Here is the ballot with the final nominees for the 2025 Robert E. Howard Awards.
To the final nominees and all of the other nominees who didn’t make the final list, congratulations!
Voting is restricted to current members of the REH Foundation. If you are a current member, you will be sent a link to the voting page.”
Let us know if you don’t receive a link by filling out the form below (don’t send your votes here).
Scholarship Awards
The Atlantean—Outstanding Achievement, Book
Requirements: Nonfiction work (print or digital), minimum 50,000 words, substantively devoted to the life and/or work of Robert E. Howard, published in the last calendar year.
Considerations: Reprinted works without significant revisions are not eligible. Award goes to the author or authors.
Martinez, Rodolfo; La Era Hibórea de Robert E. Howard
Tetro, Michele; Conan il barbaro – Dai racconti di Robert E. Howard al film di John Milius
The Valusian—Outstanding Achievement, Book
Requirements: Nonfiction anthology or collection of essays (print or digital), nonfiction, minimum 30,000 words, substantively devoted to the life and/or work of Robert E. Howard, published in the last calendar year.
Considerations: Reprinted works without significant revisions are not eligible. Award goes to the editor or editors.
Blosser, Fred; Exploring the Worlds of Robert E. Howard: 2024 Supplement
Guarriello, Pietro, editor; Zothique #17
The Hyrkanian—Outstanding Achievement, Essay
Requirements: Scholarly Nonfiction essays (print or digital), no minimum word count, substantively focused on the life and/or work of Robert E. Howard, published in the last calendar year.
Considerations: Short blog posts, news, interviews, reviews, trip reports, and other minor works are not considered. Award goes to the author or authors.
Calabrese, Fabio; “H. P. Lovecraft & Robert E. Howard: Letteratura fantastica e visione del mondo” by Fabio Calabrese
Holmes, Morgan; two-part series titled, “Robert E. Howard’s Prehistoric Beasts.” Castalia House blog.
Part 1, published August 25, 2024
Part 2, published September 8, 2024
Patavini, Emilio, curator; “REH & The Eyrie: Le lettere di R. E. Howard a Weird Tales”
Romeo, Gary; “Robert E. Howard’s Father, Dr. Isaac Howard”
Shanks, Jeff; “A Gunslinger in the Wild East – The Adventures of El Borak”; “Mistress of Death – The Legend of Dark Agnes”; “Conrad and Kirowan – Explorers of Eldritch Horror and Delvers into the Dark Arts”, Conan Battle of the Black Stone #1-3
The Venarium—Emerging Scholar
Requirements: Candidates must have recently begun making significant contributions to Howard scholarship through publications and/or presentations over the past few years.
Considerations: Previous winners are not eligible. Award goes to the individual.
Darlage, Vincent; various articles on www.spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com:
Akivasha: “I am the woman, who never died.”
Thoth-amon: A Review and a Character Study
Pekov, Ondřej; Bachelor Thesis: Literary Comparison of Beowulf and R.E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian
Vaughan, Michael K; The Robert E. Howard Show, Michael K. Vaughan YouTube Channel
Yergert, Dan; THE CONAN CHRONOLOGY
Art Awards
One of the missions of the Robert E. Howard Foundation is to promote Howard’s creative legacy as well as his study. Art awards recognize achievement in creative fields related to Robert E. Howard’s life and work.
The Black Lotus—Outstanding Achievement, Web-based
Requirements: Web-based content (i.e. digital magazine, journals, websites, blogs, podcasts, audiovisual/multimedia presentations, internet sites, etc.), substantively focused on the life and/or work of Robert E. Howard, new content must have been published in the last calendar year.
Considerations: Non-static social media like Facebook and Twitter would not be eligible. Award goes to site owner/administrator.
Curley, Shawn; Official Conan the Barbarian Podcast
Gismervik, Stale; The World of Robert E. Howard
Romeo, Gary; Spraguedecampfan, blog.
Thom, Bill; www.HowardWorks.com
Todd, Evan; Stygian Dogs YouTube Channel
Vaughan, Michael K.; The Robert E Howard Show, Michael K. Vaughan YouTube Channel
The Costigan—Literary achievement
Awarded for original creative writing that carries on the spirit and tradition of Robert E. Howard, to better recognize and celebrate his influence on future generations of writers.
Requirements: Fiction (i.e. short fiction, novels, poetry, etc.), in the spirit and tradition of Robert E. Howard, published in the last calendar year. No comic books or graphic novels are allowed.
Considerations: Work must be substantial and original in content; translations and adaptations will not be considered. Award goes to the individual writer or writing team.
Castro, V.; “Bêlit: Shipwrecked”
Hocking, John C.; Conan and the Living Plague, published in Conan: City of the Dead
John, Matthew; “Madness on the Mound,” Savage Sword of Conan #6
Jones, Howard Andrew; Shadow of the Smoking Mountain
Lanier, Thomas; In the Valley of Katari
Lovegrove, James; Conan: Cult of the Obsidian Moon, and “El Borak; The Siege of Lamakan”
Shrewsbury, Steven L.; “Bran Mak Morn: Red Waves of Slaughter”
Stackpole, Michael A.; “Belit: Bone Whispers”
Tanzer, Molly; “Jirel and the Mirror of Truth”, New Edge Sword & Sorcery Magazine
Waltz, Jason M (ed); Neither Beg, Nor Yield
Lovegrove, James; Conan: Cult of the Obsidian Moon, and “El Borak; The Siege of Lamakan”
The Rankin—Artistic achievement
Requirements: Visual media (painting, comic books, graphic novels, film, audio adaptations, etc.), directly related to the depiction of Robert E. Howard’s life, stories and poetry, characters, or fictional worlds; published in the last calendar year. Comic media must be nominated for a specific issue or self-contained story arc, not as a series or collection.
Considerations: Work must be substantial and original in content. Award goes to the individual artist for solo projects. For Comic Books and Graphic Novels, the award goes to the entire team involved.
Baerald, Francesca; Thurian Age Map, Conan the Barbarian Comic #9, Titan
Cavalier, Bill; 2024 Howard Days poster art; Cover art for The Collected Letters of Novalyne Price Pt.1, cover art for for “The People of the Dark” booklet from the REH Foundation Press.
HorrorBabble (Ian Gordon) for its Youtube recitals of “King of the Forgotten People” by Robert E. Howard and “”The Dwellers Under the Tombs” by Robert E. Howard
Marz, Ron, Mike Perkins, Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith ; “Black Oasis”, The Savage Sword of Conan #4, Titan Comics
Wheatley, Mark; REH Press Book Covers
Zircher, Patrick; ‘Master of the Hunt, Parts 1 to 3′ (The Savage Sword of Conan, Issues #1-3)
Jim Zub, Jonas Scharf and Joao Canola for the ‘Battle of the Black Stone’ series (issues 1-4)
Jim Zub and Richard Pace for ‘Conan: Leaving the Garden’ (The Savage Sword of Conan, Issue #2)
Jim Zub, Doug Braithwaite and Diego Rodriguez for ‘Frozen Faith’, (‘Conan the Barbarian’ Issue #14-17).
The Black River—Special Achievement
The Black River—Special Achievement
Requirements: Candidates will have produced or contributed something special that doesn’t fit into any other category, e.g. scholarly presentations, biographical discoveries, etc.
Jones, Howard Andrew; For his career promoting and writing and editing Sword and Sorcery
Louinet, Patrice, and Oliver, Will; for finding new REH letters
Thanks again for your help in creating this year’s 2025 Robert E. Howard Foundation Awards.
The REHF Awards Committee
