The 2016 David Gemmell Award Nominees
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The nominations for the David Gemmell Legend Award for Best Fantasy Novel have been announced by the DGLA. At the same time, the DGLA has also announced the nominees for The Morningstar Award for Best Debut Novel, and The Ravenheart Award for Best Fantasy Cover Art. May we have the envelope please!
The nominees are:
The Legend Award for Best Fantasy Novel
The Dread Wyrm, Miles Cameron (Gollancz)
Son of the Black Sword, Larry Correia (Baen)
Gotrek & Felix: Slayer, David Guymer (Black Library)
Ruin, John Gwynne (Pan Macmillan)
The Liar’s Key, Mark Lawrence (Harper Voyager)
The Morningstar Award for Best Fantasy Newcomer
Battlemage, Stephen Aryan (Orbit)
The Traitor Baru Cormorant, Seth Dickinson (Pan Macmillan)
The Fire Sermon, Francesca Haig (Harper Voyager)
Starborn, Lucy Hounsom (Pan Macmillan)
The Vagrant, Peter Newman (Harper Voyager)
An Ember in the Ashes, Sabaa Tahir (Harper Voyager)
The Ravenheart Award for Best Fantasy Cover Art
Kerem Beyit for the cover of The Dread Wyrm by Miles Cameron (Gollancz)
Jason Chan for the cover of The Liar’s Key by Mark Lawrence (Harper Voyager)
Larry Elmore & Carol Russo Design for the cover of Son of the Black Sword by Larry Correia (Baen)
Raymond Swanland for the cover of Archaon: Lord of Chaos by Rob Sanders (Black Library)
Paul Young for the cover of Ruin by John Gwynne (Pan Macmillan)
The Legend Award for Best Fantasy Novel was first granted in 2009, and has now been awarded seven times:
Andrzej Sapkowski for Blood of Elves (2009)
Graham McNeill for Empire: The Legend of Sigmar (2010)
Brandon Sanderson’s for The Way of Kings (2011)
Patrick Rothfuss for The Wise Man’s Fear by (2012)
Brent Weeks for The Blinding Knife (2013)
Mark Lawrence for Emperor of Thorns (2014)
Brandon Sanderso for Words of Radiance (2015)
See all the 2015 nominees here, and last year’s winners here.
The Legend Award is named for David Gemmell’s first novel. The trophy is a scale model of Snaga, the axe wielded by Gemmell’s famous hero Druss. It is created each year by Simon Fearnhamm of Raven Armoury. The awards presentation will take place on September 24, 2016 at Fantasycon, held at the Grand Hotel and the Royal in Scarborough UK.
The Gemmell Award is a fan award, meaning anyone can vote. Voting for the award is now open, and will closes at midnight (GMT) on Friday, 19th August. Visit the DGLA website to cast your vote.
The Gemmell Awards, including The Morningstar Award for Best Debut novel and The Ravenheart Award for Best Fantasy Cover Art, are administered by the DGLA. Note that the Ravenheart award is for the UK covers.
Congratulations to all the nominees!
I dream of finding a hard cover copy of Legend. Truly one of the holy grails of fantasy book buying. Picked up a couple of copies of Waylander in hardcover, though. At least I had Gemmell sign my trade copy of Legend. Sadly missed, that man.
Looks to me like the Morningstar Award will be
the one to watch this year as it will be a much closer fight
to the finish. Note there are 6 short list finalists for the Morningstar.
That must mean there was at least a tie or near tie
between 2 of those 6. And all 6 books are very strong. Each
with its own fanbase.
The Legend Award on the other hand looks to me like a two
man race to the end between Mark Lawrence and John Gwynne.
Lawrence has already won and he’s hugely popular. It would
be more fair if Gwynne won but my money is on Lawrence. He
writes short, fast moving, terrific grimdark fantasy novels in
a formula that seems to please just about everyone these days.
As for the Ravenheart Award I just can’t see it going to any
other than Jason Chan for Liar’s Key.
> I dream of finding a hard cover copy of Legend.
Robert,
I wasn’t even aware it EXISTED in hardcover. I bought my trade paper edition in Ottawa many years ago, and it was past around to many hands.
DrFated,
I’m embarrassed to say I’m completely unfamiliar with Gwynne. What makes you think “It would be more fair if Gwynne won”?