Competition: Kiwi artists to design base for the Hugo Award

New Zealand artists are invited to compete for the chance to feature their design on the base of one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world.

The Hugos are awarded for best science fiction and fantasy works and achievements, and are likened to the Oscars or Pulitzers of the speculative fiction world.

Previous Hugo Awards have gone to authors such as Isaac Asimov, Ursula Le Guin, and Neil Gaiman.

Next year, for the first time, the Hugo Awards ceremony will be held in New Zealand.

It will be one of the main events at CoNZealand, the 78th World Science Fiction Convention, which will be held in Wellington from 29 July to 2 August 2020.

CoNZealand will run over five days and five venues (the Michael Fowler Centre, TSB Arena, Shed 6, the West Plaza Hotel and the Intercontinental Hotel), bringing in more than 2,000 visitors from around the country and abroad including famous writers such as CoNZealand’s Toastmaster George RR Martin (also a former Hugo recipient).

Wellington’s own Greg Broadmore will be the Artist Guest of Honour.

A metal rocket is the central element of the Hugo Award, but the design of the base it stands on changes every year, often reflecting the location in which the convention is held.

Only artists living and working in New Zealand are eligible to enter the competition.

Two bases will be chosen, one for the 2020 Hugo Award and one for the 1945 Retro Hugo Awards. Artists may submit multiple base designs and could be selected for both bases.

The winner(s) of the base design competition will receive a full five-day Attending membership for CoNZealand (worth NZD 425), where they will be invited to take part in the public unveiling of their design. The bases will also become part of the Hugo History exhibit that travels to each Worldcon around the world.

The competition closes Friday, January 17, 2020, New Zealand time (GMT+12).

Detailed rules of entry can be found on the CoNZealand website.

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