The 2012 Hugo Award nominees will be announced simultaneously at five conventions in the United States and Europe on April 7. Arrangements are also being made to broadcast all five convention presentations via Ustream.
This is the fourth consecutive year Worldcon members have cast a record-breaking number of Hugo nominating ballots. Chicon 7 received 1,101 nominating ballots, exceeding the 1,006 received by Renovation last year. Prior to that Aussiecon 4 received 864 in 2010 and Anticipation received 799 in 2009, each a record-setting figure at the time.
Conventions taking part in the announcement are:
- Norwescon 35, a Pacific Northwest sf convention, at Seatac, WA (1 p.m. PDT)
- Leprecon 38, an annual Arizona sf convention, at Tempe, AZ (1 p.m. MST)
- Minicon 47, Minnesota’s longest-running sf con, at Bloomington, MN (3 p.m. CDT)
- Marcon 47, an annual Midwest sf con, at Columbus, OH (4 p.m. EDT).
- Olympus 2012, the British Eastercon, (9 p.m. BST).
The final ballot voting deadline will be July 31, 2012, midnight PDT. The winners will be announced at the Hugo Awards Ceremony on Sunday, September 2.
The full press release from Chicon 7 follows the jump.
PRESS RELEASE #18
Chicon 7 Hugo Finalists to be Announced on Saturday, April 7
Chicon 7, the 70th World Science Fiction Convention,
Chicago, IL – August 30 to September 3, 2012
Postal queries to: Chicon 7, P.O. Box 13, Skokie, IL 60076
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Chicago, Illinois, USA – Chicon 7, the 70th World Science Fiction Convention (“Worldcon”), is delighted to report that the finalists for this year’s Hugo Awards and John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer will be announced on Saturday, April 7, starting at 3 p.m. CDT. We are also proud to announce that this year’s number of nomination ballots set a new record.
The nominations announcement will be made simultaneously at five conventions in the United States and Europe. Science fiction fans around the world will be able to follow the announcement live and celebrate the authors, editors, artists, and works that have been selected as the best of 2011.
Conventions taking part in the announcement are:
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Norwescon 35, one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier science fiction and fantasy conventions, at Seatac, WA (1 p.m. PDT)
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Leprecon 38, Arizona’s annual science fiction and fantasy convention, at Tempe, AZ (1 p.m. MST)
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Minicon 47, Minnesota’s longest-running science fiction convention, at Bloomington, MN (3 p.m. CDT)
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Marcon 47, the Midwest’s largest annual convention, at Columbus, OH (4 p.m. EDT).
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Olympus 2012, the British National Science Fiction Convention (Eastercon) (9 p.m. BST).
Chicon 7 representatives will be joined for the announcement by special guests including authors George RR Martin at Eastercon and Joe Haldeman at Leprecon, and artist John Picacio at Norwescon.
Final arrangements are currently being made to broadcast all five convention presentations via Ustream. Details of how to follow the announcement online will be announced on the Chicon 7 website shortly.
This year’s nomination process set a new record, with over 1100 ballots received for the first time in the long history of the Hugo Awards. Chicon 7 received a total of 1101 nomination ballots, compared to the 1006 nomination ballots received by Renovation (the previous record holder) in 2011.
The chair of Chicon 7, Dave McCarty, said “We are delighted to continue the momentum built up over the last few years in raising the profile of the Hugo Awards and the level of engagement in the nomination process. The Hugo Awards have a long record of highlighting the best in the genre and that relies on the active participation of the diverse membership of the Worldcon.”
After the announcement, the final voting process will begin. Attending, Young Adult, and Supporting members of Chicon 7 will be able to cast final ballots until July 31, 2012, midnight PDT. The winners will be announced on Sunday, September 2, during the Hugo Awards Ceremony at Chicon 7.
For additional information, contact us at hugoadmin@chicon.org.
ENDS
Chicon 7 is the 2012 World Science Fiction Convention (“Worldcon”). The first Worldcon occurred in New York City in 1939 and Worldcons have been held annually since then except for 1942-45 when there was no event due to World War II. Chicon 7’s Guests of Honor are five-time Hugo winning author Mike Resnick, artist Rowena Morrill, art agent and collector Jane Frank, science fiction fan and former Worldcon chair Peggy Rae Sapienza, and astronaut Story Musgrave. Chicon 7’s Toastmaster is John Scalzi.
For more details about the convention or to purchase memberships, visit www.chicon.org. Send press questions, or requests to be removed from the Chicon 7 press release mailing list, to press@chicon.org. Send general queries to info@chicon.org. “World Science Fiction Society,” “WSFS,” “World Science Fiction Convention,” “Worldcon,” “NASFiC,” “Hugo Award,” and the distinctive design of the Hugo Award Rocket are service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society.