World Fantasy Awards 2016: Complete list of winners

The 2016 World Fantasy Awards celebrated a diverse slate of imaginative voices, with Anna Smaill’s haunting The Chimes taking home the top honor for Best Novel. Smaill’s dystopian vision of a London where music has replaced memory captivated judges and readers alike, standing out among a competitive field of finalists. The World Fantasy Awards, one of the genre’s most prestigious honors, has long championed excellence across all lengths of fantasy fiction, and this year’s selections demonstrated the breadth of what contemporary fantasy could achieve.

Kelly Barnhill’s The Unlicensed Magician claimed the Best Novella prize, while Alyssa Wong’s visceral short story “Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers” won for Best Short Fiction. Wong’s tale, in particular, garnered significant attention for its unflinching exploration of hunger and monstrosity, proving once again that the World Fantasy Awards consistently recognize work that challenges genre conventions. The 2016 World Fantasy Award winners reflected a moment when fantasy was increasingly willing to venture into uncomfortable emotional and thematic territory, moving beyond traditional comfort-food storytelling.

Below you’ll find the complete list of 2016 World Fantasy Awards winners across all major categories.

Best Novel

• The Chimes by Anna Smaill

Best Novella

• The Unlicensed Magician by Kelly Barnhill

Best Short Fiction

• “Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers” by Alyssa Wong