2025 World Fantasy Nominations and Winners

Life Achievement Awards

  • Juliet Marillier
  • Michael Whelan

Best Novel

  • WINNER: The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett (Del Rey; Hodderscape)
  • The Fox Wife, Yangsze Choo (Holt; Quercus UK)
  • The Bog Wife, Kay Chronister (Counterpoint; Titan UK)
  • The Bright Sword, Lev Grossman (Viking; Del Rey UK)
  • The Wings Upon Her Back, Samantha Mills (Tachyon)

Best Novella

  • WINNER: Yoke of Stars, R.B. Lemberg (Tachyon)
  • Crypt of the Moon Spider, Nathan Ballingrud (Nightfire; Titan UK)
  • In the Shadow of Their Dying, Michael F. Fletcher & Anna Smith Spark (Grimdark Magazine)
  • The Woods All Black, Lee Mandelo (Tordotcom)
  • The Butcher of the Forest, Premee Mohamed (Tordotcom; Titan UK)

Best Short Fiction

  • WINNER: “Raptor”, Maura McHugh (Heartwood: A Mythago Wood Anthology)
  • “Our Best Selves”, Hiron Ennes (Weird Horror Fall ’24)
  • “Godskin”, CL Hellisen (Strange Horizons 3/4/24)
  • “The V*mpire,”, PH Lee (Reactor 10/23/24)
  • “Everything in the Garden is Lovely”, Hannah Yang (Apex 3/12/24)

Best Anthology

  • WINNER: Heartwood, Dan Coxon, ed. (Drugstore Indian)
  • Discontinue If Death Ensues, Carol Gyzander & Anna Taborska, eds. (Flame Tree)
  • Northern Nights, Michael Kelly, ed. (Undertow)
  • The Dagon Collection, Nate Pedersen, ed. (PS Publishing)
  • The Crawling Moon: Queer Tales of Inescapable Dread, dave ring, ed. (Neon Hemlock)

Best Collection

  • WINNER: A Sunny Place for Shady People, Mariana Enríquez, translated by Megan McDowell (Hogarth US; Granta)
  • Ghostroots, ’Pemi Aguda (Norton; Virago)
  • Good Night, Sleep Tight, Brian Evenson (Coffee House)
  • Kindling: Stories, Kathleen Jennings (Small Beer)
  • Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil, Ananda Lima (Tor)

Best Artist

  • WINNER: Liv Rainey-Smith
  • Jenni Coutts
  • Nico Delort
  • Manzi Jackson
  • Tran Nguyen
  • Liv Rainey-Smith

Special Award – Professional

  • WINNER: Sydney Paige Guerrero, Gabriela Lee & Anna Felicia Sanchez, for Mapping New Stars: A Sourcebook on Philippine Speculative Fiction (The University of the Philippines Press)
  • Hildur Knútsdóttir & Mary Robinette Kowal, for The Night Guest audiobook (Nightfire)
  • David Thomas Moore, for editorial work with Solaris/Rebellion
  • Sheree Renée Thomas, for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
  • Jacob Weisman, for Tachyon Publications

 

Special Award – Non-Professional

  • WINNER: Steve J Shaw, for Black Shuck Books
  • Andy Duncan, for “It Is Always Time to Think about These Things” (Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts Vol. 35 No. 1)
  • Gavin J. Grant & Kelly Link, for Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet
  • Michael Kelly, for Undertow Publications and Weird Horror
  • DaVaun Sanders, for Fiyah
  • Patrick Swenson, for Fairwood Press

This year’s judges are: James Brogden, Jessica Day George, Lee Murray, Jonathan Oliver, and Molly Tanzer. For more information, see the WFC website.