1956 Hugos
Presented September 4, 1956 at NyCon II.
This was the third year the Hugos were presented (see Early Hugo Voting), and for the first time there was a shortlist of nominations followed by a vote of the membership to select the winners. The shortlist was compiled by taking nominations from anyone who cared to contribute which were then "screened by a special committee in consultation with experts in the field to determine their qualifications."
Oddly, the Best Prozine category was not nominated but was done strictly as a write-in on the final ballot.
Each member received a ballot and they were counted by Thomas S. Gardner. Voting was not by preferential ballot but by an ordinary vote-for-one procedure. In a few cases (not including Best Novel or Best New Writer) the results were close enough that a second vote was taken at the convention. The qualification year was June 1955 to June 1956. (See Early Hugo voting.)
The NyCon II committee again significantly changed the Hugo categories re-adding (with name changes) some awarded by Philcon II in 1953 and dropped by the Clevention, but also retaining some of the categories created by the Clevention.
- Best Novel: Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein
- Best Novelette: "Exploration Team" by Murray Leinster
- Best Short Story: "The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke
- Best Professional Magazine: Astounding Science Fiction ed. by John W. Campbell, Jr.
- Best Professional Artist: Frank Kelly Freas
- Best Fanzine: Inside and Science Fiction Advertiser ed. by Ron Smith
- Best Book Reviewer: Damon Knight
- Best Feature Writer: Willy Ley
- Most Promising New Author: Robert Silverberg
| 1955 | Hugos | 1957 | 1956 |
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