’s)

Description:

The Sir Julius Vogel Awards are fan voted awards for various endeavours in the science fiction, fantasy or horror fields. Professional nominations can be for novels, short stories, art and others. Fan nominations can be for fanzine, writing, art, Services to Fandom, Services to Science Fiction and more.

Details:

First-round nominations, which can be made by anyone, usually open at the beginning of each year for the previous year’s work. Works with the most nominations in each category go on to the final ballot.  Voting on the Sir Julius Vogel Awards takes place before and at the National Science Fiction convention each year. You are eligible to vote if you are a member of SFFANZ, OR a member of the National Science Fiction convention that year. You are only entitled to one vote, for each that you are a member of.

Winners are awarded a trophy designed and created by Weta Workshop in an awards ceremony at the annual National Science Fiction convention.

2. The Australian Shadow Awards

Description:

The Australian Shadows is an annual literary award presented by the Australian Horror Writers Association (AHWA) and judged on the overall effect – the skill, delivery, and lasting resonance – of horror fiction written or edited by an Australian, New Zealander, or Oceania citizen or resident.

Details:

Entries are open across seven categories, including: the Paul Haines Award for Long Fiction (novelettes and novellas) in honour of the New Zealand/Australian author Paul Haines; The Rocky Wood Award for Non-fiction and Criticism named after former HWA president and AHWA member Rocky Wood; short fiction; novels, collected works; edited works; and graphic novels/comics (for works written by an Australian or New Zealand writer).

Anyone – including judges – may suggest a work for consideration by passing on the details of the work to the Awards Director (Shane Jiraiya Cummings), who will then contact the author or publisher to ensure review copies reach the judges. The reading period for nominations is 1 June to 31 December. Shortlists for each category will be determined by a panel of three judges and presented to Guest Judges in each category for final selection of the winners. Shortlisted finalists are announced in March/April every year.

3. The Text Prize

Description:

The $10,000 Text Prize aims to discover incredible new books for young adults and children by Australian and New Zealand writers.
Awarded annually to the best manuscript written for young readers, the prize has unearthed extraordinary, multi-award-winning books and launched international publishing careers.
Published and unpublished writers of all ages are eligible to enter with works of fiction or non-fiction.

Details: Entries open yearly from May-June, utilizing the entry form on the Text Publishing website.

The Winner is announced in mid-May at the Australian Booksellers Association conference. The winner receives a publishing contract with Text and a $10,000 advance against royalties.

4. The New Zealand Book Awards

Description:

2010 was the first year of the New Zealand Post Book Awards. From 1996 to 2009, the awards were known as the Montana New Zealand Book Awards.

The overall winner of the Book of the Year Award receives $15,000. Winners of the four Category Awards will each receive $10,000, the Māori Language Award $10,000, Readers’ Choice Award $5000, and each of the winners of the three NZSA Best First Book Awards, $2500.

Online submissions for the 2023 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, for books published in New Zealand between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2022, have now closed. Check back next year to enter the 2024 Awards.

The 2023 longlist will be announced on 2 February and the shortlist on 8 March.

5. The Storylines Awards

Various Awards offered to writers, illustrators, and advocates of children’s and YA literature, specifically from New Zealand. Includes the Margaret Mahy Medal, the Tom Fitzgibbon award, and the Tessa Dudor award (for YA) among others.

6. The Dan Davin Award

The Dan Davin Literary Foundation holds annual workshops and short story writing awards for students and adults in the Community Trust of Southland region, which includes Southland, Queenstown/Wakatipu and Tapanui.

You will be able to find more on Wikipedia at this link. 

 

 

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