The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) announced the 2021 Nebula Award finalists today! See below for the complete list. SFWA will announce winners in a virtual ceremony taking place on Saturday, May 21, 2022 during the Nebula Conference Online.
Congratulations to all the finalists! It should also be noted that author Martha Wells graciously declined her nomination as novella finalist for her sixth Murderbot Diaries book for Tordotcom, Fugitive Telemetry. Wells thought the series had already been well-recognized and wanted to leave space to highlight other works.
2021 Nebula Award Finalists
Novel
- The Unbroken, C.L. Clark (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
- A Master of Djinn, P. Djèlí Clark (Tordotcom; Orbit UK)
- Machinehood, S.B. Divya (Saga)
- A Desolation Called Peace, Arkady Martine (Tor; Tor UK)
- Plague Birds, Jason Sanford (Apex)
Novella
- A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Becky Chambers (Tordotcom)
- Fireheart Tiger, Aliette de Bodard (Tordotcom)
- And What Can We Offer You Tonight, Premee Mohamed (Neon Hemlock)
- Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters, Aimee Ogden (Tordotcom)
- Flowers for the Sea, Zin E. Rocklyn (Tordotcom)
- The Necessity of Stars, E. Catherine Tobler (Neon Hemlock)
- “The Giants of the Violet Sea,” Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny 9–10/21)
Novelette
- “O2 Arena,” Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (Galaxy’s Edge 11/21)
- “Just Enough Rain,” PH Lee (Giganotosaurus 5/21)
- “(emet),” Lauren Ring (F&SF 7–8/21)
- “That Story Isn’t the Story,” John Wiswell (Uncanny 11–12/21)
- “Colors of the Immortal Palette,” Caroline M. Yoachim (Uncanny 3–4/21)
Short Story
- “Mr. Death,” Alix E. Harrow (Apex 2/21)
- “Proof by Induction,” José Pablo Iriarte (Uncanny 5–6/21)
- “Let All the Children Boogie,” Sam J. Miller (Tor.com 1/6/21)
- “Laughter Among the Trees,” Suzan Palumbo (The Dark 2/21)
- “Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather,” Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny 3–4/21)
- “For Lack of a Bed,” John Wiswell (Diabolical Plots 4/21)
Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction
- Victories Greater Than Death, Charlie Jane Anders (Tor Teen; Titan)
- Thornwood, Leah Cypess (Delacorte)
- Redemptor, Jordan Ifueko (Amulet; Hot Key)
- A Snake Falls to Earth, Darcie Little Badger (Levine Querido)
- Root Magic, Eden Royce (Walden Pond)
- Iron Widow, Xiran Jay Zhao (Penguin Teen; Rock the Boat)
Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation
- Encanto, Charise Castro Smith, Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Jason Hand, Nancy Kruse, Lin-Manuel Miranda (Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures)
- The Green Knight, David Lowery (Sailor Bear, BRON Studios, A24)
- Loki: Season 1, Bisha K. Ali, Elissa Karasik, Eric Martin, Michael Waldron, Tom Kauffman, Jess Dweck (Marvel Studios)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham (Walt Disney Pictures, Marvel Studios)
- Space Sweepers, Jo Sung-hee 조성희 (Bidangil Pictures)
- WandaVision: Season 1, Peter Cameron, Mackenzie Dohr, Laura Donney, Bobak Esfarjani, Megan McDonnell, Jac Schaeffer, Cameron Squires, Gretchen Enders, Chuck Hayward (Marvel Studios)
- What We Do in the Shadows: Season 3, Jake Bender, Zach Dunn, Shana Gohd, Sam Johnson, Chris Marcil, William Meny, Sarah Naftalis, Stefani Robinson, Marika Sawyer, Paul Simms, Lauren Wells (FX Productions, Two Canoes Pictures, 343 Incorporated, FX Network)
Game Writing
- Coyote & Crow, Connor Alexander, William McKay, Weyodi Oldbear, Derek Pounds, Nico Albert, Riana Elliott, Diogo Nogueira, William Thompson (Coyote & Crow, LLC.)
- Granma’s Hand, Balogun Ojetade (Balogun Ojetade, Roaring Lion Productions)
- Thirsty Sword Lesbians, April Kit Walsh, Whitney Delagio, Dominique Dickey, Jonaya Kemper, Alexis Sara, Rae Nedjadi (Evil Hat Games)
- Wanderhome, Jay Dragon (Possum Creek Games)
- Wildermyth, Nate Austin, Anne Austin (Worldwalker Games, LLC, Whisper Games)
