The Bram Stoker Award is an award given every year by the Horror Writers Association (HWA). It recognizes outstanding work in dark fantasy and horror writing.
History
The Bram Stoker Awards were created in 1987 and have been given every year since 1988. Winners are chosen by voting among Active members of the Horror Writers Association (HWA). The awards are named after Bram Stoker, an Irish horror writer who wrote the novel Dracula and other works.
Some HWA members, including Dean Koontz, were hesitant to support the awards because they worried it might create competition instead of encouraging friendly admiration. To avoid unfriendly competition, the HWA focused on finding new and overlooked writers and works. They decided to give awards based on "superior achievement" rather than "best of the year," which allows for ties.
Works can be nominated in two ways. Any HWA member can recommend a work, and a separate list of works is also presented by a Jury for each category. Active members then vote on works listed on preliminary ballots. This process narrows the choices to a Final ballot, and Active members vote again to select the winners from that list. Winners receive a statuette made by a New York company called Society Awards.
The terms "Bram Stoker Award" and "Bram Stoker Awards" are registered trademarks of the Horror Writers Association.
Categories
As of 2021, the Bram Stoker Award is given to those who qualify in that year, with the ceremony held in 2022. The award is presented for "Superior Achievement" in the following categories:
Discontinued categories include:
Past winners
In 2019, Stephen King had the most nominations (33) and awards (13). Other people who have won awards before include: