CoNZealand, the 78th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) being held in Wellington in July, today announced a scholarship programme to provide free memberships and financial support for people from marginalised communities to attend.

“This is the first time the World Science Fiction Convention has ever been held in New Zealand. My team is busy putting together over 500 events, over five days, and one of our key aims is to make this a uniquely South Pacific convention experience. The Aotearoa Inclusion Initiative will help make sure we can hear from a diverse range of voices at the convention, particularly Māori and Pasifika,” Programme Division Head Jannie Shea said.

The convention is not for profit and run entirely by volunteers. All those attending (including programme participants) need to purchase a membership. Attending membership costs $450 for adults, $250 for young adults born in or after 2000, and $225 for unwaged NZ residents. The Aotearoa Inclusion Initiative aims to help those who would not otherwise be able to attend the convention.

There are no financial hardship criteria to apply for the scholarship. Applications from people from marginalised communities will be prioritised, including Māori, Pasifika, people of colour, LGBTQI+, disabled, and those facing socio-economic disadvantage. Applicants who reside in New Zealand, or who require minimal travel support, will be accepted first, with broader Pasifika region applicants considered if funds allow.

“Worldcon members have a history of digging into their pockets to help diverse and local people attend. We saw this through past years’ initiatives such as MexicanX and the Fantastic Dublin Fund. We know our members and the broader speculative fiction community will get behind us and help make the Aotearoa Inclusion Initiative a success,” said Co-Chair Norman Cates.

Applications for the scholarship are open until the end of March, and people and companies who want to support the initiative can donate funds or memberships through CoNZealand’s website.

Scholarship Manager Toni Wi (Ngāti Maniapoto) and Māori Programme Liaison Cassie Hart (Ngāi Tahu) are managing the scholarship process. “We’ll be pushing hard to get funding for as many scholarships as we can. It’s free to apply and we want to hear from as many applicants as possible. Don’t self reject!”

Read more about the Aotearoa Inclusion Initiative
Read key facts about CoNZealand [PDF]

If you have a great idea for a paper, panel or round table for CoNZealand’s science and academic stream, now’s the time to get in touch!

The deadline for submitting proposals for CoNZealand’s Science and Academic stream has been extended to 15th March 2020. 

Find out more about what kind of proposals we’re looking for in the preliminary call for papers – Science and Academic stream article.

Please send all proposals, queries or questions to Dr. Douglas A. Van Belle at: conzealand.academic@vuw.ac.nz

If you haven’t purchased your membership of CoNZealand, now’s the time to do so.

On February 15th, the cost for an adult attending membership will rise to $450. All other membership tier prices remain the same.

View the list of membership tiers and prices, and register to attend CoNZealand here.

If you were thinking of entering the competition to design bases for the 2020 Hugo Awards and 1945 Retro Hugos, you’re in luck. The deadline for entries has been extended until 31st January 2020 (from the original deadline of 17th January).

Read more about the design contest.

Read more about the Hugo Awards.

If you’d like to know more about the Hugo Awards, check out this new video from the CoNZealand team, talking about the history of the awards and why they’re so important.

Nominations for the 2020 Hugo Awards and 1945 Retro Hugos, the most prestigious awards recognising speculative literature, media and fan activities, are now open.

The Hugos, named in honour of author and editor Hugo Gernsback, have been awarded since 1953 and are fan-run, fan-given and fan-supported.

CoNZealand, the 2020 annual Worldcon of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is administering the 2020 Hugo and 1945 Retro Hugo awards. Co-Chairs Kelly Buehler and Norman Cates said, “We are thrilled to administer and host such an important event in our community. The Hugo Awards are synonymous with some of the most beloved and respected works in the science fiction space, and we are excited to see which works, individuals and groups are nominated for the upcoming awards.”

Nominations can be made by all attending or supporting members of CoNZealand and members of Dublin 2019. Eligible members can nominate up to five works and/or individuals for each of the 17 categories covering the best in the genre in 2019.

Nominations are also open for the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book, the Astounding Award for Best New Writer (formerly known as the John W. Campbell Award), and also for the 1945 Retro Hugos, celebrating the genre work of 1944.

For more information about the awards and categories please visit the Hugo Awards website or the CoNZealand Hugo Awards web page.

Nominations will close on March 13, 2020 at 11:59 pm Pacific Daylight Time (2:59 am Eastern Daylight Time, 06:59 Irish time, and 7:59 pm March 14, 2020 New Zealand time).

The six most popular nominees for each category will appear on the final voting ballot which will be announced in early April 2020.

Instructions have been sent to eligible nominators by email. Members of CoNZealand can also visit the members’ area on the CoNZealand website and access their ballot number under “my memberships” once they are logged in.

For voters who prefer a paper ballot, a printed version of the WSFS Constitution and Hugo Nominating ballot was included in the mailed-out version of Progress Report 2. You may download a printable ballot in A4, or US letter sizes.

CoNZealand is also currently seeking proposals from artists living and working in New Zealand for the design of the Hugo Award bases. The competition will close on Friday, January 17, 2020, New Zealand time (GMT+12). Rules of entry can be found on the CoNZealand website.

We’re so excited about the Guests of Honour who will be joining us for CoNZealand- check out this video, where our staff talk about why they love Mercedes Lackey, Larry Dixon, Artist GOH Greg Broadmore, Fan GOH Rose Mitchell, and of course our Toastmaster George RR Martin.

CoNZealand is now soliciting proposals for the 2020 Hugo Award and the 1945 Retro Hugo Award base designs in a competition open to artists living and working in New Zealand.This competition gives New Zealand-based artists the chance to create a lasting piece of the most prestigious and popular award in the science fiction community.

The Worldcon has presented the Hugo Award for achievement in science fiction and fantasy, named after author and editor Hugo Gernsback, annually since 1955. Each award features a standardized metal rocket as the central element, with a base design that changes every year, often reflecting the location in which the Worldcon takes place.

Rules for Entry

Entry in the competition is open to artists living or working in New Zealand.

Design proposals must be submitted by Friday, 31 January New Zealand time (GMT+12) – note, this is a extension from the original deadline of January 17, 2020, New Zealand time (GMT+12).

All submissions should include:

• Drawings, sketches, and/or a fabricated sample of the proposed base unit accommodating the provided specifications.
• Cost estimate per base, and estimated total cost for the fabrication and shipping of minimum 40 base units. As a guideline, bases should cost no more than $250 (NZD) each to fabricate.
• Lead time needed to make the bases. The contest winner will be selected by early February 2020, and announced shortly afterward. Delivery of approximately 36 bases each for the 2020 Hugo Awards and 14 for the 1945 Retro Hugo Awards to CoNZealand in Wellington, New Zealand, will be expected in June 2020.
• Proof of your ability to either craft the bases or arrange for the work to be done.

Photos of past Hugo awards can be viewed at the official Hugo Awards website.

To enter the competition, submit proposals either electronically or via mail. Please include your name and contact information. Two bases will be chosen, one for the 2020 Hugo Award and one for the 1945 Retro Hugo Awards. An artist may submit multiple base designs and could be selected for both bases. The winner(s) of the base design competition will receive a full (five-day) Attending membership for CoNZealand, where they will be invited to take part in the public unveiling of their design at the convention’s Opening Ceremonies, Retro Hugo Award presentation, and at the Hugo Awards Ceremony. The bases will also be added to the physical archive of Hugo base designs, and thus be part of the Hugo History exhibit that travels to each Worldcon.

The winning design is kept secret until the Worldcon, therefore strict confidentiality applies to the winning design until the convention. We regret that competition entries cannot be returned, and CoNZealand reserves the right to not select from the competition entries.

Electronic Submission

Please email proposals to hugo-base@conzealand.nz. Include the requested information, and a JPG, TIFF, PNG, or GIF image of your design.

Postal Submission

Please send the requested information, along with a sketch/drawing/sample base (or a flash drive containing your sketch/drawing), to:

CoNZealand

PO Box 15483

Miramar

Wellington

6243

New Zealand

If you have any questions, please contact us at hugo-base@conzealand.nz

Base Specifications

Your proposal must conform to certain general and technical specifications, as follows:

• Bases may be made of wood, metal, lucite, or any other material that has a fixed form. Native materials such as native timber or Oamaru stone would be welcome, subject to international customs and transport. Materials that are fragile, or change form with age or extremes of temperature, are not suitable.
• The theme for both base designs is “Exploration and Discovery”. A strong New Zealand influence is required. For the Retro Hugo, stylistic elements consistent with the 1940’s are also welcome. Copyrighted/trademarked elements should not be included, and designs featuring them will be disqualified.
• Space must be left on the base for affixing a plaque or plaques indicating (in an easily readable, 12 pt font) the names of the convention, the winner, and the category of the award.
• Bases must be designed in such a way that the silver Hugo rocket, supplied by CoNZealand, is an integral part of the design. In addition, the base should be large and heavy enough to keep the award from being unstable, but should not be too large or compete with the rocket for focus.
• Rockets will be bolted to the bases from below the tailfins, and must be able to stand on a flat surface. Hanging designs, or those which rely on gravity other than Earth standard, are not acceptable.
• Specifications for the Hugo rocket itself are:
  • 33.02 cm tall
  • 5.08 cm across from fin-tip to fin-tip
  • 1.42 kg in weight
• Attaches to base with a #5/16-18 Bolt machine screw thread. A detailed technical sheet is available here.

Additionally, keep in mind that trophies and bases will be (a) traveling home in people’s luggage or (b) need to be shipped. Parts that are fragile, fiddly, or prone to fall off are strongly discouraged, as is anything that would make transportation security officials too nervous (the rocket requires enough explanation just by itself). In recent years, a majority of the Hugo Awards were delivered to their recipients by mail, as even winners who are in attendance often prefer to have them shipped. Base design should take into account ease of shipping and/or include shipping containers. Thank you for participating and best of luck!

Download this article as a PDF press release.