If you’re a new (or avid) reader of science fiction and fantasy, the list of novels that have won Hugo and Nebula awards is an essential resource to guide your fiction selections. We’ve highlighted novels that won both awards simultaneously (or were tied) and ticked those we feel you should give special attention to.
Hugo and Nebula award winners
Hugo and Nebula awards are presented annually for achievements in science fiction and fantasy literature. The Hugo award, named in honour of one of the founders of magazine science fiction in the US, Hugo Gernback, is determined by popular vote of members of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS). There are four award categories: novel, novella, novelette, and short story.
The Nebula award, in contrast, is determined by votes of members of SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America), and, as the name suggests, includes fantasy works. Founded by Damian Knight, the SFWA is a non-profit organisation with over 1,200 writers, artists and editors in its ranks. There are five award categories: novel, novella, novelette, short story and script.
Surprisingly, while Frank Herbert won a Nebula for Dune in 1965, none of the other six books in the classic Dune series ever won a Hugo or Nebula.
Hugos were first awarded in 1953, while Nebula awards began in 1965.
Legend
- If a book won both the Nebula and Hugo awards, they’re highlighted in yellow.
- If votes resulted in a tie in any particular year, they’ve been highlighted in grey.
- Books marked with a are recommended by the Galactic Brain team.
| Nebula awards | Hugo awards | |
| Nebula awards | Hugo awards | |
| 2017 | The Stone Sky, N. K. Jemisin | The Stone Sky, N. K. Jemisin |
| 2016 | All the Birds in the Sky, Charlie Jane Anders | The Obelisk Gate, N. K. Jemisin |
| 2015 | Uprooted, Naomi Novik | The Three-Body Problem, Cixin Liu, Ken Liu (Translator) |
| 2014 | Camouflage Annihilation: A Novel (The Southern Reach Trilogy), Jeff VanderMeer | Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch), Ann Leckie |
| 2013 | Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch), Ann Leckie | Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas, John Scalzi |
| 2012 | 2312, Kim Stanley Robinson | Among Others, Jo Walton |
| 2011 | Among Others, Jo Walton | Blackout/ All Clear, Connie Willis |
| 2010 | Blackout/ All Clear, Connie Willis | The City & The City, China Mieville and The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi |
| 2009 | The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi | The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman |
| 2008 | Powers (Annals of the Western Shore), Ursula K. Le Guin | The Yiddish Policemen’s Union: A Novel, Michael Chabon |
| 2007 | The Yiddish Policemen’s Union: A Novel, Michael Chabon | Rainbows End, Vernor Vinge |
| 2006 | Seeker, Jack McDevitt | Spin, Robert Charles Wilson |
| 2005 | Camouflage, Joe Haldeman | Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Susanna Clarke |
| 2004 | Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold | Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold |
| 2003 | The Speed of Dark, Elizabeth Moon | Hominids, Robert J. Sawyer |
| 2002 | American Gods, Neil Gaiman | American Gods, Neil Gaiman |
| 2001 | The Quantum Rose, Catherine Asaro | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J. K. Rowling |
| 2000 | Darwin’s Radio, Greg Bear | A Deepness in the Sky, Vernor Vinge |
| 1999 | Parable of the Talents, Octavia E. Butler | To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis |
| 1998 | Forever Peace, Joe Haldeman | Forever Peace, Joe Haldeman |
| 1997 | The Moon and the Sun, Vonda N. McIntyre | Blue Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson |
| 1996 | Slow River, Nicola Griffith | The Diamond Age, Neal Stephenson |
| 1995 | The Terminal Experiment, Robert J. Sawyer | Mirror Dance, Lois McMaster Bujold |
| 1994 | Moving Mars, Greg Bear | Green Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson |
| 1993 | Red Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson | Doomsday Book, Connie Willis and A Fire Upon the Deep, Vernor Vinge (tie) |
| 1992 | Doomsday Book, Connie Willis | Barrayar, Lois McMaster Bujold |
| 1991 | Stations of the Tide, Michael Swanwick | The Vor Game, Lois McMaster Bujold |
| 1990 | Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin | Hyperion, Dan Simmons |
| 1989 | The Healer’s War, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough | Cyteen, C. J. Cherryh |
| 1988 | Falling Free, Lois McMaster Bujold | The Uplift War, David Brin |
| 1987 | The Falling Woman, Pat Murphy | Speaker for the Dead, Orson Scott Card |
| 1986 | Speaker for the Dead, Orson Scott Card | Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card |
| 1985 | Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card | Neuromancer, William Gibson |
| 1984 | Neuromancer, William Gibson | Startide Rising, David Brin |
| 1983 | Startide Rising, David Brin | Foundation’s Edge, Isaac Asimov |
| 1982 | No Enemy But Time, Michael Bishop | Downbelow Station, C. J. Cherryh |
| 1981 | The Claw of the Conciliator, Gene Wolfe | The Snow Queen, Joan D. Vinge |
| 1980 | Timescape, Gregory Benford | The Fountains of Paradise, Arthur C. Clarke |
| 1979 | The Fountains of Paradise, Arthur C. Clarke | Dreamsnake, Vonda N. McIntyre |
| 1978 | Dreamsnake, Vonda N. McIntyre | Gateway, Frederik Pohl |
| 1977 | Gateway, Frederik Pohl | Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang, Kate Wilhelm |
| 1976 | Man Plus, Frederik Pohl | The Forever War, Joe Haldeman |
| 1975 | The Forever War, Joe Haldeman | The Dispossessed, Ursula K. Le Guin |
| 1974 | The Dispossessed, Ursula K. Le Guin | Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke |
| 1973 | Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke | The Gods Themselves, Isaac Asimov |
| 1972 | The Gods Themselves, Isaac Asimov | To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip José Farmer |
| 1971 | A Time of Changes, Robert Silverberg | Ringworld, Larry Niven |
| 1970 | Ringworld, Larry Niven | The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin |
| 1969 | The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin | Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner |
| 1968 | Rite of Passage, Alexei Panshin | Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny |
| 1967 | The Einstein Intersection, Samuel R. Delany | The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Robert A. Heinlein |
| 1966 | Babel-17, Samuel R. Delany and Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes (tie) | Dune, Frank Herbert and This Immortal, Roger Zelazny (tie) |
| 1965 | Dune, Frank Herbert | The Wanderer, Fritz Leiber |
| 1964 | N/A | Way Station, Clifford D. Simak |
| 1963 | N/A | The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick |
| 1962 | N/A | Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein |
| 1961 | N/A | A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr. |
| 1960 | N/A | Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein |
| 1959 | N/A | A Case of Conscience, James Blish |
| 1958 | N/A | The Big Time, Fritz Leiber |
| 1957 | N/A | N/A |
| 1956 | N/A | Double Star, Robert A. Heinlein |
| 1955 | N/A | They’d Rather Be Right (The Forever Machine), Mark Clifton & Frank Riley |
| 1953 | N/A | The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester |
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