The Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement annually recognizes one to three living artists for "superior achievement in an entire career" which has "substantially influenced the horror genre". It is conferred by the Horror Writers Association, and most winners have been horror fiction writers, but other creative occupations are eligible.
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The Bram Stoker Awards, including the lifetime honor in particular, were established along with the Association itself in 1987. They are presented in the year following the award year, which is the publication year for most of the awards program.
The winners are selected by the annual Lifetime Achievement Award Committee, which comprises five HWA members appointed by the President. Unlike the literary awards, which are determined by vote of all members, there are no official runners-up.
Clive Barker and Robert McCammon were named winners of the Lifetime Award for 2012 on February 7, 2013, presented on June 15 at the World Horror Convention in New Orleans.
Recipients
The annual committee may bestow up to three awards, by unanimous agreement, and it need not bestow any. In fact there has been a winner every year and there were three winners only for 1987. There were 40 Lifetime Achievement Awards in the first 25 years, through the 2011/2012 cycle.
Multiple awards
Six of the Stoker Award winners have also been named SFWA Grand Masters by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America: Leiber, Simak, Bradbury, Ellison, Jack Williamson, and Moorcock.