Australasian Shadows Awards


The Australasian Shadows Awards, formerly known as the Australian Shadows Awards, are annual literary awards established by the Australasian Horror Writers Association in 2005 to honour the best published works of horror fiction written or edited by an Australian/New Zealand/Oceania resident in the previous calendar year.

Awards Criteria and History

Works are judged on their overall effect within the horror genre based on the author's skill, delivery, and the work's lasting resonance. Each year, a director is appointed by the AHWA to administer the award. Shortlists for each category are determined by a panel of judges, and the shortlisted nominees are announced in March/April every year.
From 2005 to 2008, the Australian Shadows Award evaluated novels, anthologies, and short stories against each other in a single category. In 2009, the award was expanded into three categories: Short Fiction, Long Fiction, and Edited Publication.
From 2011, the award was restructured to consist of five categories: Novel; Long Fiction ; Short Fiction ; Collection ; and Edited Publication. In 2013, the 'Long Fiction' award category was renamed the 'Paul Haines Award for Long Fiction' in honour of New Zealand/Australian author Paul Haines. In 2015, two additional categories were added: Best Comic/Graphic Novel and The Rocky Wood Award for Non-Fiction and Criticism.
The Australian Shadows Awards were sponsored by Altair Australia Books in its first two years, through the donation of two statuettes created by dark fantasy artist Brom. Currently, winners of the awards receive a gravestone-shaped trophy hand-crafted by Sydney-based artist, Adam Galea.

Winners and Nominees

In the below list, the years correspond to the year of the book's eligibility; the awards are always announced the following year. If the short story was originally published in an anthology with other stories rather than by itself or in a magazine, the anthology title and anthology publisher's name is included.

2005

Judges

Judges

Judges

  • Judging panel: Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Gary Kemble, Mark Smith-Briggs
  • Guest judge: Richard Harland
  • Award Director: Kirstyn McDermott

    Winner

  • 'Toother, Terry Dowling, Eclipse 1'' '''

    Nominees

  • Between the Memories, Matthew Chrulew, Aurealis #38/39
  • Subtle Invasion, David Conyers, The Black Book of Horror
  • The Dark and What It Said, Rick Kennett, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #28
  • There Was Darkness, Martin Livings, Fantastic Wonder Stories
  • The Darkness Within, Jason Nahrung

    Honourable Mentions

  • The Spiraling Worm, David Conyers & John Sunseri
  • Cooling the Crows, Kaaron Warren, In Bad Dreams
  • The Wildflowers, Marty Young, ''Fantastic Wonder Stories''

    2008

Judges

  • Judging panel: Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Brett McBean, Chuck McKenzie
  • Guest judge: Sarah Endacott
  • Award Director: Kirstyn McDermott

    Winner

  • 'The Claws of Native Ghosts, Lee Battersby, The Beast Within'' '''

    Nominees

  • This Way To The Exit, Sara Douglass, Dreaming Again
  • Rick Gets A Job, Jason Fischer, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #37
  • Lakeside, Christopher Green, Dreaming Again
  • Her Collection of Intimacy, Paul Haines, Black: Australian Dark Culture #2

    2009

Judges

  • Judging panel: Craig Bezant, Stephanie Gunn, Chuck McKenzie
  • Guest judges: Bill Congreve, James Doig, Martin Livings
  • Award Director: Shane Jiraiya Cummings

    Long Fiction

Winner

  • 'Slights'', Kaaron Warren '''

    Nominees

  • A Book of Endings, Deborah Biancotti
  • Red Queen, Honey Brown
  • Wives, Paul Haines, X6
  • The Dead Path, Stephen M. Irwin

    Edited Publication

Winner

Winner

  • 'Six Suicides, Deborah Biancotti, A Book of Endings'' '''

    Nominees

  • The Emancipated Dance, Felicity Dowker, Midnight Echo #2
  • Busking, Jason Fischer, Midnight Echo #3
  • The Message, Andrew J. McKiernan, Midnight Echo #2
  • The Gaze Dogs of Nine Waterfalls, Kaaron Warren, Exotic Gothic 3, Ash-Tree Press

    2010

Judges

  • Judging panel: Craig Bezant, Stephanie Gunn, Jeff Ritchie
  • Guest judges: Kaaron Warren, Rocky Wood, Chuck McKenzie
  • Award Director: Shane Jiraiya Cummings

    Long Fiction

Winner

  • 'Under Stones'', Bob Franklin '''

    Nominees

  • Bleed, Peter M. Ball
  • Guardian of the Dead, Karen Healy
  • Madigan Mine, Kirstyn McDermott
  • The Girl With No Hands, Angela Slatter

    Edited Publication

Winner

  • 'Macabre: A Journey through Australia's Darkest Fears'', Angela Challis & Marty Young '''

    Nominees

  • Midnight Echo #4, Lee Battersby
  • Scary Kisses, Liz Grzyb
  • Scenes From the Second Storey, Amanda Pillar & Pete Kempshall

    Short Fiction

Winner

  • 'She Said, Kirstyn McDermott, Scenes from the Second Storey'' '''

    Nominees

  • Bread and Circuses, Felicity Dowker, Scary Kisses
  • Brisneyland by Night, Angela Slatter, Sprawl
  • All The Clowns In Clowntown, Andrew J. McKiernan, Macabre: A Journey through Australia's Darkest Fears
  • Dream Machine, David Conyers, ''Scenes from the Second Storey''

    2011

Judges

  • Judging panel: Marty Young, James A. Moore

    Novel

Winner

No award

Honourable mention

  • The Broken Ones, Stephen M. Irwin

    Long Fiction

Winner

  • 'The Past is a Bridge Best Left Burnt, Paul Haines, The Last Days of Kali Yuga'' '''

    Nominees

  • And the Dead Shall Outnumber the Living, Deborah Biancotti, Ishtar
  • Sleeping and the Dead, Cat Sparks, Ishtar
  • From the Teeth of Strange Children, Lisa L. Hannett, ''Bluegrass Symphony''

    Short Fiction

Winner

  • 'Shovel Man Joe, Amanda J. Spedding, Shades of Sentience'''''

    Nominees

  • Out Hunting for Teeth, Joanne Anderton, Midnight Echo #6
  • The Sea at Night, Joanne Anderton, Dead Red Heart
  • Taking It for the Team, Tracie McBride, Dead Red Heart
  • The Wanderer in Darkness, Andrew J. McKiernan, Midnight Echo #6

    Edited Publication

Winner

  • 'Dead Red Heart'', Russell B. Farr '''

    Nominees

  • More Scary Kisses, Liz Grzyb
  • Midnight Echo #6, David Kernot, David Conyers and Jason Fischer
  • The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Liz Grzyb and Talie Helene

    Collection

Winner

  • 'Tales of Sin and Madness'', Brett McBean '''

    Nominees

  • Bluegrass Symphony, Lisa L. Hannett
  • The Last Days of Kali Yuga, Paul Haines
  • Matilda Told Such Dreadful Lies, Lucy Sussex
  • Apocrypha Sequence, Shane Jiraiya Cummings

    2012

Judges

  • Short Stories/Collections/Edited Works panel: Steve Gerlach, Greg Chapman, Stephen Clark
  • Novels/Novellas panel: Gerry Huntman, Jenny Blackford, B. Michael Radburn

    Novel

Winner

  • 'Perfections'', Kirstyn McDermott '''

    Nominees

  • The Corpse Rat King, Lee Battersby
  • Blood and Dust, Jason Nahrung

    Long Fiction

Winner

  • 'Sky, Kaaron Warren, Through Splintered Walls'' '''

    Nominees

  • Critique, Daniel I. Russell
  • Escena de un Asesinato, Robert Hood, ''Exotic Gothic 4''

    Short Fiction

Winner

  • 'Birthday Suit, Martin Livings, Living with the Dead'' '''

    Nominees

  • To Wish On A Clockwork Heart, Felicity Dowker, Bread and Circuses
  • Pigroot Flat, Jason Fischer, Midnight Echo #8
  • They Don't Know That We Know What They Know, Andrew J. McKiernan, Midnight Echo #8
  • Creek, Kaaron Warren, Through Splintered Walls
  • Mountain, Kaaron Warren, Through Splintered Walls
  • Road, Kaaron Warren, Through Splintered Walls
  • A Monstrous Touch, Marty Young, ''Dangers Untold''