First awarded to Alfred Bester in 1953, the Hugo Award is considered the most prestigious literary award in science fiction. Voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Convention, or Worldcon, the Hugo Award is given annually to the best science fiction or fantasy book from the previous year.
The Hugo Award has recognized sci-fi masters like Robert A. Heinlein, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Isaac Asimov just to name a few. Some authors have multiple Hugo wins to their name - N. K. Jemisin won the Hugo Award in 2016, 2017, and 2018 for each book in her Broken Earth trilogy, while Connie Willis tied with herself in 2011 for her two-volume release of Blackout and All Clear.
Despite creating an epic universe spanning six novels, Frank Herbert appears on the list just once in 1966 for his original Dune novel. Named for Hugo Gernsback who launched the pioneering sci-fi magazine Amazing Stories in 1926, the Hugo Award continues to celebrate the best in science fiction and fantasy.
The 2023 winner for best novel is Ursula Vernon, (known as T. Kingfisher) for Nettle and Bone, a haunting fantasy novel. This dark fairy tale received nominations for the 2023 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel and the Nebula Award for Best Novel of 2022, cementing its place as a standout in the world of fiction.
Explore our list of every Hugo winner for best science fiction and fantasy novel since 1953.
