The Aurealis Awards are presented annually by the Australia-based Chimaera Publications and WASFF to published works in order 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 identified the award as an honour to be taken seriously.
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 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 science fiction novella category. T. R. Napper holds the record for most wins (three) and most nominations (five). Sean Monaghan holds the record for most nominations without winning (four).
Winners and nominees In the following table, the years correspond to the year of the story'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. If the short story was originally published in a book with other stories rather than by itself or in a magazine, the book title is included after the publisher's name.
Winners and joint winners Nominees on the shortlist
YearAuthor(s)NovellaPublisher or publicationRef * "By Frogsled and Lizardback to Outcast Venusian Lepers" Random House (Old Venus) "Blood and Ink" Prizm Books "" Asimovs' Science Fiction * "Salto Mortal" Lightspeed (#73) Waking in Winter PS Publishing "Going Viral" Dimension6 (#8) Seizure Press "All the Colours of the Tomato" Dimension6 (#9) "Did We Break the End of the World?" Twelfth Planet Press (Defying Doomsday) * Girl Reporter (self-published) "This Silent Sea" Review of Australian Fiction (Vol 24 No 6) "I Can See the Ending" HarperCollins Australia (Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology) "" Ticonderoga Publications (Ecopunk!) "Island Green" Ticonderoga Publications (Ecopunk!) Matters Arising from the Identification of the Body Peggy Bright Books * "Pinion" Ticonderoga Publications (Aurum) "I Almost Went to the Library Last Night" Ticonderoga Publications (Aurum) eMergent Publishing Icefall Twelfth Planet Press "Singles' Day" Interzone (#277) Static Ruin Tor.com * "'Scapes Made Diamond" Interzone (#280) "Ventiforms" Asimov's Science Fiction "You Will Remember Who You Were" Dimension6 (#16) Prisoncorp Seizure, an imprint of Brio Books *""Grimdark Magazine (Neon Leviathan)"Jigsaw Children"Clarkesworld (#161)"Generation Gap"Clarkesworld (#161)"Dingo & Sister"Andromeda Spaceways Magazine (#78)"Preserved in Amber"Clarkesworld (#178)"Access Denied"Aurealis (#142)Merino""World Weaver Press (Multispecies Cities: Solarpunk Urban Futures)"Problem Landing"Analog (March/April 2021)""F&SF (Nov/Dec 2021)Amanda CoolResembling Lepus (WINNER) Grey Matter PressT. R. Napper“The Goruden-Mairu Job”Night, Rain, and Neon, NewCon PressGarth Nix“The Sisters of Saint Nicola of The Almost Perpetual Motion vs the Lurch”Tor.comMatthew ReillyCobalt BluePan MacmillanThoraiya Dyer“Eight or die”Clarkesworld #206/207Tim Hawken KillwareSeahawk PressNikky Lee Once we flew (WINNER) self-publishedA D Lyall The last to goShawline Publishing GroupGarth Nix “Showdown on planetoid Pencrux”Asimov’s Science Fiction, July/August 2023Kaaron Warren BittersCemetery Dance2024John Birmingham & Jason LambrightThe Javan WarGigantic Bombs CorporationTracy Cooper-Posey“Captain Santiago and the Sky Dome Waitress”Celestial HeartsNikky Lee“We Who Remain”A Night So Dark and Full of StarsSean Monaghan“Daisy and Maisie, External Hull Maintenance Experts”Analog T. R. NapperGhost of the Neon God (WINNER)TitanBen Peek “Shadow Films”Lightspeed 2025Cameron CooperQuiet Like FireStories Rule PressCallum Lewis'Photo in the Chip'Andromeda Spaceways Magazine #98T R Napper'The Hidden God' (WINNER) Asimov's Science Fiction March/April 2025Thomas K SleeHomecomingRefraction Publishing Corey Jae White & Maddison StoffAll My Guns are Trans and Gay and They're Ruining My Fucking LifePatreon
See also Ditmar Award, an Australian science fiction award established in 1969
References
External links Aurealis Awards