The Sir Julius Vogel Award

The Sir Julius Vogel Awards opened for nomination on 1 January and will close on 31 March, 2011.

The Awards are made annually by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Association of New Zealand (SFFANZ) and recognize achievement in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror by New Zealanders.  Initial nominations are  open to everyone—and anyone 🙂 —but the final vote for shortlisted works is restricted to members of SFFANZ and those attending the national convention, Context, which is to be this year over Queen’s Birthday weekend, 3-6 June.

Categories of award, for works created by a New Zealander and first published or released in the 2010 calendar year, include:

Professional Categories:

• Best Novel: A Novel is any single work of SF/F/H over 40,000 words in length.
  
• Best Novella or Novelette: A Novella or Novelette is any single work of SF/F/H between 7,500 and 40,000 words (incl.) in length.
• Best Short Story: A Short Story is any single work of SF/F/H under 7,500 words in length.
• Best Collected Work: A collected work is a SF/F/H collection or anthology, magazine or journal, e-zine or webzine which must pay contributors in other than contributor copies and incidentals, or is sponsored by an institution other than a fan club, or whose editors declare themselves to be professional. At least one edition of a collected work must have been issued in the eligible calendar year. To be eligible, the work must contain not less than two genre-related contributions. An omnibus is eligible where 50 percent or more of the works it contains have not previously been on the ballot.
• Best Artwork: An artwork is a single work or series of related works of art in any medium other than text. Text may be included, but should not be the primary medium.
• Dramatic Presentation: A dramatic presentation in a visual and/or audio form.

– Long Form: The Long Form is a presentation that is 30 minutes or longer. This would typically be a film or an episode of a TV series.
– Short Form: The Short Form is a presentation that is shorter than 30 minutes. This would typically be a short film.

• Best Production/Publication: Professional production/publication is for work in any medium other than those eligible for other categories. The work must be first released or made available for public viewing in the eligible calendar year. The producer of the work must have received payment or have intended to have received payment for the work produced. Eligible works include but are not limited to: comic strips, advertising copy (moving or still), art, video, film, periodical, theatrical, journal, e-zine, webzine, computer application, or website.

• Best New Talent: recognises excellence in new talent in any professional field within science fiction, fantasy, or horror; the nomination is for the nominee’s total body of professional work to the end of the eligible year. [Note: further criteria apply so please check official site.]

Fan Categories: [See detailed criteria here]

• Best Fan Writing
• Best Fan Artwork
• Best Fan Editing
• Best Fan Publication
• Best Fan Production

Special Awards:

• Services to Fandom
• Services to Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror

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To make a nomination, here’s what you do:

If you wish to make a nomination—and remember that anyone may nominate—here’s what you do:

1. Go the Sir Julius Vogel Award site and check out “the rules'” here.
2. But my take on “what to do” is basically this:

• If you like a work of fiction or SFF tv series or film (that has been created by a NZ-er and released in 2010) then make a nomination—it costs you nothing and helps support and recognise SFF in NZ;
• You can nominate as many works as you like but only once in each category—in other words, you can nominate all the NZ-created works that you loved this year; no need to pick and choose at this stage!
• Remember to include your name and contact details when you make a nomination;
• Also include the contact details for the creator of the nominated work, where you know them, as the nomination must be accepted by them;
• Email your nominations to: sjv_awards@sffanz.sf.org.nz
• I understand that a separate email for each nominated work—with a copy to the creator of the work—is very much appreciated but not absolutely required.
• And do nominate—as the works that make the final ballot are based entirely on the number of nominations received, so if you loved a work this year and want to see it recognised, then your nomination counts!

Professional Works I Know Of That Are Eligible for Nomination This Year:

Just off the top of my head, novels I know about (i.e. I make no pretense that this is an exhaustive list!) that are eligible for nomination include (in alphabetical order by book title):

Novel (Adult):

• Archangel’s Kiss by Nalini  Singh
• Geist by Philippa Ballantine
• The Heir of Night by Helen Lowe
• The Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
• Tymon’s Flight by Mary Victoria

Novel (Young Adult):

• A Different Hunger by Lila Richards
• Ebony Hill by Anna McKenzie
• Fierce September by Fleur Beale
• Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey

And I’m sure there’s many more … 🙂 So do get nominating!