PRESS RELEASE #25 - Interaction Announces Start of Hugo Nomination Process

GLASGOW, Saturday 1 January 2005

Nominations Open for 2005 Hugo Awards – Awards to be presented in 14 categories – Nomination process open to all members of Interaction and Noreascon 4.

Interaction, the 2005 World Science Fiction Convention or Worldcon, is pleased to announce that nominations for the 2005 Hugo Awards is now open. The Hugo Awards are the Oscars of the Science Fiction World and recognize achievement in thirteen categories including Novel, Short Story, Dramatic Presentation (long form and short form), Professional Editor and Professional Artist. In addition, for 2005 the Interaction Committee has exercised its right to add a special category of Best Website.

The Hugo nomination process is open to all members of Interaction who join by January 31 2005 and to all members of Noreascon 4, the 2004 Worldcon. Nominations close on March 11 2005.

The nomination ballot is included in Progress Report 3, (PR3) which was mailed to members of Interaction during December 2004, and is also available for download from Interaction's website.

The shortlisted nominees - normally five in each category - will be announced at Easter. All members of Interaction will then be eligible to vote in the final ballot to select the winners.

The Hugo Awards are named in honour of Hugo Gernsback who, in 1926, published Amazing Stories, the first magazine dedicated to science fiction. The awards are presented every year at the World Science Fiction Convention and this year will be presented at a ceremony on August 7 in Glasgow, Scotland, the host city of the 2005 Worldcon. The ceremony is expected to be attended by up to 3,000 people, including authors, editors, publishers and other professionals from across the field, and will attract wide media coverage.

The award itself consists of a rocket designed by Jack McKnight and Ben Jason and has remained unchanged since 1955. However, the base design varies from year to year to reflect the region in which the Worldcon is being held. In 2005, the base will be selected from entries to a public competition run jointly with the Glasgow School of Art.

Information about how to join Interaction can be obtained from the convention web site, by sending an e-mail to info@interaction.worldcon.org.uk or by writing to 379 Myrtle Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S2 3HQ, UK.

ENDS

Contacts

General: info@interaction.worldcon.org.uk
Press/Media: David Stewart - press@interaction.worldcon.org.uk

The 2005 World Science Fiction Convention, known as Interaction, will take place in Glasgow, UK from 4-8 August 2005. More information about Interaction, including current membership rates, is available from its web site (http://www.interaction.worldcon.org.uk/) or by writing to info@interaction.worldcon.org.uk.

Specific press contacts, or requests to be removed from the Interaction press release mailing list should be directed to press@interaction.worldcon.org.uk.

"WSFS", "Worldcon", "World Science Fiction Convention" and "Hugo Award" are registered service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society.

"Oscar" is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Release Date 1^st January 2005