Last year, FIYAH magazine created FIYAHCON, a widely acclaimed virtual convention centering and celebrating BIPOC in speculative fiction. Along with FIYAHCON, organizers created the Ignyte Awards, which “seek to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of the current and future landscapes of science fiction, fantasy, and horror by recognizing incredible feats in storytelling and outstanding efforts toward inclusivity of the genre.”
The winners of the 2021 Ignyte Awards were announced this past weekend at FIYAHCON—read on to see who won!
Best Novel—Adult
WINNER! Black Sun – Rebecca Roanhorse (Saga Press)
The City We Became – N. K. Jemisin (Orbit)
Midnight Bargain – C. L. Polk (Erewhon Books)
The Only Good Indians – Stephen Graham Jones (Saga Press)
Vagabonds – Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu (Saga Press)
Best Novel—YA
WINNER! Legendborn – Tracy Deonn (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
Elatsoe – Darcie Little Badger (Levine Querido)
Raybearer – Jordan Ifueko (Amulet Books)
A Song Below Water – Bethany Morrow (Tor Teen)
A Sky Beyond the Storm – Sabaa Tahir (Razorbill)
Best in Middle Grade
WINNER! Ghost Squad – Claribel A. Ortega (Scholastic)
Frightville: Curse of the Wish Eater – Mike Ford (Scholastic)
Maya and the Rising Dark – Rena Barron (HMH Books for Young Readers)
Race to the Sun – Rebecca Roanhorse (Rick Riordan Presents)
A Wish in the Dark – Christina Soontornvat (Candlewick Press)
Best Novella
WINNER! Riot Baby – Tochi Onyebuchi (Tordotcom Publishing)
Empress of Salt and Fortune – Nghi Vo (Tordotcom Publishing)
The Four Profound Weaves – R. B. Lemberg (Tachyon Publications)
Ring Shout – P. Djèli Clark (Tordotcom Publishing)
Stone & Steel – Eboni J. Dunbar (Neon Hemlock)
Best Novelette
WINNER! “The Inaccessibility of Heaven“ – Aliette de Bodard (Uncanny Magazine)
“Love Hangover” – Sheree Renée Thomas (Mocha Memoirs Press)
“The Night Sun” – Zin E. Rocklyn (Tor.com)
“One Hand in the Coffin” – Justin C. Key (Strange Horizons)
“The Transition of Osoosi” – Ozzie M. Gartrell (FIYAH)
Best Short Story
WINNER! “You Perfect, Broken Thing” – C. L. Clark (Uncanny Magazine)
“Body, Remember” – Nicasio Andres Reed (Fireside Magazine)
“EXPRESS TO BEIJING WEST RAILWAY STATION | 开往西站的特别列车” – Congyun ‘Mu Ming’ Gu, translated by Kiera Johnson (Samovar)
“My Country is a Ghost” – Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny Magazine)
“Rat and Finch are Friends” – Innocent Chazaram Ilo (Strange Horizons)
Best in Speculative Poetry
WINNER! “The Harrowing | Desgarrador” – Gabriel Ascencio Morales, translated by Juan Martínez (Strange Horizons)
“The Alt-History of King Kong” – Renoir Gaither (Speculative City)
“Fin” – Terese Mason Pierre (Uncanny Magazine)
“Hungry Ghost” – Millie Ho (Uncanny Magazine)
“Tequila Mockingbird | Matar un Ruiseñor” – Raúl Gallardo Flores, translated by Juan Martinez (Strange Horizons)
Critics Award
WINNER! Stitch (Stitch’s Media Mix)
Jesse (Bowties & Books)
Maria Haskins
Charles Payseur (Quick Sip Reviews)
A. C. Wise
Best Fiction Podcast
WINNER! Nightlight – Tonia Ransom
Beneath Ceaseless Skies – Editor Scott H. Andrews
Escape Pod – Editors Mur Lafferty and S.B. Divya; Assistant Editor Benjamin C. Kinney; Hosts Tina Connolly and Alasdair Stuart, Audio Producers Summer Brooks and Adam Pracht, and the entire Escape Pod team
PodCastle – Editors Jen R. Albert, Cherae Clark, Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali, Host + Assistant Editor Setsu Uzume, & Audio Producer Peter Adrian Behravesh
The Magnus Archives – Written and performed by Jonathan Sims, Directed by Alexander J Newall, Produced by Lowri Ann Davies. Distributed by Rusty Quill
Best Artist
WINNER! Odera Igbokwe
John Picacio
Nilah Magruder
Paul Lewin
Rovina Cai
Best Comics Team
WINNER! Parable of the Sower – Written by Octavia Butler, adapted by Damian Duffy, illustrated by John Jennings (Abrams ComicArts)
Cuisine Chinoise: Five Tales of Food and Life – Zao Dao, with Diana Schutz & Brandon Kandor (Dark Horse Comics)
Far Sector – N. K. Jemisin & Jamal Campbell (DC Comics)
Giga – Alex Paknadel & John Lê (Vault Comics)
You Brought Me the Ocean – Alex Sanchez & Jul Maroh (DC Comics)
Best Anthology/Collected Works
WINNER! A Phoenix Must First Burn – ed. Patrice Caldwell (Viking Books for Young Readers)
Glitter + Ashes: Queer Tales of a World that Wouldn’t Die – editor, publisher dave ring (Neon Hemlock)
Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction – ed. Joshua Whitehead (Arsenal Pulp Press)
Nine Bar Blues – Sheree Renée Thomas (Third Man Books)
Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with a Fresh Bite – ed. Zoraida Cordova & Natalie C. Parker (Imprint)
Best in Creative Nonfiction
WINNER! “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream: The Duty of the Black Writer During Times of American Unrest” – Tochi Onyebuchi (Tor.com)
“The African Superhero and the Legacy of Captain Africa” – Suyi Davies Okungbowa (Tor.com)
“Fine Weather, Isn’t It?” – Tochi Onyebuchi (SFWA Bulletin #215)
“How to Make a Family: Queer Blood Bonds in Black Feminist Vampire Novels” – Tamara Jerée (Strange Horizons)
“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Excellence” – Nibedita Sen (Uncanny Magazine)
The Ember Award (for unsung contributions to genre)
WINNER! Dhonielle Clayton
Clarion West
K. Tempest Bradford
Michi Trota
Tananarive Due
The Community Award (for Outstanding Efforts in Service of Inclusion and Equitable Practice in Genre)
WINNER! #PublishingPaidMe – L.L. McKinney & Tochi Onyebuchi
Anathema Magazine: Spec from the Margins – Michael Matheson, Andrew Wilmot, Chinelo Onwualu
Beth Phelan
Diana M. Pho
Writing The Other: Online Classes and Workshops – Nisi Shawl + K Tempest Bradford
Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists!
