The Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic is an annual literary award given for a speculative fiction novel or a book-length collection, first awarded in 2001. A young adult category was created in 2008, to differentiate from adult works; and a short fiction award as well. The award was on hiatus between 2020 and 2024 and has returned for the 2025 award.
History The name of the award comes from the title of the first novel by Phyllis Gotlieb, Sunburst (1964).
The first award was given out in 2001. The award consists of a cash prize ( for novel length work, and for short stories) and a medallion. The winner is selected by jury; a new jury is struck each year.
On 2 June 2020, the Sunburst Award Society announced the awards were going on a hiatus due to impacts related to COVID-19.
In December 2024, the return of the award for 2025 was announced. The cash price was changed to for a novel length work.
Winners
General Prior to 2008, the Sunburst Award was presented in a single category. In later years, it was broken down into two or three categories, including adult, young adult, and short story.
After the 2020-2024 hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the award seems to have returned to a single category.
+General Sunburst Award winnersYearAuthorResultResultRef.2001GalvestonWinner2002When Alice Lay Down with PeterWinner2003Skin FolkWinner2004Winner2005AirWinner2006In the Palace of ReposeWinner2007Fabrizio's ReturnWinner 2025Blackheart ManWinnerMood SwingsFinalistBird SuitFinalistCode NoirFinalist A Seal of SalvageFinalist2026The Lady, The Tiger and the Girl Who Loved DeathWinnerThe Works of VerminFinalist(author)Pablo Strauss(translator)HorseflyFinalistWild LifeFinalistVealFinalist
Adult +Sunburst Award for Adult Book winners and finalistsYearAuthorResultResultRef.2008Winner2009WinnerNight ChildFinalistFinalistThings Go FlyingFinalistHalf a CrownFinalist2010Indigo SpringsWinnerFinalistMakersFinalistFinalistJulian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century AmericaFinalist2011Under HeavenWinnerWatchFinalistChimerascopeFinalistFinalistStealing HomeFinalist2012Paradise TalesWinnerBlackdogFinalistEutopia: A Novel of Terrible OptimismFinalistTechnicolor Ultra MallFinalistEnter, NightFinalistFinalist2013 (trans. by Fred A. Reed and David Homel) MaleficiumWinnerFinton MoonFinalistOver the Darkened LandscapeFinalistFinalistWestlake SoulFinalist2014Winner2015WinnerFinalistStation ElevenFinalistMy Real ChildrenFinalistWill StarlingFinalist2016 Experimental FilmWinnerFinalistSignal to NoiseFinalistDaydreams of AngelsFinalistFinalist2017Spells of Blood and KinWinnerFinalistSleeping GiantsFinalistNecessityFinalistLast YearFinalist2018WinnerAmerican WarFinalistSputnik’s ChildrenFinalistJade CityFinalistSon of a TricksterFinalist2019Plum RainsWinnerSodom Road ExitFinalistArmed in Her FashionFinalistAnnexFinalistTrickster DriftFinalist2020Gods of Jade and ShadowWinnerShout Kill Revel RepeatFinalistFinalistCrow WinterFinalistMoccasin Square GardensFinalist
Short story The Sunburst Award for Short Story was introduced in 2016. +Sunburst Award for Short Story winners and finalistsYearAuthorResultResultRef.2016"Hide and Seek" (Playground of Lost Toys)Winner"La Héron" (F&SF 3-4/15)Finalist"The Glad Hosts" (Lackington’s #7)Finalist"Stuck in the Past" (Abyss & Apex #54)Finalist"Two-Year Man" (Asimov’s, August 2015)Finalist"Get the Message" (Second Contacts)Finalist2017""Winner"La Corriveau" (Strange Horizons 10/3/16)Finalist"The Dog and the Sleepwalker" (Strangers Among Us)Finalist"Caro in Carno" (The Mammoth Book of Cthulhu)Finalist"The Men from Narrow Houses" (Liminal Stories Spring/Summer ’16)Finalist2018""Winner"Spiked" (Abyss & Apex 6/17)Finalist"Meridian" (Where the Stars Rise)Finalist"Hacker’s Faire" (Cast of Wonders 3/17)Finalist"Animate" (Cli-fi: Canadian Tales of Climate Change)Finalist2019""Winner"Domestic Violence" (Future Tense 3/26/18)Finalist"Candied Sweets, Cornbread, and Black-Eyed Peas" (Sword and Sonnet)Finalist"Meat And Salt And Sparks" (Tor.com 6/6/18)Finalist"" (Shimmer 11/18)Finalist2020""Winner"Florilegia" (The Mythic Dream)Finalist"The Inland Beacon" (Tesseracts Twenty-Two: Alchemy and Artifacts)Finalist"The Hundred Gardens" (Nat. Brut Spring ’19)Finalist"Wheetago War II: Summoners" (Moccasin Square Gardens)Finalist
Young adult +Sunburst Award for Young Adult Book winners and finalistsYearAuthorResultResultRef.2008Anthem of a Reluctant ProphetWinner2009Little BrotherWinnerFinalistDingoFinalistWild Talent: A Novel of the SupernaturalFinalistNight RunnerFinalist2010Half WorldWinnerGive Up the GhostFinalistAmy By Any Other NameFinalistWondrous StrangeFinalistFinalist2011BookweirderWinnerShapeshifterFinalistPlain KateFinalistFinalistDust CityFinalist2012All Good ChildrenWinnerUltravioletFinalistFinalistFinalistBlood Red RoadFinalist2013SeraphinaWinnerFinalistPirate CinemaFinalistBright’s LightFinalistRebel HeartFinalist2014Winner2015Tin StarWinnerFinalistFinalistSophie, In ShadowFinalistFinalist2016WinnerSight UnseenFinalistFinalistFinalistBooFinalist2017Sophie Quire and the Last StoryguardWinnerWorlds of Ink and ShadowFinalistFinalistJulia VanishesFinalistFinalist2018WinnerFinalistExoFinalistWeave a Circle RoundFinalistDragonfly SongFinalist2019Tess of the RoadWinnerSpellslingerFinalistBlack ChuckFinalistNot Even BonesFinalistFeederFinalist2020WinnerFinalistNeversFinalistThose Who Dwell BelowFinalistNikki Tesla and the Ferret-Proof Death RayFinalist
Lists of nominees For a complete and up to date listing of current and past long-listed and short-listed works, please see the Sunburst Award Website.
Eligibility The Sunburst Award administration and juries use the broadest possible definition of speculative fiction for eligibility purposes: "science fiction, fantasy, magic realism, horror, surrealism, fantastique, fabulism, myth and legend, fantastical storytelling, and any other writing beyond the strictly realistic". To be eligible for the award, a work must be published between 1 January and 31 December of the previous year. Only Canadian citizens and landed immigrants are eligible.
References
External links Sunburst Award Web Site