The Hugo Awards, one of the world’s biggest awards in science fiction, has announced that multiple votes cast in the Hugo Awards have been identified as fraudulent and have, therefore, been disqualified.
The full statement on the incident, via Hugo Administrator Nicholas Whyte, can be found below. In summary, at least 377 fraudulent votes (some with very obviously fake names) have been identified as fraudulent and favoured one nominee, who will be referred to as Finalist A. There is no evidence (or reason to believe) that Finalist A was involved in this deception. Finalist A has not won a Hugo Award.
The Hugos are relevant because it’s a fan-run award, and those who vote for the Hugos tend to consume a lot of Science Fiction media, particularly novels and short stories. In order to vote, you have to pay for some level of membership in Worldcon, a globe-trotting science fiction convention and conference, typically only attended by the most hardcore of fans.
The Hugo Awards are no stranger to controversy. The prestigious rocket-shaped award is an integral part of Worldcon, and this celebration of science fiction has regularly enjoyed some sort of fuss or controversy throughout its long 85-year history.
Glasgow 2024, A Worldcon for Our Futures, is the current iteration of this important and very intense event that only comes to the UK once a decade and is typically well attended, partially because those in the community fear missing out on one of the most crucial industry and fan events of the calendar.
Professor Esther MacCallum-Stewart, Chair of Glasgow 2024, made the following statement in response to this announcement.
“I was dismayed to be told of the findings of the Astounding, Lodestar, and Hugo Awards Administration team, and absolutely support their decision to preserve the integrity of the awards through the actions that they have taken. These Awards are a cornerstone of our convention and represent the pinnacle of achievement in our community. Glasgow 2024 remains committed to a policy of transparency, and we are excited to welcome everyone in August to a truly celebratory Hugo Awards ceremony.”
