Ignyte Awards

The Ignyte Awards are an annual literary award for the best science fiction, fantasy, and horror works and achievements of the previous year. Established in 2020 by writers L. D. Lewis and Suzan Palumbo as an off-shoot of FIYAH Literary Magazine, the awards aim to celebrate diversity and inclusion in the speculative fiction genre, and are presented in 15 categories spanning fiction, non-fiction and community service. Trophies are awarded to winners at FIYAHCON, an annual speculative fiction convention focused on black, indigenous and people-of-color perspectives in the genre.[1][2]

The Ignyte Awards are part-juried and part-public vote: finalists are selected by the convention committee, and winners are then determined in an online ballot.[3]

Winners

Best Novel – Adult

Year Work Author(s) Ref.
2020 Gods of Jade and Shadow Silvia Moreno-Garcia [4]
2021 Black Sun Rebecca Roanhorse [5]
2022 A Master of Djinn P. Djèlí Clark [6]
2023 The Blood Trials N. E. Davenport [7]
2024 The Saint of Bright Doors Vajra Chandrasekera [8]

Best Novel – YA

Year Work Author(s) Ref.
2020 We Hunt the Flame Hafsah Faizal [4]
2021 Legendborn Tracy Deonn [5]
2022 A Snake Falls to Earth Darcie Little Badger [6]
2023 Bloodmarked Tracy Deonn [7]
2024 I Feed Her To the Beast and the Beast is Me Jamison Shae [8]

Best in Middle Grade

Year Work Author(s) Ref.
2020 Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky Kwame Mbalia [4]
2021 Ghost Squad Claribel A. Ortega [5]
2022 Root Magic Eden Royce [6]
2023 Witchlings Claribel Ortega [7]
2024 Abeni's Song P. Djèlí Clark [8]

Best Novella

Year Work Author(s) Ref.
2020 This is How You Lose the Time War Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar [4]
2021 Riot Baby Tochi Onyebuchi [5]
2022 And This Is How to Stay Alive Shingai Njeri Kagunda [6]
2023 Into the Riverlands Nghi Vo [7]
2024 The Lies of the Ajungo Moses Ose Utomi [8]

Best Novelette

Year Work Author(s) Publisher Ref.
2020 Emergency Skin N. K. Jemisin Amazon Forward Collection [4]
2021 The Inaccessibility of Heaven Aliette de Bodard Uncanny Magazine [5]
2022 The Future Library Peng Shepherd Tor Books [6]
2023 If You Find Yourself Speaking to God, Address God With the Informal You John Chu Uncanny Magazine [7]
2024 Spell For Grief and Longing Eboni J. Dunbar FIYAH [8]

Best Short Story

Year Work Author(s) Publisher Ref.
2020 "A Brief Lesson in Native American Astronomy" Rebecca Roanhorse Gallery/Saga Press [4]
2021 "You Perfect, Broken Thing" C. L. Clark Uncanny Magazine [5]
2022 "If the Martians Have Magic" P. Djèlí Clark Uncanny Magazine [6]
2023 "The Lady of the Yellow Painted Library" Tobi Ogundiran Tordotcom [7]
2024 "A Witch’s Transition in the City of Ghosts" Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe Beneath Ceaseless Skies [8]

Best in Speculative Poetry

Year Work Author(s) Publisher Ref.
2020 "A Conversation Between the Embalmed Heads of Lampião and Maria Bonita on Public Display at the Baiano State Forensic Institute, Circa Mid-20th Century" Woody Dismukes Strange Horizons [4]
2021 "The Harrowing Desgarrador" Gabriel Ascencio Morales Strange Horizons [5]
2022 "Post Massacre Psyche Evaluation" Abu Bakr Sadiq Uncanny Magazine [6]
2023 "We Smoke Pollution" Ai Jiang STAR*LINE [7]
2024 "My Mother, she ate me" Akua Lezli Hope FIYAH [8]

Critics Award

Year Work Ref.
2020 Alex Brown of Tor.com [4]
2021 Stitch @ Stitch's Media Mix [5]
2022 Alex Brown of Tor.com [6]
2023 Nerds of a Feather, Flock Together [7]
2024 Alex Brown of Tor.com [8]

Best Fiction Podcast

Year Work Author(s) Ref.
2020 LeVar Burton Reads LeVar Burton [4]
2021 Nightlight Podcast Tonia Ransom [5]
2022 Khōréō Aleksandra Hill, Lian Xia Rose, Isaree Thatchaichawalit, Marie Croke, Carla B. Estruch, Rowan Morrison, P.H. Low, Elaine Ho, Katarzyna Nowacka, Zhui Ning Chang, Katalina Watt, Ysabella Maglanque, Lauren Bajek, M.L. Krishnan, Jei D. Marcade, Oshon Ize-Iyamu, Justine Teu, Sanam Akhlagh, Nuna Fariha [6]
2023 Black Women Are Scary - [7]
2024 LeVar Burton Reads LeVar Burton [8]

Best Artist

Year Name Ref.
2020 Grace P. Fong [4]
2021 Odera Igbokwe [5]
2022 Morgan Madeline [6]
2023 Aimee Campbell [7]
2024 Rovina Cai [8]

Best Comics Team

Year Work Author(s) Publisher Ref.
2020 These Savage Shores Ram V, Sumit Kumar, Vitorio Astone, Aditya Bidikar, and Tim Daniel Vault Comics [4]
2021 Parable of the Sower Written by Octavia Butler, adapted by Damian Duffy, illustrated by John Jennings Abrams ComicArts [5]
2022 Nubia: Real One Written by L.L. McKinney, illustrated by Robyn Smith DC Comics [6]
2023 Where Black Stars Rise Marie Enger & Nadia Shammas Tor Nightfire [7]
2024 Kill Your Darlings Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sheridan, Bob Quinn Image [8]

Best Anthology/Collected Works

Year Work Author(s) Publisher Ref.
2020 New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color Edited by Nisi Shawl Rebellion [4]
2021 A Phoenix First Must Burn Edited by Patrice Caldwell Viking Books for Young Readers [5]
2022 We’re Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction Edited by Charles Payseur & C. L. Clark Neon Hemlock Press [6]
2023 Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms and Space Edited by Zoraida Córdova Wednesday Books [7]
2024 No One Will Come Back for Us Premee Mohamed Undertow [8]

Best in Creative Nonfiction

Year Work Author(s) Publisher Ref.
2020 Black Horror Rising Tananarive Due Uncanny Magazine [4]
2021 "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream: The Duty of the Black Writer During Times of American Unrest" Tochi Onyebuchi Tor.com [5]
2022 "We Are the Mountain: A Look at the Inactive Protagonist" Vida Cruz Fantasy Magazine [6]
2023 The H Word: Horror in a Country that Is Not Afraid of Death Dante Luiz Nightmare Magazine [7]
2024 The Magic is in the Roots: Cultural Reconnection Through Magical Realism Lysz Flo FIYAH [8]

The Ember Award

Year Person Ref.
2020 LeVar Burton [4]
2021 Dhonielle Clayton [5]
2022 Tananarive Due [6]
2023 Afronauts Podcast [7]
2024 Sheree Renée Thomas [8]

The Community Award

Year Work Author(s) Ref.
2020 Strange Horizons Gautam Bhatia, Vajra Chandrasekera, Joyce Chng, Kate Cowan, Tahlia Day, William Ellwood, Rebecca Evans, Ciro Faienza, Lila Garrott, Dan Hartland, Amanda Jean, Lulu Kadhim, Maureen Kincaid Speller, Catherine Krahe, Anaea Lay, Dante Luiz, Heather McDougal, AJ Odasso, Vanessa Rose Phin, Clark Seanor, Romie Stott, Aishwarya Subramanian, Fred G. Yost, the Strange Horizons copyediting team, and first readers. [4]
2021 #PublishingPaidMe L.L. McKinney and Tochi Onyebuchi [5]
2022 The Submission Grinder David Steffen, Anthony W. Sullivan, and Andrew Rucker Jones [6]
2023 Flights of Foundry [7]
2024 khōréō [8]

References

  1. ^ Stubby the Rocket (August 7, 2020). "FIYAH Announces Creation of Ignyte Awards As Part of the First FIYAHCON". Tor.com. Macmillan. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  2. ^ Millanzi, Riziki (4 October 2021). Levontin, Polina (ed.). "FiyahCon 2021 report by Riziki Millanzi". Vector. British Science Fiction Association. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  3. ^ Tejada, Andrew (17 October 2020). "Announcing the Winners of the Inaugural Ignyte Awards!". Tor.com. Macmillan. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Ignyte Awards Winners". Locus Magazine. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "2021 Ignyte Awards Winners". Locus Magazine. 18 September 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Asher-Perrin, Emmet (17 September 2022). "Announcing the Winners of the 2022 Ignyte Awards!". Tor.com. Macmillan. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "2023 RESULTS - The Ignyte Awards". ignyteawards.fiyahlitmag.com. 2023-10-21. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "2024 Ignyte Award Winners". Locus. 8 Nov 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2025.