World Fantasy Awards 2025: Complete list of winners

The 2025 World Fantasy Awards have crowned their winners, and this year’s selections showcase the genre’s ongoing appetite for complex, character-driven narratives that push beyond traditional fantasy boundaries. Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Tainted Cup takes the prize for Best Novel, continuing the author’s reputation for intricate world-building and philosophical depth. Meanwhile, the novella and short fiction categories highlight emerging voices and established talents alike: R. B. Lemberg’s Yoke of Stars won Best Novella, while Maura McHugh claimed Best Short Fiction honors for “Raptor,” a story that demonstrates the continued vitality of shorter form fantasy.

One of fantasy’s most prestigious honors, the World Fantasy Awards have long served as a barometer for where the genre’s center of gravity sits at any given moment. This year’s selections feel particularly reflective of contemporary fantasy’s diversity in tone and approach—from the intricate plotting readers expect from Bennett to the innovative perspectives offered by Lemberg and McHugh. Whether you’re a devoted fantasy reader, an emerging writer tracking industry trends, or simply curious about what’s capturing critics’ and voters’ imaginations, the 2025 World Fantasy Award winners offer compelling entry points into some of the year’s most significant fantasy fiction.

Here’s the full breakdown of this year’s winners across the major categories:

Best Novel

• The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Best Novella

• Yoke of Stars by R. B. Lemberg

Best Short Fiction

• “Raptor” by Maura McHugh