After a long wait, Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ Saga has finally picked up its second Hugo Award. The first win since the series’ debut volume scored a Hugo in 2013.
Saga Vol. 11 beat the likes of Zach Weinersmith & Boulet’s Bea Wolf (First Second); Deena Mohamed’s Shubeik Lubeik (Pantheon); a Chinese language adaptation of Liu Cixin’s Three Body Problem (Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House); Paul Cornell & Valeria Burzo’s The Witches of World War II (TKO); and Kelly Sue DeConnick, Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha & Nicola Scott’s DC Black Label series Wonder Woman Historia.
In the Best Graphic Story or Comic category 457 ballots had been cast by paid up World Science Fiction Society members, with 256 books being nominated. Those that made the final ballot received between 25 and 151 votes. The Hugo Awards had recently been in the news for a series of voting scandals but it is believed none in this year’s furore related to the ‘Graphic Story or Comic’ category.
Saga, published by Image Comics, has been one of the regulars on the Hugo Awards ballot – with it having been nominated nearly every year of publication, racking up eight nominations overall (winning two). Since 2017 it has often struggled to compete against the popularity of Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda’s epic fantasy Monstress series – also from Image – which has also been nominated almost every year of publication, and won four times. Curiously Monstress didn’t make an appearance in this year’s ballot.
In other categories, Dungeons & Dragons IP did well in this year’s awards. While the works themselves were released in the previous calendar year, it can’t go unnoticed that the tabletop roleplaying behemoth has garnered two Hugo Awards in its 50th anniversary year for offerings in the movie and videogame space – with Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, starring Chris Pine, Hugh Grant, and Michelle Rodriguez winning ‘Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form’; and Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 – the first mainline Baldur’s Gate in over two decades – winning ‘Best Game or Interactive Work’. Meanwhile an episode of The Last of Us (“Long, Long Time”, written by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, directed by Peter Hoar) won out in the ‘Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form’ category, in a ballot dominated by double nominations for Doctor Who and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episodes.
BEST GRAPHIC STORY OR COMIC
- WINNER: Saga, Vol. 11 written by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
- Bea Wolf, written by Zach Weinersmith, art by Boulet (First Second)
- Shubeik Lubeik, by Deena Mohamed; translated by Deena Mohamed (Pantheon) — published in UK as Your Wish Is My Command (Granta)
- 三体漫画：第一部 / The Three Body Problem, Part One, adapted from the novels by 刘慈欣 (Liu Cixin), written by 蔡劲 (Cai Jin), 戈闻頔 (Ge Wendi), and 薄暮 (Bo Mu), art by 草祭九日东 (Caojijiuridong) (Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House)
- The Witches of World War II, written by Paul Cornell, art by Valeria Burzo (TKO Studios LLC)
- Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, art by Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha and Nicola Scott (DC Comics)
BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, LONG FORM
- WINNER: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, screenplay by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein and Michael Gilio, directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Paramount Pictures)
- Barbie, screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, directed by Greta Gerwig (Warner Bros. Studios)
- Nimona, screenplay by Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor, directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (Annapurna Animations)
- Poor Things, screenplay by Tony McNamara, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (Element Pictures)
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, screenplay by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Dave Callaham, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson (Columbia Pictures / Marvel Entertainment / Avi Arad Productions / Lord Miller / Pascal Pictures / Sony Pictures Animation)
- 流浪地球2 / The Wandering Earth II, based on the novel by 刘慈欣 Liu Cixin, screenplay by 杨治学 Yang Zhixue, 郭帆 / Frant Gwo, 龚格尔 Gong Geer, and 叶濡畅 Ye Ruchang, script consultant 王红卫 Wang Hongwei, directed by 郭帆 / Frant Gwo (中影创意（北京）电影有限公司 / CFC Pictures Ltd, 郭帆（北京）影业有限公司 / G!Film (Beijing) Studio Co. Ltd, 北京登峰国际文化传播有限公司 / Beijing Dengfeng International Culture Communication Co, Ltd, 中国电影股份有限公司 / China Film Co. Ltd)
BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, SHORT FORM
- WINNER: The Last of Us: “Long, Long Time”, written by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, directed by Peter Hoar (Naughty Dog / Sony Pictures)
- Doctor Who: “The Giggle”, written by Russell T. Davies, directed by Chanya Button (Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for The BBC and Disney Branded Television)
- Loki: “Glorious Purpose”, screenplay by Eric Martin, Michael Waldron and Katharyn Blair, directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Marvel / Disney+)
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: “Those Old Scientists”, written by Kathryn Lyn and Bill Wolkoff, directed by Jonathan Frakes (CBS / Paramount+)
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: “Subspace Rhapsody”, written by Dana Horgan and Bill Wolkoff, directed by Dermott Downs (CBS / Paramount+)
- Doctor Who: “Wild Blue Yonder”, written by Russell T. Davies, directed by Tom Kingsley (Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for The BBC and Disney Branded Television)
BEST GAME OR INTERACTIVE WORK
- WINNER: Baldur’s Gate 3, produced by Larian Studios
- Alan Wake 2, developed by Remedy Entertainment, published by Epic Games
- Chants of Sennaar, developed by Rundisc, published by Focus Entertainment
- DREDGE, developed by Black Salt Games, published by Team17
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, produced by Nintendo
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, developed by Respawn Entertainment, published by Electronic Arts
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