This past weekend, the Beat attended Dragon Con, the Atlanta-based celebration of all things pop-culture. And while my partner in crime, Hannah, will be sharing some of our favorite comics-based costumes that we saw (probably the biggest draw of the show itself), I always like to pay special attention to Dragon Con’s awards show, which is now in its third year of existence.

It’s a bit of an interesting mix, given that the award nominations are open to the public, as is the final vote. So, while that openly democratic process allows for a wide range of tastes to enter into the mix (a great thing), it can run the risk of ballot stuffing as well. Still, it’s pretty hard to wince at their selection for best comic, which saw Jason Aaron and James Harren’s work winning the award for Best Comic. Why Russell Dauterman, the artist of the majority of that run if memory serves, is not credited as part of the creative team is a total mystery to me.

The Mighty Thor beat out a nominee slate that included Saga, Star Wars: Darth Vader, Doomsday Clock, Mister Miracle, and Aliens: Dead Orbit.

Brandon Sanderson’s White Sand Vol 1 took home the award for Best Graphic Novel. Given the focal point of the show overall, its not a big surprise that the work of the more well-regarded science fiction authors would beat out the Eisner-winning likes of Paper Girls, Monstress and The Vision.

The full awards announcement is below:

DRAGON CON ANNOUNCES DRAGON AWARD WINNERS

Over 11,000 Voters Cast Ballots in the Third Annual Dragon Awards Recognizing

The Best in Books, Comics, Games and Filmed Entertainment

 

ATLANTA – September 2, 2018 – Dragon Con, the internationally known pop culture, sci fi, fantasy, and gaming convention, announced the winners of its 3rd annual Dragon Awards, a fan’s choice awards program to recognize the best in books, comics, games, and filmed entertainment.

More than 11,000 fans cast ballots for Dragon Award winners among 94 properties in 15 categories covering the full range of fiction, comics, television, movies, video gaming, and tabletop gaming.  Winners were announced on Sept. 2 at the 32nd annual Dragon Con in downtown Atlanta.

All fans – not just Dragon Con members or attendees – are invited to select the Dragon Award winners by voting on the annual Dragon Awards ballot.

Final voting was held via the dedicated Dragon Awards website, and the voting period ran from August 7 to August 31. The ballot was selected in an open nomination process in which fans nominated their favorite properties. The nomination period ran from early April until July 31. The best and most popular of the nominated properties were elevated to the ballot.

The Dragon Awards were introduced in 2016 as part of the 30th anniversary of Dragon to meet the need for a fan’s choice award.

And the winners are …

Best Science Fiction Novel

Artemis by Andy Weir

Best Fantasy Novel (Including Paranormal)

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel

A Call to Vengeance by David Weber, Timothy Zahn, and Thomas Pope

Best Alternate History Novel

Uncharted by Kevin J. Anderson and Sarah A. Hoyt

Best Media Tie-In Novel

Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray

Best Horror Novel

Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and Owen King

Best Comic Book

Mighty Thor by Jason Aaron and James Harren, Marvel Comics

Best Graphic Novel

Brandon Sanderson’s White Sand Volume 1 by Brandon Sanderson, Rik Hoskin, and Julius M. Gopez, Dynamite Entertainment

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series

Game of Thrones, HBO

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie

Black Panther directed by Ryan Coogler

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC / Console Game

Middle-earth: Shadow of War by Monolith Productions

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery by Jam City

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game

Red Dragon Inn 6: Villains by Slugfest Games

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game

Magic: The Gathering Unstable by Wizards of the Coast

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day in Atlanta. Organized for fans, Dragon Con features more than about 3,500 hours of comics, film, television, costuming, art, music, and gaming over five days. For more information, please visit www.dragoncon.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

1 COMMENT

  1. Cool nominees and winner. The Dragon Con fans got it right, and interesting picks.

    Didn’t know a Sanderson book was being adapted. I liked his finish to the Wheel of Time novels, so knowing about the original prose bokk is of interest to me.

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