British Fantasy Awards FAQ

What are the BFAs?

The British Fantasy Awards (BFAs) are the longest-running fantasy awards in the UK. Organised every year by the British Fantasy Society, the Awards are presented at the yearly Fantasycon convention.

What categories do the BFAs cover?

The BFAs cover 12 categories from Best Fantasy Novel and Best Horror Novel through to Best Artist and Best Audio work. The full list can be found here.

How do I submit my work for consideration?

We do not accept submissions for the BFAs; works are nominated by members of the British Fantasy Society and attendees at Fantasycon. You are, however, welcome to add your relevant works to the suggestions list.

Who can suggest material?

We welcome any suggestions of eligible material, whether you are a BFS member or not, publishers, authors, fans are all encouraged to add items to the Suggested Material List. Eligible material is work that has been released in the previous year, i.e. works released between 1st January 2025 and end of December 2025 will be eligible for the Awards presented in 2026. This is not a longlist. Authors, editors, etc. may add their own works to the suggestions list. We do not have a longlist stage.

Who can vote for the short list?

If you are a member of the British Fantasy Society or a Ticket holder for this year’s or last year’s (2025) Fantasycon then you are eligible to vote. The link to the voting page will be released once the suggestion list is closed, and voting will start in May. Each member is allowed to vote for up to 3 entries per category.

What if the work I want to vote for is not on the suggestion list?

While the suggestion list is still open, you can add a work to it. You can vote for any qualifying work, it does not have to be on the suggestion list first.

Can I vote for my own work?

No, you may not vote for any work which you wrote, edited or published. Please do not vote for any title if you have a substantial professional involvement with it or would receive professional benefit if the title is shortlisted/wins. We ask each voter to use their best judgement with this, but here are some examples to help illustrate what we mean. If you are in doubt, please do reach out to us for guidance.

• Agents should not vote for any work by their clients, regardless of whether they represented that work or not. 
• Contributors to an anthology should not vote for the anthology.
• If you’ve had a short story published in a magazine, you may vote for that magazine, as your contribution to the overall body of work is small and the magazine winning is unlikely to have any real effect on your career.
• Publishers should not vote for any title published by their company whether they personally worked on it or not
• Freelance editors should not vote for a title they have edited

How are the winners decided?

Once the voting is closed, the votes are tallied and the short list for each category is formed. This shortlist is sent to the jurors who may then add up to 2 egregious omissions, based on their knowledge of the category. Once the short list is finalised, the jurors will have the opportunity to read, listen to, and/or view the works and discuss them as a group to decide upon the winners.

Who can and how do I become a Juror?

Anyone is welcome to apply to be a juror, and the call for jurors will be sent out around the same time as the call for voting. You do not need to be a member of the BFS or be attending Fantasycon, but an interest in the category you wish to judge is always helpful. You can apply to be a juror in more than one category, and you will be informed in good time if you have been selected.

What if I have a conflict of interest?

We ask the jurors to declare any conflicts of interest and trust that they will do so as early as possible to ensure that decisions can be made fairly. So, for instance, let us know if you cannot make a fair judgement because – 

• You are the editor or contributor to a shortlisted work
• You have works by the same publisher as a shortlisted work
• You are the spouse/significant other/ family member of a shortlisted creator
• You are employed by the publisher of a shortlisted work
• You have worked in a freelance capacity on a shortlisted work

When will the shortlist be announced?

Once all the juror panels are chosen and the short lists finalized, the BFS will then be able to announce the full shortlists. All being well, this should happen in early July. 

When are the Winners announced?

The winners will be announced at the British Fantasy Awards Ceremony at this year’s Fantasycon. The results will then be published on the BFS website and social media accounts.