The Parsec Awards were a set of annual awards created to recognize excellence in science fiction podcasts and podcast novels. The awards were created by Mur Lafferty, Tracy Hickman and Michael R. Mennenga and awarded by FarPoint Media. They were first presented in 2006 at DragonCon. In 2009 the awards were described as "one of the most recognizable honors in science and fiction podcasting". The awards were given from 2006 to 2018.
Nominations were accepted from the listening public annually in each of the categories. The list was vetted for eligibility by the steering committee before producers were invited to submit samples of work for consideration by a panel of judges. The panel reduced the list of nominees to five finalists in each category. The finalists' work was submitted for judging and the winner was selected by that panel of authors, podcasters, and others knowledgeable in the field of speculative fiction, podcasting, and/or publishing. Past finalist judges have included Catherine Asaro, Charles de Lint, Cory Doctorow, and Evo Terra.
The awards were last presented in 2018.
Winners +2018CategoryWinnerCreatorBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form)Uncanny County Todd Faulkner, Alison Crane, William Franke, Nicole Greevy, and Jessica WalkerBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form)The Axe and CrownEli McIlveen and Sean HowardBest Speculative Fiction Story: Large Cast (Short Form)"Buddies for Hire", The Gray AreaEdward ChampionBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Long Form)Derelict: TombPaul E. Cooley (Shadow Publications)Best Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Short Form)"Six Jobs", PodCastleTim PrattBest Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology PodcastEscape PodBest Fact Behind the Fiction PodcastAstronomy CastBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General)KalanadiBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific)To the Journey!Best Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content CreationUnder the PuppetBest Speculative Fiction Video StoryActive Radioactive RadioBest New Speculative Fiction Podcaster or TeamThe PhenomenonBest Speculative Fiction Comedy or Parody PodcastRobotz of the Company +2017CategoryWinnerCreatorBest Speculative Fiction Comedy or Parody PodcastStar Wars Best in Galaxy (Season 3)Mark Restuccia and Patch HydeBest Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content CreationCalliope Writing Coach PodcastAngie Fenimore and Michael Sheen (Dandelion Productions)Best Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific)Aggressive Negotiations: A Star Wars PodcastJohn Mills and Matt RushingBest Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology PodcastThe Theatre of TomorrowTravis McMaster and Mark WhittenBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General)The Faculty of HorrorAndrea Subissati and Alexandra WestBest Fact Behind the Fiction PodcastTalk Nerdy with Cara Santa MariaCara Santa MariaBest Speculative Fiction Video StoryThe Uncle Interloper ShowGrant BacioccoBest New Speculative Fiction Podcaster or TeamMarsCorpDefinitely HumanBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form)Uncanny CountyTodd Faulkner, Alison Crane, and Nicole GreevyBest Speculative Fiction Story: Large Cast (Short Form)"Genie", Return HomeMaia Brown-JacksonBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Long Form)"Things Unseen", The Raven and the Writing DeskChris LesterBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Short Form)"Shadows", The Wicked LibraryK. B. GoddardBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Novella Form)Six Stories, Told at NightK. T. BryskiBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form)"Woods Ferry", Campfire Radio TheaterJohn Ballentine +2016CategoryWinnerCreatorBest Speculative Fiction Comedy or Parody Podcast"The Voyages of the USS Sisyphus", Improvised Star TrekChristopher RathjenBest Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content CreationThe Journeyman WriterAlastair StephensBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific)Verity!Deborah Stanish, Erika Ensign, Katrina Griffiths, L. M. Myles, Lynne M. Thomas, and Tansy Rayner RobertsBest Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology PodcastThe Uncanny Magazine PodcastLynne M. Thomas, Michael Damian Thomas, Erika Ensign, and Steven SchapanskyBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General)The IncomparableJason SnellBest Fact Behind the Fiction PodcastUniverse Today's Guide to SpaceFraser CainBest Speculative Fiction Video StoryThe Ultimate Nerd-amentGrant Baciocco and Russ WalkoBest New Speculative Fiction Podcaster or TeamUncanny CountyTodd Faulkner and Alison CraneBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form)Uncanny CountyTodd Faulkner and Alison CraneBest Speculative Fiction Story: Large Cast (Long Form)"Property Damage Claim #1-1403986", Reading Out LoudRyan P. DukeBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Long Form)After the PlagueMike BennettBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Short Form)"Graves", Tales to TerrifyJustin CawthorneBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form)"Balance of Darkness", The Galaxy Quest Restoration ProjectDavid A. MackenzieBest Speculative Fiction Story: Large Cast (Short Form)"Oddfellows Local", The Voice of Free Planet X Jared Axelrod +2015CategoryWinnerCreatorBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form)"The Sinister Secret of StarNasty" or "A Mike in the Mechanics", Hadron Gospel HourMichael McQuilkin and Richard WentworthBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form)Aaron's WorldMike Meraz and Aaron MerazBest Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content CreationThe Journeyman WriterBest Speculative Fiction Comedy or Parody Podcast New MessageBest Fact Behind the Fiction PodcastUniverse Today's Guide to SpaceBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General)The IncomparableBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific)The Scot and the SassenachBest Speculative Fiction Story: Large Cast (Short Form)"Last Contact", The Dunesteef Audio Fiction MagazineRish Outfield and Bigg AnklevichBest Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology PodcastSeminarBest New Speculative Fiction Podcaster or TeamPleasureTownBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Novella and Long Form)The BlackBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Short Form)"O'Malley’s Media Storm", SeminarV. C. MorrisonBest Speculative Fiction Video StoryMario Warfare +2014CategoryWinnerCreatorBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Short Form)"Growth Spurt", PseudopodPaul LorelloBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Novella Form)"Blood and Smoke", Underwood and FlinchMike BennettBest Speculative Fiction Story: Large Cast (Short Form)"Dirty Hands", Seminar: An Original Anthology ShowNiall KitsonBest Speculative Fiction Story: Long FormFire on the MoundWilliam J. MeyerBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form)"Tallington", We Are Not AloneJon ThrowerBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form)We're Alive: A Story of SurvivalKc WaylandBest Speculative Fiction Video StoryOnce Upon a Time in the 1970sChris and Anne LukemanBest Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology PodcastThe NoSleep PodcastDavid CummingsBest New Speculative Fiction Podcaster or TeamHadron Gospel HourRichard Wentworth, Michael McQuilkin, Lisa McQuilkin, and Michael AtkinsonBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific)Cyborgs: A Bionic PodcastJohn S. Drew and Paul K. BissonBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General)Sword & LaserVeronica Belmont and Tom MerrittBest Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content CreationStoryWonk SundayLani Diane Rich and Alastair StephensBest Fact Behind the Fiction PodcastUniverse Today's Guide to SpaceFraser CainBest Speculative Fiction Comedy or Parody PodcastDragonConTVBrian Richardson, Stephen Granade, Alex White, Chris Lloyd, Tommy Byrd, Patrick Freeman, and Rachel Pendergrass +2013CategoryWinnerCreatorBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Short Form)"Now Cydonia", Cast of WondersRick KennettBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Novella Form)The Shadow Over Innsmouth by H.P. LovecraftMike BennettBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Long Form)Underwood and FlinchMike BennettBest Speculative Fiction Story: Large Cast"The Road To Utopia Plain", The Dunesteef Audio Fiction MagazineRick KennettBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form)The Minister of ChanceRadio StaticBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form)Star Trek: OutpostTony Raymond and Daniel McIntoshBest Speculative Fiction Video StoryI Have Your HeartMolly Crabapple, Kim Boekbinder, and Jim BattBest Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology PodcastTales from the Archives, Volume 2Tee Morris and Pip BallantineBest New Speculative Fiction Podcaster or TeamThe NoSleep PodcastDavid CummingsBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific)RebelForce RadioJimmy Mac and Jason SwankBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General)Nights at the Round TableAsh FarbrotherBest Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content CreationStoryForwardJ. C. Hutchins and Steve PetersBest Fact Behind the Fiction PodcastHubblecastOli Usher and Joe LiskeBest Speculative Fiction Comedy or Parody PodcastBlastropodcastMark SoloffBest Speculative Fiction Music PodcastThe Funny Music ProjectDevo Spice +2012CategoryWinnerCreatorBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Short Form)"Precarious Child", The Ministry of Peculiar OccurrencesPip BallantineBest Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Long Form)Underwood and Flinch: A Vampire NovelMike BennettBest Speculative Fiction Story: Large Cast"The Seven", The Ministry of Peculiar OccurrencesP. C. HaringBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form)Keeg's Quest: A Skyrim AdventureRich MathesonBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form)The Mask of InannaAlicia GoransonBest Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology PodcastDrabblecastBest New Speculative Fiction Podcaster or TeamToasted CakeTina ConnollyBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific)The SignalBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General)The IncomparableBest Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content CreationWriting ExcusesBrandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Eric James Stone, Howard Tayler, and Stacy WhitmanBest Fact Behind the Fiction PodcastMonsterTalkBest Speculative Fiction Comedy or Parody PodcastSupervillain CornerBest Speculative Fiction Music PodcastRadio Free Hipster +2011CategoryWinnerCreatorBest Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form)Saying the NamesMaggie ClarkBest Speculative Fiction Story (Novella Form)Kissyman & the GentlemanScott SiglerBest Speculative Fiction Story (Long Form)Owner's ShareNathan LowellBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Short Form)The Radio Adventures of Dr. FloydGrant Baciocco and Doug PriceBest Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form)HG WorldJay SmithBest Speculative Fiction Video StoryGrant's Advent Calendar Video PodcastBest Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology PodcastDrabblecastBest New Speculative Fiction Podcaster or TeamCobalt City Adventures UnlimitedBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (Specific)PodCulture: TARDIS InterruptusBest Speculative Fiction Fan or News Podcast (General)WhatTheCastBest Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content CreationFullcast PodcastBest Fact Behind the Fiction PodcastPlanetary RadioBest Speculative Fiction Comedy or Parody PodcastTechnoramaBest Speculative Fiction Music PodcastRenaissance Festival PodcastBest Youth-Driven Speculative Fiction PodcastAaron's World