Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist

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First awarded
  
1953

Official website
  
thehugoawards.org

Instituted
  
1953

Most recent winner
  
Abigail Larson

Presented by
  
Worldcon

Category of
  
Hugo Award

Awarded for
  
The best artist of works devoted primarily to science fiction or fantasy

People also search for
  
Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist

Winners & Nominees
  
Abigail Larson, Abigail Larson, Winner, Larry El, Larry El, Nominee, Larry Rostant, Larry Rostant, Nominee, Michal Karcz, Michal Karcz, Nominee, Lars Braad Andersen, Lars Braad Andersen, Nominee, Julie Dillon, Julie Dillon, Winner, Carter Reid, Carter Reid, Nominee, Nick Greenwood, Nick Greenwood, Nominee, Kirk DouPonce, Kirk DouPonce, Nominee, Alan Pollack, Alan Pollack, Nominee, Julie Dillon, Julie Dillon, Winner, Fiona Staples, Fiona Staples, Nominee, John Harris, John Harris, Nominee, Daniel Dos Santos, Daniel Dos Santos, Nominee, Galen Dara, Galen Dara, Nominee, John Picacio, John Picacio, Nominee, John Picacio, John Picacio, Winner, Daniel Dos Santos, Daniel Dos Santos, Nominee, Julie Dillon, Julie Dillon, Nominee, Christian McGrath, Christian McGrath, Nominee, Vincent Chong, Vincent Chong, Nominee, John Picacio, John Picacio, Winner, Stephan Martinière, Stephan Martinière, Nominee, Daniel Dos Santos, Daniel Dos Santos, Nominee, Michael Komarck, Michael Komarck, Nominee, Bob Eggleton, Bob Eggleton, Nominee

The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially known as the Science Fiction Achievement Award. The award has been described as "a fine showcase for speculative fiction" and "the best known literary award for science fiction writing". The Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist is given each year for artists of works related to science fiction or fantasy released in the previous calendar year.

Contents

The Professional Artist award has been given annually under several names since 1955, with the exception of 1957. The inaugural 1953 Hugo awards recognized "Best Interior Illustrator" and "Best Cover Artist" categories, awarded to Virgil Finlay and a tie between Hannes Bok and Ed Emshwiller, respectively. The Best Professional Artist award was simply named "Best Artist" in 1955 and 1956, was not awarded in 1957, and was named "Outstanding Artist" in 1958, finally changing to its current name the following year. Beginning in 1996 Retrospective Hugo Awards, or "Retro Hugos", have been available to be awarded for years 50, 75, or 100 years prior in which no awards were given. To date, Retro Hugo awards have been awarded for 1939, 1941, 1946, 1951, and 1954, and in each case an award for professional artist was given.

Hugo Award nominees and winners are chosen by supporting or attending members of the annual World Science Fiction Convention, or Worldcon, and the presentation evening constitutes its central event. The selection process is defined in the World Science Fiction Society Constitution as instant-runoff voting with five nominees, except in the case of a tie. These five works on the ballot are the most-nominated by members that year, with no limit on the number of works that can be nominated. The awards from 1955 through 1958 did not include any recognition of runner-up artists, but since 1959 all five candidates have been recorded. Initial nominations are made by members in January through March, while voting on the ballot of five nominations is performed roughly in April through July, subject to change depending on when that year's Worldcon is held. Worldcons are generally held near Labor Day, and in a different city around the world each year.

During the 66 nomination years, 74 artists have been nominated; 22 of these have won, including co-winners and Retro Hugos. Michael Whelan has received the most awards, with 13 wins out of 24 nominations. Frank Kelly Freas has 11 wins and 28 nominations, the most nominations of any artist. Other artists with large numbers of wins or nominations include Bob Eggleton with 8 wins out of 23 nominations, Ed Emshwiller with 4 out of 8, and Don Maitz with 2 out of 17. David A. Cherry and Thomas Canty are tied for the most nominations without an award at 10 each.

Winners and nominees

In the following tables, the years correspond to the date of the ceremony. Artists are eligible based on their work of the previous calendar year. Entries with a blue background and an asterisk (*) next to the artist's name have won the award; those with a white background are the nominees on the short-list.

  *   Winners

Retro Hugos

Beginning with the 1996 Worldcon, the World Science Fiction Society created the concept of "Retro Hugos", in which the Hugo award could be retroactively awarded for 50, 75, or 100 years prior. Retro Hugos may only be awarded for years in which a Worldcon was hosted, but no awards were originally given. Retro Hugos have been awarded four times, for 1939, 1941, 1946, 1951, and 1954. The 1939 and 1941 awards were given 75 years later; the other three awards were given 50 years later. The next year that Retro Hugos can be awarded is 2022, for 1947.

References

Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist Wikipedia