Ditmar Award
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See also Ditmar Award results
The Ditmar Award (formally the Australian SF ("Ditmar") Award, and, before that, the "Australian Science Fiction Achievement Award") has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention (the "Natcon") to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction (including fantasy and horror) and science fiction fandom. The award is similar to the Hugo Award but on a national rather than international scale.
The award is named after Martin James Ditmar ("Dick") Jenssen, a fan from Melbourne. At various times in its history the award has included international categories, but in the last several years all categories have been open only to Australian work (with minor exceptions). Categories include both professional and fan categories, focusing on fiction but also including some artistic and general achievement (as well as, since the demise of the ASFMAs, several "production" awards).
The current rules for the award (which had for many years been specified only in the minimalist "Jack Herman constitution") were developed in 2000 and 2001 as a result of controversy resulting from the withdrawal of the works of several prominent writers from eligibility, and the rules are subject to revision by the "Business Meeting" of the Natcon.
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[edit] Process
Award-eligible works and persons are first nominated by "natural persons active in fandom, or from full or supporting members of the national convention of the year of the award". Nominations are compiled into a ballot (usually by the "ditsubcom" of the convention committee) which is distributed to members of the convention for voting, which may continue into the period of the convention ("at-Con voting") at the discretion of the committee.
[edit] Categories
Categories were traditionally the prerogative of the convention committee (a situation which led ultimately to the "Best Fannish Cat" controversy), and regularly included "international" categories. This situation was changed by the formalisation of the categories as part of the rules.
The current categories are:
- Best Novel
- Best Novella or Novelette
- Best Short Story
- Best Collected Work
- Best Artwork
- Best Fan Writer
- Best Fan Artist
- Best Fan Production
- Best Fanzine
- Best Professional Achievement
- Best Fan Achievement
- Best New Talent
The final three awards are for works not eligible in existing categories.
[edit] William Atheling Jr.
The William Atheling Jr. Award for Criticism or Review, while not a Ditmar Award, is awarded as part of the same process. "The Athelings" are awarded for excellence in science fiction criticism, and were named for the pseudonym used by James Blish for his critical writing.
[edit] Trophy
Ditmar trophies have varied as widely as its categories (including ornamental stone, cut glass and stuffed cane toads, but most commonly follow the specification in the Rules that the trophies have proportions approximating the monolith from the film and novel 2001: A Space Odyssey (ie. one to four to nine) and include a motif of the southern cross constellation. Trophies are usually accompanied by an A4 certificate.
[edit] Controversy
The Ditmars have experienced a number of controversies since their inception. These include:
- The "Best Fannish Cat" category in 1991
- The "Cane Toad Awards" trophies in 1991 (re-awarded as "The Glass Suppositories")
- The permanent withdrawal from eligibility of works by Greg Egan. It was later determined that an author could refuse an award, but not a nomination. It was for this reason that Greg Egan was nominated for Best Novel in 2000, but upon winning that category he declined to accept the award. [1]
- The cancellation and re-running of the awards in 2000 (resulting in two sets of nominations in that year)
[edit] External links
- Locus Index to SF Awards listing
