Living Canon

Nebula Awards 2019: Complete list of winners

The 2019 Nebula Awards brought a diverse array of voices to science fiction’s most prestigious honors, rewarding imaginative storytelling that ranged from intimate character studies to mind-bending temporal adventures. Sarah Pinsker’s A Song for a New Day took home the Best Novel award, a post-apocalyptic tale that explores human connection in a transformed world. The year’s winners demonstrated the Nebula Awards’ commitment to recognizing both established and emerging talent across multiple categories, with the judging reflecting what science fiction readers and writers valued most during a transformative period in the genre.

The shorter fiction categories showed particular strength in 2019, with standout winners that showcased the range and ambition of speculative storytelling. Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone’s This Is How You Lose the Time War earned Best Novella honors for its lyrical, intricate narrative structure, while Cat Rambo’s “Carpe Glitter” and A. T. Greenblatt’s “Give the Family My Love” won in the novelette and short story categories respectively. In the Young Adult category, Fran Wilde’s Riverland captured the award, reflecting how younger readers and writers were shaping science fiction’s future with their own imaginative visions.

These Nebula Award winners represent just the tip of what proved to be an exceptionally strong year for science fiction. Below, explore the complete 2019 Nebula Awards winners list and discover what made each of these works resonate with voters.

Best Novel

Best Novelette

Best Novella

Best Short Story

Best Young Adult