The 2024 Robert E. Howard Awards Are Open for Nominations!

No more entries – nominations ended February 15, 2024.

We are pleased to announce the opening of nominations for the 2023 Robert E. Howard Awards starting on January 1, 2024.

The Robert E. Howard Foundation has revised the rules and categories for the awards, so please read over the information below. Some categories have changed, and there is a new category for works of fiction. Under the new rules, nominations are due in to the Awards committee by February 15, 2024, with the Awards committee selecting the top nominees in each category for the final ballot by March 1, 2024.

The Final ballot will be uploaded on a website with its address sent out to all current Robert E. Howard Foundation members for voting on the winners on March 1, 2024. You do not have to currently be a member of the Robert E. Howard Foundation to send in nominees at this stage of the process. All nominees MUST have the name of the publication for printed works, and the internet address for works available on the internet in the nomination. Only work that was published from Jan. 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2023 is eligible to be nominated. Voting on the awards will end at 11:59 PM CDT, March 15, 2024.

No more entries – nominations ended February 15, 2024.

Here are the revised awards and requirements for them.

 

Categories

Awards will be given in three categories: Scholarship, Art, and Special Awards. Works for each category may be submitted for consideration and voting. The awards will be announced at the annual Howard Days celebration.

Scholarship Awards

Scholarship Awards are focused principally on original research, biography, literary analysis, and criticism related to Robert E. Howard’s life and work. This includes studies dedicated to media (fiction, poetry, film, comics, etc.) principally concerned with Howard’s characters or work.

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. The award goes to the author or authors.

The Valusian—Outstanding Achievement, Anthology/Collection

Requirements: Nonfiction anthology or collection of essays (print or digital), nonfiction, 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. The award goes to the editor or editors.

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. The award goes to the author or authors.

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.

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 achievements 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. The award goes to the site owner/administrator.

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, comic books, etc.), in the spirit and tradition of Robert E. Howard, published in the last calendar year.

Considerations: Work must be substantial and original in content; translations and adaptations will not be considered. The award goes to the individual writer or writing team.

The Rankin—Artistic achievement

Requirements: Visual media (painting, comics art & covers, film, etc.), directly related to the depiction of Robert E. Howard’s life, characters, or fictional worlds; published in the last calendar year.

Considerations: Work must be substantial and original in content. The award goes to the individual artist.

Special Awards

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.

Special Awards Voted on by the Robert E. Howard Foundation Board of Directors

Some achievements deserve recognition, but do not fit neatly into easy categories, nor are they likely to be handed out every year. Those who have made some substantial achievement in scholarship or particular contribution to Howard studies, may be eligible for a Crom Award. Those who have made a significant contribution over a long involvement with Howard Studies may be eligible to join the Black Circle. These special awards will be voted on privately by the Board of Directors. The winners, if any, will be announced at the end of the Awards program.

The Crom Award

Only the Board of Directors will decide on making any nominations for the Crom Award.

The Black Circle Award

Nominations to the Black Circle can be made by the Foundation membership at large. The Select Committee will collect Black Circle nominations from the membership and present these to the Board of Directors, who can also make any nominations as they feel.

The Awards Committee thanks you for your help in recognizing these deserving people.