2023 Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot Announced

 

Click here to enter the website for the awards

The official nominees for the 2023 Bram Stoker Awards® are now live. You can see the press release here or over on RA for All where I have added direct links to my reviews where applicable.

You need to update your horror collection? Want to get some displays or lists up to take advantage of the huge boom and interest in Horror? All you need is the Bram Stoker Awards® website. You can use that to see a database of every single nominee and winner all with one click here. [Well and here, of course.] 

Use the entire homepage to identify critically acclaimed authors and titles of Horror for all ages. Consider adding the anthologies, collections, and novels from the last few years to your collections as well.

One of the best things about the Bram Stoker Awards® is the process that is involved to get to the nominees. Each category has a jury made up of all levels of HWA members, each jury has a chair and an alt chair, and all members have a portal to recommend titles. It is a hybrid nomination process ensuring a diverse (in every way) mix of options on the ballot. Only Lifetime and Active members can vote but everyone has a say up to the vote.

Also jurors are limited to 2 years on a jury before they have to cycle off and either stop or go to another category, meaning, the categories don't get stuck in a rut. I just finished my second year as Jury Chair for Middle Grade and am very happy with our 5 finalists. I am awaiting my assignment for next year; it is still a mystery but I have been notified it is coming soon.

Sadie Hartmann-- a nominee in Nonfiction this year herself-- had this great interview with the Bram Stoker committee a few years ago where they explain the entire process, including the fact that the awards are not for BEST books, but rather award for SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT. I love that distinction as well. We used that distinction throughout our deliberation process for the MG jury this year. Click here to read that interview.

 I wish all genre awards were this transparent. But alas, I can only control the awards with which I am affiliated. See the full nominee list here or on RA for All (with links to my reviews where applicable).

I am going to have some hard choices in a few categories when my ballot arrives later this week.