| Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine | |
| Awarded For: | The best semi-professional magazine devoted primarily to science fiction or fantasy |
| Presenter: | World Science Fiction Society |
| Year: | 1984 |
| Holder: | Strange Horizons (edited by the Strange Horizons Editorial Collective) |
| Holder Label: | Most recent winner |
| Website: | thehugoawards.org |
The Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine is given each year to a periodical publication related to science fiction or fantasy that meets several criteria having to do with the number of issues published and who, if anyone, receives payment. The award was first presented in 1984, and has been given annually since, though the qualifying criteria have changed. Awards were once also given out for professional magazines in the professional magazine category, and are still awarded for fan magazines in the fanzine category.
In addition to the regular Hugo awards, beginning in 1996 Retrospective Hugo Awards, or "Retro Hugos", have been available to be awarded for years 50, 75, or 100 years prior in which no awards were given. To date, Retro Hugo awards have been awarded for 1939, 1941, 1943–1946, 1951, and 1954, but for each of those years, the Semiprozine category failed to receive enough nominating votes to form a ballot.
At the 2008 business meeting, an amendment to the World Science Fiction Society's Constitution was passed that would have removed the Semiprozine category. The vote to ratify this amendment was held the following year; the ratification failed and the category remained. Instead, a committee was formed to recommend improvements to the category and related categories.
During the 41 nomination years, 40 magazines have been nominated. Of these, only 10 magazines run by 32 editors have won. Locus won 22 times and was nominated every year until a rules change in 2012 made it ineligible for the category. Uncanny Magazine has won 7 times out of 9 nominations, including 5 times in a row in 2016–2020, while Science Fiction Chronicle, Clarkesworld Magazine, and Lightspeed are the only other magazines to win more than once, with 2 awards out of 18 nominations, 3 out of 4, and 2 out of 5, respectively. Ansible has won 1 out of 7 nominations, Interzone has won 1 out of 28, FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction has each won 1 out of 6 nominations, and Weird Tales won 1 out of 4. As editor of Locus Charles N. Brown won 21 of 27 nominations, though he shared 5 of those awards with Kirsten Gong-Wong, 3 with Liza Groen Trombi and 2 with Jennifer A. Hall; as Locus editor Liza Groen Trombi won 1 shared with Kirsten Gong-Wong. Uncannys awards were primarily earned by a team of 5 people, Lynne M. Thomas, Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Erika Ensign, and Steven Schapansky. The sole editor for Chronicles awards was Andrew I. Porter, while David Pringle earned Interzones, and Ann VanderMeer and Stephen H. Segal were the editors for Weird Taless victory. Lightspeeds wins were under John Joseph Adams, Rich Horton, and Stefan Rudnicki, with Wendy N. Wagner and Christie Yant added for the second win, while David Langford was the editor when Ansible was awarded. Clarkesworld Magazines winning years were under Neil Clarke, Sean Wallace, and Kate Baker, with 2 of the three also under Cheryl Morgan and the other under Jason Heller. FIYAHs win was under Troy L. Wiggins, DaVaun Sanders, Eboni Dunbar, Brandon O'Brien, Brent Lambert, and L. D. Lewis. Strange Horizonss win was under "The Strange Horizons Editorial Collective". The New York Review of Science Fiction has received the most number of nominations without ever winning at 22, under the helm of David G. Hartwell, Kathryn Cramer, Kevin J. Maroney, and 8 other editors.
Hugo Award nominees and winners are chosen by supporting or attending members of the annual World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon). The selection process is defined in the World Science Fiction Society Constitution as instant-runoff voting among six nominees, or more in the case of a tie. The works on the ballot are the ones nominated by members that year, ranked according to a complex algorithm, with no limit on the number of works that can be nominated. The 1953 through 1956 and 1958 awards did not include any recognition of runner-up magazines, but since 1959 all six candidates were recorded. Initial nominations are made by members in the first months of each year, while voters vote on the ballot of six nominations in the middle of the year, with exact timing varying from year to year. Prior to 2017, the final ballot consisted of five works; it was changed that year to six, with each initial nominator limited to five nominations.
In the following table, the years correspond to the date of the ceremony, rather than when the work was first published. Each date links to the "year in literature" article corresponding with when the work was eligible. Entries with a yellow background won the award for that year; those with a gray background are the other nominees on the short-list. Note that Thrust was renamed to Quantum and was nominated under both names; no other magazine has been nominated under multiple names.
* Winners and joint winners| Year | Work | Editor(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Locus | ||
| Fantasy Review | |||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| Science Fiction Review | |||
| Whispers | |||
| 1985 | Locus | ||
| Fantasy Review | |||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| Science Fiction Review | |||
| Whispers | |||
| 1986 | Locus | ||
| Fantasy Review | |||
| Interzone | and David Pringle | ||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| Science Fiction Review | |||
| 1987 | Locus | ||
| Fantasy Review | |||
| Interzone | and David Pringle | ||
| Science Fiction Review | |||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| 1988 | Locus | ||
| Aboriginal Science Fiction | |||
| Interzone | and David Pringle | ||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| Thrust | |||
| 1989 | Locus | ||
| Interzone | |||
| , Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Susan Palwick, and Kathryn Cramer | |||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| Thrust | |||
| 1990 | Locus | ||
| Interzone | |||
| , Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Susan Palwick, and Kathryn Cramer | |||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| Thrust | |||
| 1991 | Locus | ||
| Interzone | |||
| , David G. Hartwell, and Gordon Van Gelder | |||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| 1992 | Locus | ||
| Interzone | |||
| , David G. Hartwell, and Gordon Van Gelder | |||
| Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine | and Dean Wesley Smith | ||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| 1993 | Science Fiction Chronicle* | ||
| Interzone | |||
| Locus | |||
| , David G. Hartwell, Ariel Haméon, and Tad Dembinski | |||
| Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine | and Jonathan E. Bond | ||
| 1994 | Science Fiction Chronicle* | ||
| Interzone | |||
| Locus | |||
| , David G. Hartwell, Ariel Haméon, and Tad Dembinski | |||
| Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine | and Jonathan E. Bond | ||
| Tomorrow Speculative Fiction | |||
| 1995 | Interzone | ||
| Locus | |||
| , David G. Hartwell, Ariel Haméon, and Tad Dembinski | |||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| Tomorrow Speculative Fiction | |||
| 1996 | Locus | ||
| Crank! | |||
| Interzone | |||
| , David G. Hartwell, Ariel Haméon, and Tad Dembinski | |||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| 1997 | Locus | ||
| Interzone | |||
| , Tad Dembinski, Ariel Haméon, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney | |||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| Speculations | |||
| 1998 | Locus | ||
| Interzone | |||
| , Ariel Haméon, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney | |||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| Speculations | |||
| 1999 | Locus | ||
| Interzone | |||
| , Ariel Haméon, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney | |||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| Speculations | |||
| 2000 | Locus | ||
| Interzone | |||
| , Ariel Haméon, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney | |||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| Speculations | |||
| 2001 | Locus | ||
| Interzone | |||
| , Ariel Haméon, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney | |||
| Science Fiction Chronicle | |||
| Speculations | and Susan Fry | ||
| 2002 | Locus | ||
| Absolute Magnitude | |||
| Interzone | |||
| , David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney | |||
| Speculations | and Kent Brewster | ||
| 2003 | Locus | , Jennifer A. Hall, and Kirsten Gong-Wong | |
| Ansible | |||
| Interzone | |||
| , David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney | |||
| Speculations | |||
| 2004 | Locus | , Jennifer A. Hall, and Kirsten Gong-Wong | |
| Ansible | |||
| Interzone | |||
| , David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney | |||
| Third Alternative | |||
| 2005 | Ansible* | ||
| Interzone | and Andy Cox | ||
| Locus | , Jennifer A. Hall, and Kirsten Gong-Wong | ||
| , David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney | |||
| Third Alternative | |||
| 2006 | Locus | , Kirsten Gong-Wong, and Liza Groen Trombi | |
| Ansible | |||
| Emerald City | |||
| Interzone | |||
| , David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney | |||
| 2007 | Locus | , Kirsten Gong-Wong, and Liza Groen Trombi | |
| Ansible | |||
| Interzone | |||
| Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet | and Gavin Grant | ||
| , David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney | |||
| 2008 | Locus | , Kirsten Gong-Wong, and Liza Groen Trombi | |
| Ansible | |||
| Helix SF | and Lawrence Watt-Evans | ||
| Interzone | |||
| , Kristine Dikeman, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney | |||
| 2009 | Weird Tales | and Stephen H. Segal | |
| Clarkesworld Magazine | , Nick Mamatas, and Sean Wallace | ||
| Interzone | |||
| Locus | , Kirsten Gong-Wong, and Liza Groen Trombi | ||
| , Kristine Dikeman, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin J. Maroney | |||
| 2010 | Clarkesworld Magazine | , Sean Wallace, and Cheryl Morgan | |
| Ansible | |||
| Interzone | |||
| Locus | , Kirsten Gong-Wong, and Liza Groen Trombi | ||
| Weird Tales | and Stephen H. Segal | ||
| 2011 | Clarkesworld Magazine | , Sean Wallace, and Cheryl Morgan; podcast directed by Kate Baker | |
| Interzone | |||
| Lightspeed | |||
| Locus | and Kirsten Gong-Wong | ||
| Weird Tales | and Stephen H. Segal | ||
| 2012 | Locus | and Kirsten Gong-Wong | |
| Apex Magazine | , Lynne M. Thomas, and Jason Sizemore | ||
| Interzone | |||
| Lightspeed | |||
| , Kevin J. Maroney, Kris Dikeman, and Avram Grumer | |||
| 2013 | Clarkesworld Magazine | , Jason Heller, Sean Wallace, and Kate Baker | |
| Apex Magazine | , Jason Sizemore, and Michael Damian Thomas | ||
| Beneath Ceaseless Skies | |||
| Lightspeed | and Stefan Rudnicki | ||
| Strange Horizons | , Jed Hartman, Lee Mandelo, An Owomoyela, Julia Rios, Abigail Nussbaum, AJ Odasso, Sonya Taaffe, Dave Nagdeman, and Rebecca Cross | ||
| 2014 | Lightspeed | , Rich Horton and Stefan Rudnicki | |
| Apex Magazine | , Jason Sizemore, and Michael Damian Thomas | ||
| Beneath Ceaseless Skies | |||
| Interzone | |||
| Strange Horizons | , Lee Mandelo, An Owomoyela, Julia Rios, Abigail Nussbaum, AJ Odasso, Sonya Taaffe, Rebecca Cross, Anaea Lay, and Shane Garvin | ||
| 2015 | Lightspeed | , Stefan Rudnicki, Rich Horton, Wendy N. Wagner, and Christie Yant | |
| Abyss & Apex Magazine | |||
| Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine | and Sue Bursztynski | ||
| Beneath Ceaseless Skies | |||
| Strange Horizons | |||
| 2016 | Uncanny Magazine | , Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Erika Ensign, Steven Schapansky | |
| Beneath Ceaseless Skies | |||
| Daily Science Fiction | and Jonathan Laden | ||
| Sci Phi Journal | |||
| Strange Horizons | , Julia Rios, AJ Odasso, Vanessa Rose Phin, and Maureen Kincaid Speller | ||
| 2017 | Uncanny Magazine | , Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Julia Rios, Erika Ensign, and Steven Schapansky | |
| Beneath Ceaseless Skies | |||
| Cirsova Heroic Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine | |||
| GigaNotoSaurus | |||
| Strange Horizons | , Catherine Krahe, Vajra Chandrasekera, Vanessa Rose Phin, Li Chua, Aishwarya Subramanian, Tim Moore, and Anaea Lay | ||
| and Thea James | |||
| 2018 | Uncanny Magazine | , Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Julia Rios, Erika Ensign, and Steven Schapansky | |
| Beneath Ceaseless Skies | |||
| and Thea James | |||
| Escape Pod | , S. B. Divya, Norm Sherman, and Benjamin C. Kinney | ||
| Fireside Magazine | , Julia Rios, Elsa Sjunneson-Henry, Mikki Kendall, and Pablo Defendini | ||
| Strange Horizons | , Gautam Bhatia, AJ Odasso, Lila Garrott, Heather McDougal, Ciro Faienza, Tahlia Day, and Vanessa Rose Phin | ||
| 2019 | Uncanny Magazine | , Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Erika Ensign, Steven Schapansky, Elsa Sjunneson-Henry, and Dominik Parisien | |
| Beneath Ceaseless Skies | |||
| Fireside Magazine | , Elsa Sjunneson-Henry, Chelle Parker, Meg Frank, Tanya DePass, Brian White, and Pablo Defendini | ||
| FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction | , DaVaun Sanders, L. D. Lewis, Brandon O'Brien, Kaleb Russell, Danny Lore, and Brent Lambert | ||
| Shimmer Magazine | and E. Catherine Tobler | ||
| Strange Horizons | , Kate Dollarhyde, Vanessa Rose Phin, Vajra Chandrasekera, Romie Stott, Maureen Kincaid Speller | ||
| 2020 | Uncanny Magazine | , Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Chimedum Ohaegbu, Erika Ensign, Steven Schapansky | |
| Beneath Ceaseless Skies | |||
| Escape Pod | , S. B. Divya, Benjamin C. Kinney, Adam Pracht, Summer Brooks, Tina Connolly, Alasdair Stuart | ||
| Fireside Magazine | , Elsa Sjunneson, Chelle Parker, Meg Frank, Pablo Defendini, Brian White | ||
| FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction | , Eboni Dunbar, Brent Lambert, L. D. Lewis, Danny Lore, Brandon O'Brien and Kaleb Russell | ||
| Strange Horizons | , Catherine Krahe, AJ Odasso, Dan Hartland, Joyce Chng, Dante Luiz | ||
| 2021 | FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction | , DaVaun Sanders, Eboni Dunbar, Brandon O'Brien, Brent Lambert, L. D. Lewis | |
| Beneath Ceaseless Skies | |||
| Escape Pod | , S. B. Divya, Benjamin C. Kinney, Adam Pracht, Summer Brooks, Tina Connolly, Alasdair Stuart | ||
| PodCastle | C. L. Clark, Jen R. Albert, Setsu Uzumé, Peter Adrian Behravesh | ||
| Uncanny Magazine | , Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Chimedum Ohaegbu, Elsa Sjunneson, Erika Ensign, Steven Schapansky | ||
| Strange Horizons | et al. | ||
| 2022 | Uncanny Magazine | , Michael Damian Thomas, Chimedum Ohaegbu, Elsa Sjunneson, Erika Ensign, Steven Schapansky | |
| Beneath Ceaseless Skies | |||
| Escape Pod | , Mur Lafferty, Valerie Valdes, et al. | ||
| FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction | , DaVaun Sanders, et al. | ||
| PodCastle | , C. L. Clark, Shingai Njeri Kagunda, Eleanor R. Wood, et al. | ||
| Strange Horizons | |||
| 2023 | Uncanny Magazine | , Michael Damian Thomas, Chimedum Ohaegbu, Monte Lin, Meg Elison, Erika Ensign, Steven Schapansky | |
| Escape Pod | , Valerie Valdes, Benjamin C. Kinney, Premee Mohamed, Tina Connolly, Summer Brooks, Adam Pracht | ||
| FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction | |||
| khōréō | Team khōréō | ||
| PodCastle | , Eleanor R. Wood, Sofia Barker, Matt Dovey, Peter Adrian Behravesh, Devin Martin, Eric Valdes | ||
| Strange Horizons | |||
| 2024 | Strange Horizons | ||
| Escape Pod | , Valerie Valdes, Benjamin C. Kinney, Premee Mohamed, Kevin Wabaunsee, Tina Connolly, Alasdair Stuart, Summer Brooks, Adam Pracht, Escape Pod team | ||
| FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction | , B. Sharise Moore, L. D. Lewis, Christian Ivey, Rebecca McGee, Kerine Wint, Joshua Morley, Emmalia Harrington, Genine Tyson, Tonya R. Moore, Nelson Rolon | ||
| GigaNotoSaurus | , Mia Tsai, Edgard Wentz, GNS Slushreaders Team | ||
| khōréō | et al. | ||
| Uncanny Magazine | , Michael Damian Thomas, Monte Lin, Meg Elison, Erika Ensign, Steven Schapansky |