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". 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; 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.
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. 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.
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. Ties can occur if the panel decides that both entries show equal merit, however they are encouraged to choose a single winner. The judges are selected from a public application process by the Award's management team.
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)NovelPublisherRef * Deucalion UQP * Sabriel Moonstone Ashling Viking Press Witch Bank Puffin Books Pan Macmillan * Mirror, Mirror Hodder Headline * Moonstone Beyond the Hanging Wall Voyager Books Firedancer Penguin Books Hodder Headline * Greylands Puffin Books * Eye to Eye Puffin Books Moonstone & Rory Barnes Zones Moonstone Shade's Children Allen & Unwin * Singing the Dogstar Blues HarperCollins Horsehead Boy HarperCollins Killing Darcy UQP Omnibus Books Pan Macmillan * Omnibus Books Horsehead Man HarperCollins & Rory Barnes Stuck in Fast Forward HarperCollins Into the Dark Viking Press Viking Press * Thursday's Child Penguin Books Horsehead Soup HarperCollins Ferren and the Angel Penguin Books Omega Random House Hodder Headline * Angus & Robertson Allen & Unwin Lirael Allen & Unwin Penguin Books Terra-Farma Viking Press * Hodder Headline Pan Books Mum, Me, the 19th C Angus & Robertson Fireworks and Darkness Angus & Robertson * Abhorsen Allen & Unwin * Dragonkeeper Black Dog Books HarperCollins * Eos Flesh and Blood HarperCollins Undine Random House Hot Nights, Cool Dragons Allen & Unwin * Alyzon Whitestarr Penguin Books Nightpeople UQP Magic or Madness Penguin Books Peeps Penguin Books Uglies Simon & Schuster * Foundling Omnibus Books ABC Books Magic Lessons Penguin Books Wildwood Dancing Pan Macmillan Penguin Books * Skyfall UQP Taste of Lightning Allen & Unwin Cybele's Secret Pan Macmillan Heart of Gold Random House Extras Simon Pulse * Finnikin of the Rock Viking Press Viking Press Lamplighter Omnibus Books HarperCollins Angus & Robertson * Leviathan Penguin Books Pan Macmillan Puffin Books Allen & Unwin HarperCollins * Allen & Unwin Black Dog Books Penguin Books Penguin Books Penguin Books * Only Ever Always Allen & Unwin Shift Hardie Grant Egmont Secrets of Carrick: Tantony Black Dog Books Allen & Unwin Black Glass Scribe Publications * (tie) Dead, Actually Allen & Unwin * (tie) Sea Hearts Allen & Unwin And All the Stars Andrea K. Hosth Walker Books Into That Forest Allen & Unwin & Meagan Spooner* (tie) These Broken Stars Allen & Unwin * (tie) Fairytales for Wilde Girls Random House Australia HarperCollins Hunting Andrea K. Hösth University of Queensland Press * Pan Macmillan Australia Text Publishing Afterworld Allen & Unwin Clariel Allen & Unwin UQP Afterworlds Penguin Books Australia * In the Skin of a Monster Allen & Unwin Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club HarperCollins HarperVoyager Day Boy Text Publishing and Jay Kristoff Illuminae Allen & Unwin Hush Penguin Random House Australia * Lady Helen and the Dark Days Pact HarperCollins Publishers Elegy Penguin Random House Australia Penguin Books Australia Penguin Random House Australia and Jay Kristoff Gemima: The Illuminae Files 2 Allen & Unwin Goldenhand Allen & Unwin * Hardie Grant Egmont Bonnier Publishing Australia Allen & Unwin Puffin UK Seizure Text Publishing & Ezekiel Kwaymullina* Allen & Unwin Walker Books Australia Lifel1k3 Allen & Unwin HarperCollins Publishers HarperCollins Publishers Allen & Unwin & Jay Kristoff* Allen & Unwin Scholastic University of Queensland Press Allen & Unwin Macmillan SOV Media*Allen & Unwin AsphyxiaAllen & Unwin and Jay KristoffAllen & Unwin and Meagan SpoonerAllen & UnwinAllen & UnwinAllen & Unwin2021*Allen & Unwin and Jay KristoffAllen & UnwinTextWalker Books Australia Allen & UnwinAllen & UnwinOnly a MonsterAllen & UnwinNight LightsFourteen PressThe Rarkyn's FamiliarParliament House PressIf You Could See the SunHQ FictionWe Who Hunt the HollowHardie Grant2023Katya de BecerraWhen Ghosts Call Us HomeMacmillanGraham AkhurstBorderlandUWACaleb FinnArchives of DespairPenguin Random House AustraliaMelanie KanickyThe WeaverMidnightSunsydney khooThe Spider and Her DemonsPenguin Random House AustraliaNathan TaylorThe Non-Magical Declan MooreMagpie Drive
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. 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 AuthorNovelPublisherRef2005 Lothian Books Breathe Random House Pretties Simon & Schuster
See also
Ditmar Award, an Australian science fiction award established in 1969
References
External links Aurealis Awards