Worldcon 76 is pleased to announce that the nomination period for the 2018 Hugo Awards and the 1943 Retrospective Hugo Awards is beginning! Members of Worldcon 75 in Helsinki, and members of Worldcon 76 in San Jose and Dublin 2019: An Irish Worldcon who joined before January 1, 2018 will be receiving their credentials for the online ballot over the course of the next several days via email, and Worldcon 76 members receiving paper publications will find paper ballots included with Progress Report 2, currently being printed and mailed.



"The list of eligible nominators has nearly 14,000 names on it, so we have to send the emails in waves to avoid having them flagged as spam," noted Dave McCarty, Hugo Administrator for Worldcon 76. "PINs are being e-mailed out this weekend. We will announce once all PINs have been sent via e-mail and have directions on what you can do if you have not received your PIN." The nominations period ends at 11:59PM PDT on Friday, March 16 (06:59 Saturday, March 17, 2018 UTC). Online nominations will be closed at that point, and paper nominating ballots must be received by the Hugo Administrator by that time.



The 2018 Hugo Awards will be presented at the 76th World Science Fiction Convention, being held August 16-20, 2018, at McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. Worldcon 76 has selected Artist Guest of Honor John Picacio to host the 2018 Hugo Awards Ceremony, considered by many attendees the high point of the convention weekend. Mr. Picacio, a two-time Hugo winner himself, remarks, "It's a huge honor to be the host of one of science fiction and fantasy's biggest nights. This is going to be an historical evening and I can't wait to be there with everyone at Worldcon 76." Kevin Roche, Worldcon 76 Conference Chair, noted that "I was thrilled when John accepted my invitation to host the ceremony. It was one of the first actions I was privileged to take as Chair, and I expect him to be a brilliant master of ceremonies."



Worldcon 76 is also administering the 1943 Retrospective Hugo Awards, an opportunity for fandom to recognize works published during the wartime hiatus during which no Worldcon was convened. The Retro Hugos will be announced at a red carpet "1943 Worldcon Party" scheduled as part of First Night at Worldcon 76, on Thursday, August 16, 2018.

About the Hugo Awards: (from thehugoawards.org)

The Hugo Awards, first presented in 1953 and presented annually since 1955, are science fiction’s most prestigious award. The Hugo Awards are voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Convention (“Worldcon”), which is also responsible for administering them.

The Hugo Awards are trademarked by the World Science Fiction Society (“WSFS”), an unincorporated literary society which sponsors the annual World Science Fiction Convention (“Worldcon”) and the Hugo Awards. WSFS is really just a framework for the individual Worldcons — it has no officers and no permanent organization (other than the Mark Protection Committee, which is responsible for registering and defending WSFS’s trademarks, and its Marketing Subcommittee)

The Hugo process is as follows:

During January-March each year members of the Worldcon are each allowed to nominate up to five people or works from the previous year in fifteen categories. In early April a shortlist is announced of five finalists in each category and a final ballot is sent to members of the Worldcon that year. The members of the current Worldcon cast a final ballot, with balloting ending around sometime in July (it depends on exactly when Worldcon is that year.) The ballot is a preferential ballot which allows the voters to rank all nominees. At Worldcon the winners are announced at the Hugo Ceremony and receive a special trophy.

For more detailed information about the Hugo Awards and their history, visit http://www.thehugoawards.org

John Picacio

Equally at home with a pencil, a paintbrush, or sitting in front of a computer, John Picacio’s artwork often combines traditional mediums, such as drawing or painting, with digital flourishes. He is noted for the diversity and range of his artistic endeavors.

His art has illustrated the covers of books by Robert Silverberg, L.E. Modesitt, Jr., Michael Moorcock, and Frederik Pohl to name just a few. His art has adorned magazines including Asimov’s Science Fiction and Interzone. He illustrated the 2012 George RR Martin: A Song of Ice and Fire calendar. His art has graced the covers for works in both the Star TrekTM and the X-Men universes.

He has been awarded two Hugo Awards, a World Fantasy Award, two Locus Awards, eight Chesley Awards and two International Horror Guild Awards.

Mr. Picacio is also the founder and coordinator of the Mexicanx Initiative, a cooperative effort by fans and professionals to increase diversity at the 2018 World Science Fiction Convention.

More information about him and his body of work is available on his site, johnpicacio.com

"World Science Fiction Society", "WSFS", "World Science Fiction Convention", "Worldcon", "NASFiC" and "Hugo Award" are service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society. You can contact the WSFS Mark Protection Committee at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .