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 2025 winner for best novel is Robert Jackson Bennett for The Tainted Cup, an innovative blend of fantasy and murder mystery. Bennett is also the winner of the Shirley Jackson Award and the British Fantasy Award for Best Newcomer. He is the author of the acclaimed Divine Cities Trilogy, which was a Hugo Award finalist for Best Series, and The Founders Trilogy, which begins with Foundryside and concludes with Locklands.
Explore our list of every Hugo winner for best science fiction and fantasy novel since 1953.
