Aurealis Award for best fantasy novel
Awarded forExcellence in fantasy fiction novels
CountryAustralia
Presented byChimaera Publications,
Continuum Foundation
First awarded1995
Currently held byC. S. Pacat
WebsiteOfficial site

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".[2] 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;[3] 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.[4]

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.[2] 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.[5]

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.[2] Ties can occur if the panel decides both entries show equal merit, however they are encouraged to choose a single winner.[6] The judges are selected from a public application process by the Award's management team.[7]

This article lists all the short-list nominees and winners in the best fantasy novel category, as well as novels that have received honourable mentions or have been highly commended. Since 2003, honourable mentions and high commendations have been awarded intermittently. Juliet Marillier, Garth Nix hold the record for most wins with 4. Marillier holds the record for most nominations with 12, and Glenda Larke has the most nominations without winning, having been a losing finalist ten 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 Novel Publisher Ref
1995 Garth Nix* Sabriel Moonstone [8]
David Brooks The House of Balthus Allen & Unwin [8]
Sara Douglass Battleaxe Voyager Books [8]
Paul Kidd Mus of Kerbridge TSR [8]
Tony Shillitoe The Last Wizard Pan Macmillan [8]
1996 Jack Dann* The Memory Cathedral Bantam Books [9]
Sara Douglass* Enchanter Voyager Books [9]
Sara Douglass* StarMan Voyager Books [9]
Shannah Jay The Price of Wisdom Pan Macmillan [9]
Geoffrey McSkimming Cairo Jim and the Alabastron of Forgotten Gods Hachette Children's Books Australia [9]
Dirk Strasser Equinox Pan Macmillan [9]
1997 Kim Wilkins* The Infernal Random House [10]
Isobelle Carmody Darkfall Penguin Books [10]
Sara Douglass Sinner Voyager Books [10]
Kate Forsyth Dragonclaw Random House [10]
Lucy Sussex Black Ice Hodder Headline [10]
1998 Dave Luckett* A Dark Winter Omnibus Books [11]
Jane Routley* Fire Angels Avon Eos [11]
Sara Douglass Pilgrim Voyager Books [11]
Ian Irvine A Shadow on the Glass Penguin Books [11]
Sophie Masson Cold Iron Hodder [11]
1999 Jane Routley* Aramaya Avon Eos [12]
Sara Douglass Crusader Voyager Books [12]
Kate Forsyth The Cursed Towers Random House [12]
Dave Luckett A Dark Journey/A Dark Victory Omnibus Books [12]
Juliet Marillier Daughter of the Forest Pan Macmillan [12]
2000 Juliet Marillier* Son of the Shadows Pan Macmillan [13]
Sara Douglass The Nameless Day Voyager Books [13]
Anthony Eaton The Darkness UQP [13]
Jennifer Fallon Medalon Voyager Books [13]
Hoa Pham Vixen Sceptre [13]
2001 Sara Douglass* The Wounded Hawk Voyager Books [14]
Juliet Marillier Child of the Prophecy Pan Macmillan [14]
Garth Nix Lirael Allen & Unwin [14]
Cameron Rogers The Music of Razors Penguin Books [14]
Sean Williams The Stone Mage and the Sea Voyager Books [14]
2002 Sean Williams* The Storm Weaver and the Sand Voyager Books [15]
Trudi Canavan The Novice Voyager Books [15]
Alison Croggon The Gift Penguin Books [15]
Sara Douglass Hades' Daughter Voyager Books [15]
Sara Douglass The Crippled Angel Voyager Books [15]
Tony Shillitoe Blood Voyager Books [15]
2003 Garth Nix* Abhorsen Allen & Unwin [16]
K. J. Bishop The Etched City Prime Books [16]
Lian Hearn Grass for His Pillow Hodder [16]
Glenda Larke The Aware Voyager Books [16]
Sean McMullen Voyage of the Shadowmoon Tor Books [16]
2004 Sean Williams* The Crooked Letter Voyager Books [17]
Lian Hearn Brilliance of the Moon Hodder [17]
Glenda Larke The Tainted Voyager Books [17]
Sophie Masson Snow, Fire, Sword Random House [17]
Kim Wilkins Giants of the Frost Voyager Books [17]
2005 Juliet Marillier* Blade of Fortriu Pan Macmillan [18]
Sara Douglass Darkwitch Rising Voyager Books [18]
Anthony Eaton Nightpeople UQP [18]
Sonya Hartnett Surrender Penguin Books [18]
Karen Miller The Innocent Mage Voyager Books [18]
2006 Juliet Marillier* Wildwood Dancing Pan Macmillan [19]
Grace Dugan The Silver Road Penguin Books [19]
Glenda Larke Heart of the Mirage Voyager Books [19]
Sean McMullen Voidfarer Tor Books [19]
Michael Pryor Blaze of Glory Random House [19]
2007 Lian Hearn* Heaven's Net Is Wide Hachette [20]
Jennifer Fallon Gods of Amyrantha Voyager Books [20]
Sylvia Kelso The Moving Water Five Star Publishing [20]
Glenda Larke Song of the Shiver Barrens Voyager Books [20]
Michael Pryor Heart of Gold Random House [20]
2008 Alison Goodman* The Two Pearls of Wisdom HarperCollins [21]
Sylvia Kelso Amberlight Juno Books [21]
Margo Lanagan Tender Morsels Allen & Unwin [21]
Juliet Marillier Heir to Sevenwaters Pan Macmillan [21]
Karen Miller The Riven Kingdom HarperVoyager [21]
2009 Trudi Canavan* Magician's Apprentice Orbit Books [22]
Peter M. Ball Horn Twelfth Planet Press [22]
Glenda Larke The Last Stormlord HarperVoyager [22]
K. E. Mills Witches Incorporated HarperVoyager [22]
K. J. Taylor The Dark Griffin HarperVoyager [22]
2010 Tansy Rayner Roberts* Power and Majesty HarperVoyager [23]
Andrea K Höst The Silence of Medair Andrea K Hösth [24]
Trent Jamieson Death Most Definite Orbit Books [24]
Glenda Larke Stormlord Rising HarperVoyager [24]
Juliet Marillier Heart's Blood Pan Macmillan [24]
2011 Pamela Freeman* Ember and Ash Hachette [25]
Jennifer Fallon The Undivided HarperVoyager [26]
Glenda Larke Stormlord's Exile HarperVoyager [26]
Jo Anderton Debris Angry Robot [26]
Tansy Rayner Roberts The Shattered City HarperVoyager [26]
2012 Margo Lanagan* Sea Hearts Allen & Unwin [27]
Kate Forsyth Bitter Greens Random House Australia [28]
Jay Kristoff Stormdancer Tor UK [28]
Juliet Marillier Flame of Sevenwaters Pan Macmillan Australia [28]
Jo Spurrier Winter Be My Shield HarperVoyager [28]
2013 Mitchell Hogan* A Crucible of Souls Mitchell Hogan [29][30]
Max Barry Lexicon Hachette Australia [29]
Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner These Broken Stars Allen & Unwin [29]
Garth Nix Newt's Emerald Jill Grinberg Literary Management [29]
Tansy Rayner Roberts Ink Black Magic FableCroft Publishing [29]
2014 Juliet Marillier* Dreamer's Pool Pan Macmillan Australia [31]
Keri Arthur Fireborn Hachette Australia [32]
Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner This Shattered World Allen & Unwin [32]
Glenda Larke The Lascar's Dagger Hachette Australia [32]
Scott Westerfeld Afterworlds Penguin Books Australia [32]
Kim Wilkins Daughters of the Storm Harlequin Enterprises Australia [32]
2015 Trent Jamieson* Day Boy Text Publishing [33]
Kathryn Barker In the Skin of a Monster Allen & Unwin [34]
Alison Goodman Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club HarperCollins [34]
Glenda Larke The Dagger's Path HarperVoyager [34]
Juliet Marillier Tower of Thorns Pan Macmillan Australia [34]
Ilka Tampke Skin Text Publishing [34]
2016 Jay Kristoff* Nevernight HarperVoyager [35][36]
Glenda Larke The Fall of the Dagger Hachette Australia [35]
Juliet Marillier Den of Wolves Pan Macmillan Australia [35]
Angela Slatter Vigil Jo Fletcher Books [35]
Mark Smith Road to Winter Text Publishing [35]
Kim Wilkins Sisters of the Fire Harlequin Australia [35]
2017 Jay Kristoff* Godsgrave HarperCollins Publishers [37][38]
Thoraiya Dyer Crossroads of Canopy Tor Books [37]
Goldie Goldbloom Gwen Fremantle Press [37]
Kathryn Gossow Cassandra Odyssey Books [37]
Michael Pryor Gap Year in Ghost Town Allen & Unwin [37]
Robin Shortt Wellside Candlemark & Gleam [37]
2018 Sam Hawke* City of Lies Penguin Random House [39][40]
Maria Lewis* The Witch Who Courted Death Hachette Australia [39][40]
Alan Baxter Devouring Dark Grey Matter Press [39]
Alison Goodman Lady Helen and the Dark Days Deceit HarperCollins Publishers [39]
Aletha Kinsela Lightning Tracks Plainspeak Publishing [39]
Devin Madson We Ride the Storm (self-published) [39]
2019 Garth Nix* Angel Mage Allen & Unwin [41][42]
Jay Kristoff Darkdawn HarperCollins Publishers [41]
Maria Lewis The Wailing Woman Piatkus [41]
Juliet Marillier The Harp of Kings Macmillan [41]
P. M. Freestone The Darkest Bloom Scholastic [41]
Michael Pryor Graveyard Shift in Ghost Town Allen & Unwin [41]
2020 Garth Nix* The Left-Handed Booksellers of London Allen & Unwin [43][44]
Sam Hawke* Hollow Empire Bantam Press [43]
Claire McKenna Monstrous Heart HarperVoyager [43]
Astrid Scholte The Vanishing Deep Allen & Unwin [43]
Dirk Strasser Conquist Chimaera Publications [43]
Bonnie Wynne The Ninth Sorceress Talem Press [43]
2021 C. S. Pacat* Dark Rise Allen & Unwin [45][46][47]
Angela Slatter All the Murmuring Bones Titan Publishing [45][47]
Freya Marske A Marvellous Light Tor
Maria Lewis The Rose Daughter Piatkus
Shelley Parker-Chan She Who Became the Sun Mantle
Meg Grace Supermums: And So It Begins (self-published)
2022 Kate Emery The Not So Chosen One Text [48]
Trent Jamieson The Stone Road Erewhon
Freya Marske A Restless Truth Tor
Daniel O'Malley Blitz HarperCollins
Angela Slatter Path of Thorns Titan
Sean Williams Honour Among Ghosts Allen & Unwon

Statistics

Multiple wins (as of 2022, after the 2021 winner announced):

Most nominations:

Honourable mentions and highly commended novels

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 grey background have been noted as highly commended; those with a white background have received honourable mentions.

  *   Highly commended
  *   Honourable mentions

Year Author Novel Publisher Ref
2003 Ian Irvine Scrutator Viking Press [49]
Anthony O'Neil Lamplighter HarperCollins [49]
2005 Trudi Canavan* Priestess of the White Voyager Books [49]
2006 Kylie Chan White Tiger Voyager Books [49]
Lian Hearn The Harsh Cry of the Heron Hachette Livre [49]
2007 Pamela Freeman Blood Ties Hachette Australia [49]
Karen Miller Empress of Mijak Voyager Books [49]

See also

References

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External links

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