Where did the ignytes come from?
Read more about our origins here on L’s blog.
ELIGIBILITY
The Ignyte Awards consider only works, entities, and persons within the realm of speculative literature, to include fantasy, science-fiction, horror, magical realism, and their associated subgenres. Works are considered eligible if published and made available originating or translated into the English language (at least 70%) within a given calendar year. Works which are produced in whole or in part by LLMs (large language models) or generative “AI” services or products are ineligible in all categories.
CATEGORIES
FULL CATEGORY LIST
Outstanding Novel – Adult: novel-length works by up to two authors over 40,000 words for the adult audience
Outstanding Novel – YA: novel-length works by up to two over 40,000 words for the young adult audience
Outstanding Middle Grade: longform works of speculative fiction for the middle grade market
Outstanding Novella: works of 17,500-39,999 words
Outstanding Novelette: works of 7500-17,499 words
Outstanding Short Story: works of 2,001-7,499 words
Outstanding Speculative Poetry: single poems which are speculative in genre
Critics Award: book reviewers or other providers of critical analysis of speculative fiction on a professional or fan level, and may include traditional reviewers, booktube/tock/gram/bloggers, etc. May be individuals or teams.
Outstanding Fiction Podcast: podcasts which produce, host, or perform original fiction as at least 75% of their annual output.
Outstanding Artist: recognizes a single artist for their professional (paid and credited) output within a given year or longer. Nominees for Outstanding Artist may have their entire portfolio considered, but must have had one (1) commissioned work published in the nominated year. For works such as book covers, the work must verifiably be the original creation of the nominated artist, and not include stock imagery or photography belonging to someone else.
Outstanding Comics Team: teams which work to produce an eligible comic volume, to include writers, artists, and letterers
Outstanding Anthology/Collected Works: “Anthologies” featuring works by multiple authors and “Collected Works” all by a single author are permitted
Outstanding Creative Nonfiction: Essays or academic/scholarly works of nonfiction related to the field of speculative fiction
The Ember Award for Unsung Contributions to Genre: recognizes singularly impactful individuals for their extended bodies of work which have not historically been recognized by awards entities
Community Award for Outstanding Efforts in Service of Inclusion and Equitable Practice in Genre: Community Award nominees may be individuals, teams, organizations, or publications whose focus has aided in diversifying and making healthier the field of speculative fiction by emphasizing inclusion.
Single-Work Categories
Each single-work category recognize up to two (2) co-authors as well as their translators if applicable.
Novel-Adult
Novel-YA
Middle Grade
Novella
Novelette
Short Story
Speculative Poetry
Artist
Creative Nonfiction
Team categories
Team categories or categories in which teams may be nominated recognize 2+ contributors in announcement listings and in receipt of award mailings.
Fiction Podcast
Comics Team
Anthology/ Collected Works*
The Ember Award
The Community Award
Critics Award**
*In the case of anthologies, Editors are recognized in initial communications with the opportunity to provide their full contributor list for recognition
**If applicable
“Kidlit” categories
The following categories have an extended panel of judges representative of the age groups for which the works are intended.
Outstanding Novel-Young Adult
Outstanding Middle Grade
HOW VOTING WORKS
THE LONGLIST
Ignyte Awards juries are comprised of 25 individuals; a mix of avid readers, reviewers, and winners from previous years. Each juror is permitted to nominate three works per category, ranked in order of preference. Works are sourced organically from the juror’s own awareness and reading history, as well as a list of eligible works created and maintained throughout the year by the award administrators. We do not accept submissions. Works are awarded 3 points per appearance in 1st place ranking, 2 points per second place appearance, and 1 point per third place appearance. The five works in each category with the most points generates the award shortlist. Winners from the previous year are ineligible to be nominated in their winning category.
Beginning in 2023, the awards impanel a jury of 8-12 judges between the ages of 12-17 to nominate in the Young Adult Novel and Middle Grade categories. Their votes count for double points in an effort to achieve a slate of nominated kidlit works that prioritize the perspectives and opinions of the young people for whom they are written.
Beginning in 2024, categories with fewer than 10 nominations at the longlist stage will be cancelled for the award cycle.
THE SHORTLIST
The Ignyte Awards are a free, public ballot. We permit voters to submit one ballot of one finalist per category. We verify the existence of the email address attached to a ballot and remove votes from false or sockpuppet accounts as well as duplicate votes from the same verified email. In order to prevent predatory voting practices, we do not permit write-in nominations. Votes are tallied simply: 1 vote = 1 point. Most points wins.
THE ART OF THE AWARD
Each year, a new artist is commissioned to create artwork for the new trophy.
Trophies are 3″x3″ medallions featuring the year’s artwork on one side, and the Ignyte Award logo, year, and “winner” or “finalist” on the other side. Medallions arrive in their own black velvet box along with a 6″x6″ congratulatory card featuring the full color artwork with a foil embellishment. Winners and finalists each receive trophies either gold or silver in color, respectively.
