Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot
The Horror Writers Association has revealed the final ballot for the 2025 Bram Stoker Awards. The "Superior Achievement in a Novel" category includes *Witchcraft for Wayward Girls* by Grady Hendrix and *Beneath the Drowning Sea* by Brian Evenson. The ballot covers categories from novels and first novels to long fiction and poetry, marking a major moment in the horror and speculative fiction calendar.
- The Bram Stoker Awards have been presented annually since 1988 for works published in 1987 by the Horror Writers Association (HWA), an organization founded in 1985 with early involvement from notable authors like Dean Koontz, Robert R. McCammon, and Joe R. Lansdale. - The awards are named in honor of Bram Stoker, the author of the seminal 1897 horror novel *Dracula*. - Winners are selected through a two-round voting process by the active members of the HWA from a final ballot determined by member recommendations and jury selections. - The physical award is an eight-inch replica of a haunted house designed by sculptor Steven Kirk, with a door that opens to reveal a plaque with the winner's name and work. - The awards recognize "superior achievement," not "best of the year," a distinction intended to reduce competition and allow for the possibility of ties. - As of 2025, there are thirteen categories for the Bram Stoker Awards, including Novel, First Novel, Graphic Novel, and Screenplay, reflecting the diverse forms of horror media. - In addition to the juried categories, the HWA also periodically presents a Lifetime Achievement Award to individuals who have made significant contributions to the horror genre. - Past recipients of the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel include literary heavyweights such as Stephen King for *Misery* and Thomas Harris for *The Silence of the Lambs*.
