Hugo Trophy & Base

The World Science Fiction Convention has given out the Hugo Awards for achievement in Science Fiction and Fantasy since the early 1950s. The Hugo trophy comprises a metal rocket on a base.

The Hugo Award rocket was inspired by the finned rockets of Willy Ley and was designed by Jack McKnight and Ben Jason. Early rockets varied; in one notable case (in 1956), Dave Kyle got away with using hood-mascots from an Oldsmobile model. The rocket design has since been standardized, and the rockets currently produced were designed by British fan, Peter Weston.

(There is an article on the official Hugo Awards website providing more information about the way the rockets are made.)

The design for the base on which the rocket is mounted is the responsibility of each Worldcon committee and, thus, changes each year. This is an honor that Worldcon committees take very seriously, and typically the design is created either by direct commission of an artist or designer or by open competition.

This year, Sasquan is hosting a design competition to determine the base that will be used for the 2015 Hugo Award trophies. The winning base will be unveiled at the opening ceremony of Sasquan and will be on display throughout the run of the convention.

A photographic archive of many of the previous bases can be found on the Hugo Awards website.

2015 Hugo Award Base Design Competition

Sasquan is hosting an open competition to determine the base for the 2015 Hugo Awards.

Anyone is welcome to submit a proposal for the design and production of the awards that will be presented for the best works of science fiction and fantasy released in 2014.

The winning design should have a theme that highlights either Spokane or the Northwest in general. Design proposals will be accepted until Sunday, February 1, 2015, and the winner will be selected by Wednesday, February 18, 2015.

The winner of the base design competition will receive a full attending membership for the convention and will be invited to take part in the public unveiling of the design.

If you have any questions after reading these pages, contact the Hugo Base Competition Subcommittee.

Base Design Specifications

The winning proposal must conform to certain general and technical specifications:

• Bases may be made of wood, metal, Lucite, or any other material that has a fixed form. Materials that are fragile, or change form with age or extremes of temperature, are not suitable.
• Bases must be designed in such a way that the silver Hugo rocket is an integral part of the design. Rockets for the bases will be supplied.
• Rockets will be bolted to the bases from below the tailfins and must be able to stand on a flat surface. Hanging designs, or those that rely on gravity other than Earth standard, are not acceptable.
• Specifications for the Hugo rocket itself are:
  • 13 inches (33.02 cm) tall
  • 2 inches (5.08 cm) across from fin-tip to fin-tip
  • 3 pounds 2 ounces (1.42 kg) in weight
  • 1 bolt with a 5/16-18 machine screw thread.
• Space must be left on the base for affixing a plaque or plaques indicating (in an easily readable 12-point font) the names of the convention and Hugo winner, as well as the category of award won.
• The winning design should have a theme highlighting either Spokane or the Northwest, but copyrighted/trademarked elements should not be included. Designs featuring any of these will not be considered.
• It should be kept in mind that trophies and bases will be travelling home in people’s luggage or need to be shipped. Parts that are fragile, fiddly, or prone to fall off or break, or anything that would make airport or international rail security too nervous (the rocket requires enough explanation just by itself), is discouraged. The base designer must also generate a shipping container for each Hugo (with base).

How to Enter the 2015 Hugo Award Base Design Competition

Entry in the competition is open to everyone. Design proposals must be submitted by midnight, Pacific Standard time) on Sunday, February 1, 2015.

All submissions should include:

• Drawings, sketches, and/or a fabricated sample of the proposed base unit.
• Cost estimate per base, and estimated total cost for the fabrication and shipping of 36-50 base units.
• Lead time needed to make the bases. The contest winner will be selected by Wednesday, February 18, 2015 and announced shortly afterwards. Delivery of approximately 36-50 bases to Sasquan, at an address in Seattle, Washington, will be expected in June 2015.
• Your ability to either craft the bases or arrange for the work to be done.

As a guideline, bases should cost no more than $200 each or less to fabricate. Photos of past Hugo awards can be viewed at the official Hugo Awards website.

Proposals may be submitted either electronically or snail mail. Do not forget to include your name and contact information.

The winner of the base design competition will also receive a full (five-day) attending membership for Sasquan, where they will be invited to take part in the public unveiling of the design. The base will also be added to the physical archive of Hugo base designs and, thus, be part of the Hugo History exhibit that travels to each Worldcon.

The winning design is traditionally kept secret until the Worldcon and strict confidentiality will therefore apply to the winning design until the convention.

We regret that competition entries cannot be returned.

Electronic submission
Please email proposals to the Hugo Base Competition Subcommittee. Include the information set out above, along with a JPG, TIFF or GIF image of your design.

Postal submission
Please send the information requested above, along with a sketch/drawing/sample base (or a CD or flash drive containing your sketch/drawing) to L. Deneroff, 11300 1st Avenue NE, #313, Seattle, WA 98125-6041.

If you have any questions, contact the Hugo Base Competition Subcommittee.