Nebula Awards 2025: Complete list of winners

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America announced the 2025 Nebula Awards winners this year, and the results showcase the remarkable range of storytelling flourishing across speculative fiction. Stephen Graham Jones claimed the top prize for Best Novel with The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, a work that continues his celebrated exploration of Indigenous narratives and genre boundaries. Across the shorter forms, the winners demonstrate the Nebula Awards’ commitment to recognizing excellence at every length—from Amal El-Mohtar’s lyrical novella The River Has Roots to Effie Seiberg’s inventive “Laser Eyes Ain’t Everything,” which manages to be both playful and profound. Michelle Knudsen’s Into the Wild Magic earned recognition in the Young Adult category, reflecting the Nebulas’ longstanding appreciation for speculative fiction that speaks to younger readers without compromising artistic ambition.

What’s particularly striking about this year’s Nebula Awards selections is how they feel both forward-looking and rooted in the genre’s rich traditions. These winners span publishers both large and small—from major houses like Tor.com to independent ventures—suggesting that quality storytelling in science fiction and fantasy continues to emerge from unexpected corners. The Nebula Awards, which have been honoring the most impressive works in the field since 1966, remain one of the most closely watched honors in speculative fiction, often sparking spirited debates among readers and writers about what makes contemporary SFF matter.

Here are the complete 2025 Nebula Awards winners:

Best Novel

• The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, by Stephen Graham Jones (Saga; Titan UK)

Best Novelette

• Uncertain Sons”, by Thomas Ha (Uncertain Sons)

Best Novella

• The River Has Roots, by Amal El-Mohtar (Tordotcom; Arcadia)

Best Short Story

• Laser Eyes Ain’t Everything”, by Effie Seiberg (Diabolical Plots 5/25)

Best Young Adult

• Into the Wild Magic, by Michelle Knudsen (Candlewick)