Astounding Award for Best New Writer (formerly the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer)

あすたうんどさいゆうしゅうしんじんさっかしょう（きゅう：じょん・だぶりゅー・きゃんべるさいゆうしゅうしんじんさっかしょう）

Annual award given to new writers whose first professional work was published within the past two calendar years. Formerly known as the John W. Campbell Award.

New Writer AwardScience FictionFantasy

Established: 1973
Organizer: World Science Fiction Society (WSFS: selection management) / Dell Magazines (sponsor)
Category: Genre Fiction
Selection Method: Vote
Target: Newcomer
Frequency: 1 per year
Application Deadline: around March
Status: Active

Description

The Astounding Award for Best New Writer (formerly John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer) is an award given annually to SF or fantasy writers who published their first professional work within the past two calendar years. The selection is managed by the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS) and conducted through the Worldcon committee. Nominations are made by members of the current and previous Worldcon, and the top nominees (usually 6, 5 before 2017) become finalists. Final voting is conducted by Worldcon members on the finalists (using ranked voting similar to the Hugo Awards). The winner receives a plaque, and all finalists receive a commemorative pin. Since 2005, there has been a tradition of passing a tiara among winners. Following a series of controversies in 2019, the award name was changed to the current "Astounding Award".

Prize

Main Prize: Winner receives a plaque; all finalists receive a pin; since 2005 a tiara has been passed between winners.

Plaque for the winner
Pin for all finalists
Tiara (established 2005) passed between winners

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Nomination	Nominations by members of the current and previous Worldcon (usually January to March)	Top 6 become finalists (5 before 2017). Ties result in additional finalists.	Finalists announced after nomination period ends
Final voting	Voting by Worldcon members (using ranked/instant-runoff voting same as Hugo Awards)	One winner selected from finalists	Announced at Worldcon's Hugo Award ceremony (the award itself is not a Hugo but presented at the same venue)
Eligibility screening	Eligibility determined finally by Hugo Administrators, specific criteria set by sponsor (Dell Magazines)	Reviews eligibility and determines if eligible for voting	Eligibility rulings announced by organizers/administrators as needed

Nomination

Judges Nominations by members of the current and previous Worldcon (usually January to March)

Pass Rate Top 6 become finalists (5 before 2017). Ties result in additional finalists.

Announcement Finalists announced after nomination period ends

Final voting

Judges Voting by Worldcon members (using ranked/instant-runoff voting same as Hugo Awards)

Pass Rate One winner selected from finalists

Announcement Announced at Worldcon's Hugo Award ceremony (the award itself is not a Hugo but presented at the same venue)

Eligibility screening

Judges Eligibility determined finally by Hugo Administrators, specific criteria set by sponsor (Dell Magazines)

Pass Rate Reviews eligibility and determines if eligible for voting

Announcement Eligibility rulings announced by organizers/administrators as needed

Criteria

Eligibility: First professional work published within the past two calendar years from the publication date (previous and two years prior to award year)
Qualification criteria (definition of professional publication) set by sponsor (Dell Magazines), final judgment by Hugo Administrator
2023 example: SFWA qualifying markets, 10,000+ readers, minimum 0.08 USD per word and total 80 USD or more payment, or self-pub/small press with author income over 3,000 USD in a year, etc.
Nominations by Worldcon members, top nominees (top 6) become finalists
Final selection determined by ranked voting of Worldcon members

Application Tips

Dos

Become a Worldcon member (to gain nomination and voting eligibility)
Keep clear records of your professional publications (publication dates, payments, readership, etc.)
Be aware of the nomination period (usually January to March) and prepare to solicit nominations
Check professional standards in the SF/fantasy industry (e.g., SFWA) and publish in qualifying venues
Participate in the community and build relationships with other writers and editors (may contribute to exposure and credibility)

Don''ts

Missing the nomination period (not checking deadlines or procedures)
Mistakenly thinking you're eligible when you don't meet criteria (final eligibility determined by Hugo Administrator)
Illegal vote manipulation or bribery (undermines voting integrity)
Chasing only short-term sales/exposure for the award (long-term career is important)

From Judges

Past winners/finalists note that winning doesn't directly boost sales but greatly enhances credibility and attention from other writers/publishers (ref: Michael A. Burstein's comments)
Check eligibility details and prepare records of publications/payments considered professional
Prioritize work quality and consistently publish professionally for long-term advantage
Community involvement and membership activities can indirectly help nominations, so engage rather than isolate