Hugo Award finalists

[ceemage]

Hugo Award finalists for 2024 have been announced at Eastercon in Telford by awards administrator Nicholas Whyte. My immediate take-aways:

• Excellent speeches from both Esther (Glasgow Worldcon Chair) and Nicholas Whyte about what is known about last years Hugo Award problems (Spoiler: Not much) and the way forwards (as much transparancy as possible this year).


• The potential finalists who declined nomination or who didn’t meet the rules have already been announced, which is the first time this has been done at nomination stage.


• And the full nomination stats will be released ASAP after the ceremony in August as they always used to be.


• I think there may actually be MORE Chinese language finalists this year than last. As per WSFS constitution, all last years members have nominating rights for 2024 - but not voting rights (unless of course they rejoin by the deadline). Clearly Hugo Award Fandom (which I regard as an adjacent, but seperate, fandom to SF fandom itself) is as addictive to them as it is to us!


• The announcement video of the finalists was very well done, with the implicit message that the whole damn Glasgow team (plus Hugo Gernsbeck’s grandson! 😀) regard repairing as much of the damage from last year as possible as a priority for 2024.


• For the second year in a row, the Hugo Awards have two finalists from the North East of England – John Coxon and España Sheriff - which is great. #GannettFandomReborn?


• Based on the applause at the Hugo Award finalists announcement, the finalists seem to be a very well regarded bunch amongst Greater Fandom, which is a good first sign.


• Also, 66% of last year's episodes of #doctorwho are Hugo Award finalists, which must be the highest percentage ever for this show. (This falls into the category of dubious, but technically correct, statistics. But, as #Futurama reminds us, "technically correct" is the best kind of correct...