News

Here are the 2021 Hugo Award Winners

Carina Pereira Dec 19, 2021

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Carina Pereira

Staff Writer

Carina Pereira, born in ‘87, in Portugal. Moved to Belgium in 2011, and to Rotterdam, The Netherlands, in 2019. Avid reader, changing interests as the mods strikes. Whiles away the time by improvising stand-up routines she’ll never get to perform. Books are a life-long affair, audiobooks a life-changing discovery of adulthood. Selling books by day, writer by night. Contact

View All posts by Carina Pereira

Each year since 1953, the Hugo Awards have recognized the best works of fantasy and science fiction released the year before. Winners of the 2021 awards were announced at a ceremony that took place during DisCon III, the 79th World Science Fiction Convention, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC, and online. The awards were presented by Andrea Hairston and Sheree Renée Thomas.

The award for best novel was granted to Network Effect by Martha Wells, the fifth book in The Murderbot Diaries series. Wells and The Murderbot Diaries have won this award in previous years, and the books are a favourite here at Book Riot. The Murderbot Diaries also won this year’s award for best series, with Network Effect being the first full-length standalone novel in the series. Other highlights include The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo winning for best novella and Two Truths and a Lie by Sarah Pinsker winning for best novelette.

There was also a one-off category this year: best video game, won by Hades, for literary achievement.

In 2021, there's going to be a Hugo Award For Best Video Game.

The DisCon III committee has chosen to create this special category for 2021 only, as provided for by the rules of the World Science Fiction Society.#HugoAwards

1/3 pic.twitter.com/9auCZXo3DW

— DisCon III – The 79th Worldcon (@worldcon2021) November 23, 2020

Although this is not a permanent award, the Hugo Study Committee is considering Best Game or Interactive Experience as a potential fixed category.

Without any further ado, let’s check the complete list of the 2021 Hugo Award winners!

The 2021 Hugo Award Winners

Best Short Story

“Metal Like Blood in the Dark”, T. Kingfisher (Uncanny Magazine, September/October 2020)

Best Series

The Murderbot Diaries, Martha Wells

BEST RELATED WORK

Beowulf: A New Translation, Maria Dahvana Headley

Best Graphic Story

Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, written by Octavia Butler, adapted by Damian Duffy, illustrated by John Jennings

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, LONG FORM

The Old Guard, written by Greg Rucka, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, SHORT FORM

The Good Place: Whenever You’re Ready, written and directed by Michael Schur

BEST EDITOR, SHORT FORM

Ellen Datlow

BEST EDITOR, LONG FORM

Diana M. Pho

BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST

Rovina Cai

BEST SEMIPROZINE

FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, publisher Troy L. Wiggins, executive editor DaVaun Sanders, managing editor Eboni Dunbar, poetry editor Brandon O’Brien, reviews and social media Brent Lambert, art director L. D. Lewis, and the FIYAH Team.

BEST FANZINE

nerds of a feather, flock together, ed. Adri Joy, Joe Sherry, The G, and Vance Kotrla

BEST FANCAST

The Coode Street Podcast, presented by Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe, Jonathan Strahan, producer

BEST FAN WRITER

Elsa Sjunneson

BEST FAN ARTIST

Sara Felix

BEST VIDEO GAME

Hades (Publisher and Developer: Supergiant Games)

Did you know that anyone who has a membership with the World Science Fiction Society can vote on these awards? Here’s why you should join and vote for the Hugo Awards, and make sure to check out the full list of this year’s Hugo finalists.