Alix E. Harrow wins 2026 Best Novel Hugo
Alix E. Harrow's 'The Everlasting' won Best Novel at the 2026 Hugo Awards, announced at the World Science Fiction Convention in Los Angeles.
The 2026 Hugo Awards were presented this weekend in Los Angeles at the 84th World Science Fiction Convention. The winners, chosen by popular vote of WorldCon members, were announced across major literary categories, with Alix E. Harrow securing the Best Novel honor for The Everlasting.
According to the report from Literary Hub, the awards recognize the best in science fiction and fantasy. The ceremony highlighted works published in 2025, including one that the source described as "one of Lit Hub’s favorite books of 2025."
Major Category Winners
The following table lists the winners in the primary literary categories as provided by the source.
| Category | Winner | Work / Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Best Novel | Alix E. Harrow | The Everlasting (Tor Books) |
| Best Novella | Amal El-Mohtar | The River Has Roots (Tordotcom) |
| Best Novelette | H.H. Pak | “Never Eaten Vegetables” (Clarkesworld, Jan 2025) |
| Best Short Story | Thomas Ha | “In My Country” (Clarkesworld, April 2025) |
| Best Series | John Scalzi | Old Man’s War (Tor Books) |
| Best Graphic Story or Comic | Ursula K. Le Guin, adapted by Fred Fordham | A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel (Clarion) |
| Best Related Work | Ada Palmer | Inventing the Renaissance (University of Chicago Press) |
| Best Poem | Elias Montgomery | “Hex Supply Customer Support Log” (Strange Horizons, 25 August 2025) |
| Lodestar Award for Best YA Book | C.B. Lee | Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe (Feiwel & Friends) |
| Astounding Award for Best New Writer | Antonia Hodgson |
The Top Prize
Alix E. Harrow's victory for Best Novel with The Everlasting marks a significant achievement. The book is published by Tor Books. This win places Harrow among the most celebrated contemporary authors in the genre.
Recognition for Shorter Works
Shorter fiction categories saw wins for Amal El-Mohtar in novella and H.H. Pak in novelette. Thomas Ha won Best Short Story. All three works demonstrate the continued vitality of magazine publishing in the field, with Clarkesworld featuring twice.
Awards for Series and Adaptation
John Scalzi's Old Man’s War series received the Best Series award. The Best Graphic Story or Comic award went to Fred Fordham's adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's classic, A Wizard of Earthsea. This award highlights the enduring influence of Le Guin's work.
Ada Palmer won Best Related Work for Inventing the Renaissance, a non-fiction title from an academic press. The Astounding Award for Best New Writer, which is administered by the Hugo Awards but not technically a Hugo, was given to Antonia Hodgson. The full list of winners and finalists is available via Locus magazine.
