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 Hugo: "Exploration Team" by Murray Leinster
• Best Short Story Hugo: "The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke
• Best Professional Magazine Hugo: Astounding Science Fiction ed. by John W. Campbell, Jr.
• Best Professional Artist Hugo: Frank Kelly Freas
• Best Fanzine Hugo: Inside and Science Fiction Advertiser ed. by Ron Smith
• Best Book Reviewer Hugo: Damon Knight
• Best Feature Writer Hugo: Willy Ley
• 1956 Most Promising New Author Hugo: Robert Silverberg

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1955

Hugos

1957

1956

This is an award page. If you know something about it, such as who awarded it, who the winners were, what the criteria were, and when it was awarded, please add it! See Standards for Awards.