Difference between revisions of "1959 Hugos"

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(typos, remove RLF story clearly misdated from 1960 – unthinkable it would repeat 2x without any sources. While at it, explain categories changes (as much as comprehensible from 1950es chaos) and link Fanac documents)
 
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Awarded September 7, 1959, by [[Detention]].  Another year, another change of categories!  The [[Detention]] committee retained some of [[Solacon]]'s changes, and rolled back others and managed to come up with a set of [[Hugo]] categories which looked more like the set used starting in the late 60s than any other of the pre-1967 [[Worldcons]].  
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Awarded September 7, 1959, by [[Detention]], the Detroit [[Worldcon]].  Another year, another change of categories!  The committee retained some of [[Solacon]]'s [[1958 Hugos|changes]] (film category, what else…?), rolled back others (reinstating Fanzine; re-separating Novel from "[[Novelette]]" – NB this was used in the modern sense of [[Novella]], i. e. "text just shorter than a novel", not the modern "longer than a short story"; unifying "Outstanding" titles to Best), and managed to come up with eight [[Hugo]] categories which looked more like the set used starting in the late 60s than any other of the pre-1967 [[Worldcons]]. (Of these, best [[newbie]] was [[no-award]]ed and abandoned forever… to return from the dead as the [[Campbell Award]] fourteeen years later.)
  
 
For the first time, there was a nomination ballot.  It was circulated widely through [[fandom]], anyone was allowed to nominate, and then the [[final ballot]] was distributed as usual in a [[PR]]. (See [[Early Hugo voting]].) [[Howard DeVore]] reported in [[Lynn Hickman]]’s [[fanzine]] ''[[JD-Argassy]]'' 41 ([https://www.fanac.org/fanzines/JD-Argassy/JD-Argassy41.pdf January 31, 1959, p. 8]):
 
For the first time, there was a nomination ballot.  It was circulated widely through [[fandom]], anyone was allowed to nominate, and then the [[final ballot]] was distributed as usual in a [[PR]]. (See [[Early Hugo voting]].) [[Howard DeVore]] reported in [[Lynn Hickman]]’s [[fanzine]] ''[[JD-Argassy]]'' 41 ([https://www.fanac.org/fanzines/JD-Argassy/JD-Argassy41.pdf January 31, 1959, p. 8]):
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  The [[Detention]] [[Committee]] have announced a new system for awarding the “HUGO’S” for ’59. ALL of fandom will be allowed to make nominations and to vote on the nominations. Probably the first time that fandom as a whole has had a voice in naming the people who are considered for the awards. A copy of the initial ballott will appear here shortly and all readers are urged to vote whether they have joined the convention proper or not. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO JOIN THE CONVENTION TO VOTE *** but, it takes money to pay for the trophys and your two dollars to [[Jim Broderick|JAMES BRODERICK]], 12011 KILBOURNE ST./DETROIT 13, MICHIGAN will buy you a membership and help pay for the trophies.
 
  The [[Detention]] [[Committee]] have announced a new system for awarding the “HUGO’S” for ’59. ALL of fandom will be allowed to make nominations and to vote on the nominations. Probably the first time that fandom as a whole has had a voice in naming the people who are considered for the awards. A copy of the initial ballott will appear here shortly and all readers are urged to vote whether they have joined the convention proper or not. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO JOIN THE CONVENTION TO VOTE *** but, it takes money to pay for the trophys and your two dollars to [[Jim Broderick|JAMES BRODERICK]], 12011 KILBOURNE ST./DETROIT 13, MICHIGAN will buy you a membership and help pay for the trophies.
  
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(Note that the modern rules were not yet in places, so categories had as many as ten nominees plus No Award on the final ballot. The [[committee]] noted that when the [[nomination ballot]] showed there was no clearly preferred nominee, they added No Award as a choice.  Additionally, the category titles had not yet been standardized, so one category was "Best [[STF]] or [[Fantasy]] Movie" on the nomination ballot, but was "Best Hollywood Movie of 1958" on the final ballot.))
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The modern rules were not yet in place, so categories had as many as ten nominees plus No Award on the final ballot. The [[committee]] noted that when the [[nomination ballot]] showed there was no clearly preferred nominee, they added No Award as a choice.  Additionally, the category titles had not yet been standardized, so "Best [[STF]] or [[Fantasy]] Movie" on the nomination ballot became "Best Hollywood Movie of 1958" on the final ballot, perhaps in recognition of the extremely low offer as well as interest – except that "''The Horror of [[Dracula]]''" was actually a British [[Hammer]] import.
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There was also an attempted ballot-stuffing: Seventy nominations (a huge number for this period) for [[R. Lionel Fanthorpe]] came in from one town in [[England]] and none of the voters' names were recognized by [[British fans]]. The nominations were ignored and the following year the rule was made that nominators had to be members of the [[Worldcon]]. (There was no evidence that [[Fanthorpe]] had anything to do with the ballot stuffing.)
 
  
 
[[Isaac Asimov]] was the [[toastmaster]] at the Hugo Ceremony and was joined by [[Robert Bloch]].  According to Asimov, Bloch opened the envelope with the name of the winner of the Short Story Hugo and was so surprised, Asimov had to read over Bloch's shoulder that Bloch had won.
 
[[Isaac Asimov]] was the [[toastmaster]] at the Hugo Ceremony and was joined by [[Robert Bloch]].  According to Asimov, Bloch opened the envelope with the name of the winner of the Short Story Hugo and was so surprised, Asimov had to read over Bloch's shoulder that Bloch had won.
  
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Winners:  
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Winners:
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* [[1959 Best Novel Hugo|Best Novel]]: ''A Case of Conscience'' by [[James Blish]]
 
* [[1959 Best Novel Hugo|Best Novel]]: ''A Case of Conscience'' by [[James Blish]]
 
* [[1959 Best Professional Magazine Hugo|Best Professional Magazine]]: ''[[The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction]]'' ed. by [[Anthony Boucher]] and [[Robert P. Mills]]
 
* [[1959 Best Professional Magazine Hugo|Best Professional Magazine]]: ''[[The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction]]'' ed. by [[Anthony Boucher]] and [[Robert P. Mills]]
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* [[1959 Best New Author of 1958 Hugo|Best New Author of 1958]]: [[No Award]]
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* [[1959 Best New Author of 1958 Hugo|Best New Author of 1958]]: [[No Award]] (second was [[Brian W. Aldiss]]; some later listings named him with this disclaimer or even without, as a regular winner)
 
* [[1959 Best Novelette Hugo|Best Novelette]]: "The Big Front Yard" by [[Clifford D. Simak]]
 
* [[1959 Best Novelette Hugo|Best Novelette]]: "The Big Front Yard" by [[Clifford D. Simak]]
 
* [[1959 Best Short Story Hugo|Best Short Story]]: "That Hell-Bound Train" by [[Robert Bloch]]
 
* [[1959 Best Short Story Hugo|Best Short Story]]: "That Hell-Bound Train" by [[Robert Bloch]]
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* [[1959 Best Professional Artist Hugo|Best Professional Artist]]: [[Frank Kelly Freas]]
 
* [[1959 Best Professional Artist Hugo|Best Professional Artist]]: [[Frank Kelly Freas]]
 
* [[1959 Best SF or Fantasy Movie Hugo|Best SF or Fantasy Movie]]: [[No Award]]
 
* [[1959 Best SF or Fantasy Movie Hugo|Best SF or Fantasy Movie]]: [[No Award]]
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Links:
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* https://fanac.org/conpubs/Worldcon/Detention/ – includes nomination ballots (2 versions) and final ballot
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* [https://fanac.org/worldcon/Detention/w59-p04.html Hugo Award Ceremony and Awards] photos
  
 
{{award | year=1959 | parent=Hugos}}
 
{{award | year=1959 | parent=Hugos}}
 
[[Category:Hugos]]
 
[[Category:Hugos]]
 
[[Category:World]]
 
[[Category:World]]

Latest revision as of 11:41, 4 April 2022

Awarded September 7, 1959, by Detention, the Detroit Worldcon. Another year, another change of categories! The committee retained some of Solacon's changes (film category, what else…?), rolled back others (reinstating Fanzine; re-separating Novel from "Novelette" – NB this was used in the modern sense of Novella, i. e. "text just shorter than a novel", not the modern "longer than a short story"; unifying "Outstanding" titles to Best), and managed to come up with eight Hugo categories which looked more like the set used starting in the late 60s than any other of the pre-1967 Worldcons. (Of these, best newbie was no-awarded and abandoned forever… to return from the dead as the Campbell Award fourteeen years later.)

For the first time, there was a nomination ballot. It was circulated widely through fandom, anyone was allowed to nominate, and then the final ballot was distributed as usual in a PR. (See Early Hugo voting.) Howard DeVore reported in Lynn Hickman’s fanzine JD-Argassy 41 (January 31, 1959, p. 8): 

The Detention Committee have announced a new system for awarding the “HUGO’S” for ’59. ALL of fandom will be allowed to make nominations and to vote on the nominations. Probably the first time that fandom as a whole has had a voice in naming the people who are considered for the awards. A copy of the initial ballott will appear here shortly and all readers are urged to vote whether they have joined the convention proper or not. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO JOIN THE CONVENTION TO VOTE *** but, it takes money to pay for the trophys and your two dollars to JAMES BRODERICK, 12011 KILBOURNE ST./DETROIT 13, MICHIGAN will buy you a membership and help pay for the trophies.

The modern rules were not yet in place, so categories had as many as ten nominees plus No Award on the final ballot. The committee noted that when the nomination ballot showed there was no clearly preferred nominee, they added No Award as a choice. Additionally, the category titles had not yet been standardized, so "Best STF or Fantasy Movie" on the nomination ballot became "Best Hollywood Movie of 1958" on the final ballot, perhaps in recognition of the extremely low offer as well as interest – except that "The Horror of Dracula" was actually a British Hammer import.

Isaac Asimov was the toastmaster at the Hugo Ceremony and was joined by Robert Bloch. According to Asimov, Bloch opened the envelope with the name of the winner of the Short Story Hugo and was so surprised, Asimov had to read over Bloch's shoulder that Bloch had won.

Winners:

Links:

1958 Hugos 1960 1959
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.
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