World Fantasy Awards 2021: Complete list of winners

The 2021 World Fantasy Awards showcased a year of extraordinary speculative fiction, with winners who pushed genre boundaries and centered marginalized voices at the forefront of fantasy literature. Alaya Dawn Johnson took home the Best Novel award for Trouble the Saints, a Harlem Renaissance-set fantasy that weaves magic, race, and identity into a compelling historical reimagining. The recognition underscores how contemporary fantasy is increasingly drawing from cultural history and lived experiences to create deeper, more resonant narratives.

Beyond the novel category, this year’s World Fantasy Award winners demonstrated the strength of shorter fiction in the genre. Tochi Onyebuchi’s Riot Baby claimed the Best Novella prize with its powerful exploration of sisterhood and resistance, while Celeste Rita Baker’s “Glass Bottle Dancer” won Best Short Fiction with what promises to be an unforgettable tale. These selections reflect a broader trend within the World Fantasy Awards—one that privileges innovation, emotional depth, and stories that challenge what fantasy can be and say.

The 2021 World Fantasy Awards winners represent the full scope of contemporary speculative fiction at its most vibrant. Here’s the complete list of honorees:

Best Novel

• Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Best Novella

• Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

Best Short Fiction

• “Glass Bottle Dancer” by Celeste Rita Baker