Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel explained

Aurealis Award for best young adult novel
Awarded For:	Excellence in young adult speculative fiction novels
Presenter:	Chimaera Publications, Continuum Foundation
Country:	Australia
Year:	1995
Holder:	Kathryn Barker
Website:	Official site
Status:	Active

The Aurealis Awards are presented annually by the Australia-based Chimaera Publications and WASFF to published works to "recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy, horror writers".^[1] To qualify, a work must have been first published by an Australian citizen or permanent resident between 1 January and 31 December of the corresponding year;^[2] the presentation ceremony is held the following year. It has grown from a small function of around 20 people to a two-day event attended by over 200 people.^[3]

Since their creation in 1995, awards have been given in various categories of speculative fiction. Categories currently include science fiction, fantasy, horror, speculative young adult fiction—with separate awards for novels and short fiction—collections, anthologies, illustrative works or graphic novels, children's books, and an award for excellence in speculative fiction.^[1] The awards have attracted the attention of publishers by setting down a benchmark in science fiction and fantasy. The continued sponsorship by publishers such as HarperCollins and Orbit has added weight to the honour of the award.^[4]

The results are decided by a panel of judges from a list of submitted nominees; the long-list of nominees is reduced to a short-list of finalists.^[1] Ties can occur if the panel decides that both entries show equal merit, however they are encouraged to choose a single winner.^[5] The judges are selected from a public application process by the Award's management team.^[6]

This article lists all the short-list nominees and winners in the best young-adult novel category, as well as novels that have been highly commended. Four people have won the award twice – Isobelle Carmody, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfeld, and most recently Kathryn Barker. Nix and Westerfeld hold the record for most nominations with nine, and Rory Barnes has the most nominations without winning, having been a losing finalist five times.

Winners and nominees

In the following table, the years correspond to the year of the book's eligibility; the ceremonies are always held the following year. Each year links to the corresponding "year in literature" article. Entries with a blue background have won the award; those with a white background are the nominees on the short-list.

Winners and joint winners
Nominees on the shortlist

Year	Author(s)	Novel	Publisher	Ref
		Deucalion		^[7]
		Sabriel
		Ashling
		Witch Bank
		Mirror, Mirror		^[8]
		Beyond the Hanging Wall
		Firedancer
		Greylands		^[9]
		Eye to Eye
		Zones
		Shade's Children
		Singing the Dogstar Blues		^[10]
		Horsehead Boy
		Killing Darcy
				^[11]
		Horsehead Man
		Stuck in Fast Forward
		Into the Dark
		Thursday's Child		^[12]
		Horsehead Soup
		Ferren and the Angel
		Omega
				^[13]
		Lirael
		Terra-Farma
				^[14]
		Mum, Me, the 19th C
		Fireworks and Darkness
		Abhorsen		^[15]
		Dragonkeeper
				^[16]
		Flesh and Blood
		Undine
		Hot Nights, Cool Dragons
		Alyzon Whitestarr		^[17]
		Nightpeople
		Magic or Madness
		Peeps
		Uglies
		Foundling		^[18]
		Magic Lessons
		Wildwood Dancing
		Skyfall		^[19]
		Taste of Lightning
		Cybele's Secret
		Heart of Gold
		Extras
		Finnikin of the Rock		^[20]
		Lamplighter
		Leviathan		^[21]
				^[22]
				^[23]
		Only Ever Always		^[24]
		Shift	Hardie Grant Egmont	^[25]
		Secrets of Carrick: Tantony
		Black Glass	Scribe Publications
	(tie)	Dead, Actually		^[26]
	(tie)	Sea Hearts
		And All the Stars	Andrea K. Hosth	^[27]
		Into That Forest	Allen & Unwin
	& Meagan Spooner* (tie)	These Broken Stars		^[28] ^[29]
	(tie)	Fairytales for Wilde Girls
		Hunting	Andrea K. Hösth
			University of Queensland Press
				^[30]
		Afterworld
		Clariel
		Afterworlds	Penguin Books Australia
		In the Skin of a Monster
		Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club
		Day Boy
		Illuminae
		Hush	Penguin Random House Australia
		Lady Helen and the Dark Days Pact
		Elegy	Penguin Random House Australia
			Penguin Random House Australia
		Gemima: The Illuminae Files 2
		Goldenhand	Allen & Unwin
			Hardie Grant Egmont
			Bonnier Publishing Australia
			Puffin UK
			Text Publishing
	& Ezekiel Kwaymullina*
		Lifel1k3
			Allen & Unwin
				^[31]
				^[32]
			Macmillan
			SOV Media
			Allen & Unwin	^[33]
	Asphyxia		Allen & Unwin	^[34]
	and Jay Kristoff		Allen & Unwin
	and Meagan Spooner		Allen & Unwin
			Allen & Unwin
			Allen & Unwin
2021			Allen & Unwin	^[35]
	and Jay Kristoff		Allen & Unwin
			Text
			Allen & Unwin
			Allen & Unwin
		Night Lights	Fourteen Press	^[36]
		The Rarkyn's Familiar	Parliament House Press
		Only a Monster	Allen & Unwin
		If You Could See the Sun	HQ Fiction
		We Who Hunt the Hollow	Hardie Grant

Most nominations (as of the 2022 ceremony celebrating 2021 nominees):

• Garth Nix (9)
• Scott Westerfeld (9)
• Jay Kristoff (8)
• Amie Kaufman (7)
• Isobelle Carmody (4)
• Alison Goodman (4)
• Rory Barnes (3)
• Victor Kelleher (3)
• Juliet Marillier (3)

Double wins (as of the 2022 ceremony celebrating 2021 nominees):

• Kathryn Barker (2)
• Isobelle Carmody (2)
• Garth Nix (2)
• Scott Westerfeld (2)

High commendations

The high commendations are announced alongside the list of finalists for their respected year of eligibility.^[37] In the following table, the years correspond to the year of the book's eligibility; the ceremonies are always held the following year. Each year links to the corresponding "year in literature" article.

Year	Author	Novel	Publisher	Ref
				^[38]
		Breathe
		Pretties

See also

• Ditmar Award, an Australian science fiction award established in 1969

External links

• Aurealis Awards

Notes and References

1. Web site: Aurealis Awards – About Us . . 2010-01-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100814054206/http://www.aurealisawards.com/AboutUs.htm . 14 August 2010 . dead .
2. Web site: Aurealis Awards – Rules and Conditions . . 2010-01-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120505121118/http://www.aurealisawards.com/Rules.htm . 5 May 2012 . dead .
3. Web site: Horror a hit . . . 2007-02-02 . Jason . Nahrung . 2010-01-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070404104456/http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21153270-5003424,00.html . 4 April 2007 . live .
4. Koval, Ramona (presenter) . 2009-02-05 . Spotlight on speculative fiction writers . mp3 . 1:18–2:16 . Radio broadcast . . https://web.archive.org/web/20090214013326/http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/stories/2009/2483009.htm . 14 February 2009 . dead .
5. Web site: Guidelines for Judges . . 2010-01-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110927173942/http://www.aurealisawards.com/downloads/guidelines-for-judges.doc . 27 September 2011 . dead .
6. Web site: Aurealis Awards – FAQ . . 2010-01-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100316082702/http://www.aurealisawards.com/FAQ.htm . 16 March 2010 . dead .
7. Web site: The Locus Index to SF Awards: 1996 Aurealis Awards . . 2010-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100424014358/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Aurealis1996.html . 24 April 2010 . live .
8. Web site: The Locus Index to SF Awards: 1997 Aurealis Awards . . 2010-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100424014404/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Aurealis1997.html . 24 April 2010 . live .
9. Web site: The Locus Index to SF Awards: 1998 Aurealis Awards . . 2010-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100424014409/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Aurealis1998.html . 24 April 2010 . live .
10. Web site: The Locus Index to SF Awards: 1999 Aurealis Awards . . 2010-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100424013317/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Aurealis1999.html . 24 April 2010 . dead .
11. Web site: The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2000 Aurealis Awards . . 2010-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100424092453/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Aurealis2000.html . 24 April 2010 . dead .
12. Web site: The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2001 Aurealis Awards . . 2010-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100424013332/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Aurealis2001.html . 24 April 2010 . live .
13. Web site: The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2002 Aurealis Awards . . 2010-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100424014414/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Aurealis2002.html . 24 April 2010 . dead .
14. Web site: The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2003 Aurealis Awards . . 2010-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100424100210/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Aurealis2003.html . 24 April 2010 . live .
15. Web site: The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2004 Aurealis Awards . . 2010-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100424014419/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Aurealis2004.html . 24 April 2010 . live .
16. Web site: The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2005 Aurealis Awards . . 2010-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100423084551/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Aurealis2005.html . 23 April 2010 . live .
17. Web site: The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2006 Aurealis Awards . . 2010-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100420221639/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Aurealis2006.html . 20 April 2010 . dead .
18. Web site: The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2007 Aurealis Awards . . 2010-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100423065700/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Aurealis2007.html . 23 April 2010 . dead .
19. Web site: The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2008 Aurealis Awards . . 2010-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100424014424/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Aurealis2008.html . 24 April 2010 . dead .
20. Web site: "SFADB: Aurealis Awards 2009". SFADB. 29 March 2024. 29 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240329034843/https://www.sfadb.com/Aurealis_Awards_2009. live.
21. Web site: Aurealis Awards 2009: Young Adult Judges' Report . . 2010-01-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110707185355/http://aurealisawards.com/downloads/YA.pdf . 7 July 2011 . dead .
22. Web site: 2010 Aurealis Award winners . SpecFaction NSW . 21 May 2011 . 2011-05-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110821155648/http://www.aurealisawards.com/winners2010.pdf . 21 August 2011 . dead .
23. Web site: Aurealis Awards Finalists 2010 . SpecFaction NSW . 2011-03-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110521042923/http://www.aurealisawards.com/finalists2010.pdf . 21 May 2011 . dead .
24. Web site: 2011 Aurealis Award winners . SpecFaction NSW . 2012-05-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130903075928/http://www.aurealisawards.com/media-release_winners2011.pdf . 3 September 2013 . dead .
25. Web site: Aurealis Awards Finalists 2011 . SpecFaction NSW . 2011-04-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120503231940/http://www.aurealisawards.com/finalists2011.pdf . 3 May 2012 . dead .
26. Web site: 2012 Aurealis Award winners . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131030221659/http://www.aurealisawards.com/AA-winners_2012_media-release.pdf . 30 October 2013 . 2013-05-19 . SpecFaction NSW.
27. Web site: 2012 Aurealis Awards finalists announced . SpecFaction NSW . 2013-04-06 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150218061332/http://www.aurealisawards.com/media-release_finalists-March-2013.pdf . 18 February 2015 .
28. Web site: 2013 Aurealis Awards finalists announced . Conflux . 2014-03-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140315100521/http://www.aurealisawards.com/Media%20Release%20-%20Finalists%20Feb%202014.pdf . 15 March 2014 .
29. Web site: 2013 Aurealis Awards Winners . Conflux . 2014-04-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080206045120/http://www.aurealisawards.com/ . 6 February 2008 . dead .
30. Web site: And the winners are... . Conflux . 2015-04-12 . 12 April 2015 . 25 May 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150525060344/http://aurealisawards.org/2015/04/12/and-the-winners-are/ . live .
31. Web site: 2020-07-29. Aurealis Awards 2019 winners announced. 2020-08-03. Books+Publishing. en-AU. 16 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230216120222/https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2020/07/29/154412/aurealis-awards-2019-winners-announced/. live.
32. Web site: Aurealis Awards 2019 finalists announced. 2020-03-27. Books+Publishing. en-AU. 2020-03-29. 29 March 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200329062230/https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2020/03/27/148459/aurealis-awards-2019-finalists-announced/. live.
33. Web site: 2021-07-09. Aurealis Awards 2020 winners announced. live. 2021-07-09. Books+Publishing. en-AU. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709012007/https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2021/07/09/189384/aurealis-awards-2020-winners-announced/ . 9 July 2021 .
34. Web site: 2021-04-06. Aurealis Awards 2020 finalists announced. live. 2021-04-07. Books+Publishing. en-AU. https://web.archive.org/web/20210415102926/https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2021/04/06/184772/aurealis-awards-2020-finalists-announced/ . 15 April 2021 .
35. Web site: sfadb: Aurealis Awards 2022 . 2022-06-30 . www.sfadb.com . 23 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220623022251/https://www.sfadb.com/Aurealis_Awards_2022 . live .
36. Web site: 2023-03-10 . Aurealis Awards shortlists announced . 2023-03-11 . Books+Publishing . 11 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230311222452/https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2023/03/10/228046/aurealis-awards-shortlists-announced/ . live .
37. Web site: Guidelines for Judges . . 2009-12-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110927173942/http://www.aurealisawards.com/downloads/guidelines-for-judges.doc . 27 September 2011 . dead .
38. Web site: Aurealis Awards, previous years' results . . 1995–2008 . 2010-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101224172144/http://www.aurealisawards.com/downloads/history1995_2008.pdf.pdf . 24 December 2010 . dead .