Literary award · United States · since 1966

Nebula Award for Best Novella

Literary award. Established 1966 in United States.

About Nebula Award for Best Novella

The Nebula Award for Best Novella is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) for science fiction or fantasy novellas. A work of fiction is defined by the organization as a novella if it is between 17,500 and 40,000 words; awards are also given out for pieces of longer lengths in the novel category, and for shorter lengths in the short story and novelette categories. To be eligible for Nebula Award consideration, a novella must be published in English in the United States. Works published in English elsewhere in the world are also eligible, provided they are released on either a website or in an electronic edition. The Nebula Award for Best Novella has been awarded annually since 1966. Novellas published by themselves are eligible for the novel award instead, if the author requests them to be considered as such.

From the Wikipedia article “Nebula Award for Best Novella”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recent winners

YearWinnerWinning work
2025A. D. SuiThe Dragonfly Gambit
2025Ai JiangLinghun
2024Ai JiangLinghun
2023C. L. PolkEven Though I Knew the End
2022Premee MohamedAnd What Can We Offer You Tonight
2020Amal El-MohtarThis Is How You Lose the Time War
2020Max GladstoneThis Is How You Lose the Time War
2019Aliette de BodardThe Tea Master and the Detective

From Wikidata; the list may be incomplete for some years.

Eligibility and entering

Check the official rules of the Nebula Award for Best Novella for the current eligibility window, accepted formats, residency or language requirements and any entry fee. For most established prizes the publisher submits on the author's behalf, often with a limit on entries per imprint.

If you are self-published, look for an explicit statement that independently published books are accepted, and budget for entry fees and copies for judges.

Sources & data