2008 Ursa Major Awards voting open

The Ursa Major Awards logo, drawn by Heather Bruton

The final shortlist for candidates for the 2008 Ursa Major Awards is open – and The Furtean Times is not on the list.

The final round of voting started yesterday and will continue until 19th April. The awards will be presented at All Fur Fun in Spokane, Washington in May. (Talking about that, how come all of these awards have been presented in the North America? We British have got conventions? Can’t we make it ConFuzzled for next year?)

Here is the list of nominees.

Best Motion Picture (Live-action or animated feature-length movies.)

* Bolt
* Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
* Kung Fu Panda
* Madagascar 2
* Wall-E

Best Dramatic Short Work or Series (TV series or one-shots, advertisements or short videos.)

* Big Buck Bunny
* Nine Lives and Counting
* Presto
* There She Is
* Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death

Best Novel (Written works of 40,000 words or more. Serialized novels qualify only for the year that the final chapter is published.)

* Iron Kissed, by Patricia Briggs
* Ratha's Courage, by Claire Bell
* Stick and Bones, by Phil Geusz
* Thousand Leaves, by Kevin Frane
* Waterways, by Kyell Gold

Best Short Fiction (Stories less than 40,000 words, poetry and other short written works.)

* Earth Rise by Ivor W. Hartmann
* Candy and Music (in Heat #5), by K. M. Hirosaki
* In Between by Kyell Gold
* It's a Beautiful World by Kyell Gold
* Secrets by Kyell Gold
* Third Date by Kyell Gold

Best Other Literary Work (Story collections, comic collections, graphic novels, non-fiction works, and convention program books.)

* Alone in the Dark, edited by Will Sanborn
* ANTHROlogy TWO, edited by Quentin Long
* Behind the Sofa, interview conducted by Phil Geusz
* Dog's Days of Summer, by Blotch
* Sabrina On-Line: The Story, by Chris Yost

Best Comic Book (Traditional comic books, one-shots or ongoing series, printed or online.)

* Finding Avalon
* Gargoyles
* Heathen City
* i.s.o.
* Sandman: The Dream Hunters

Best Comic Strip (Internet or regular newspaper strips.)

* Faux Pas, by Robert and Margaret Carspecken
* Freefall, by Mark Stanley
* Fur-Piled, by Leo Magna and A. Husky
* Housepets!, by Rick Griffin
* Lackadaisy, by Tracy J. Butler

Best Magazine (Professional magazines, amateur zines, fanzines, internet-only magazines.)

* ANTHRO (#15, January-February to #20, November-December)
* Heat (#5, June)
* New Fables (Summer 2008)
* Softpaw Magazine (#3 & #4)
* Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe (#44, January to #45, September)

Best Published Illustration (Illustrations for books, magazines, convention program books, cover art for such, coffee table portfolios.)

* Blotch: Suhl, cover of Eurofurence 14 program book, August
* Heather Bruton: "Slumber Party, cover of ANTHRO #16, March-April
* Dark Natasha: Centerfold of Eurofurence 14 program book
* Kacey Miyagami: Cover for "More Terrible Than Chains"
* John Nunnemacher: Cover for "Waterways"

Best Game (Computer or console games, role-playing games, board games.)

* Kung Fu Panda The Video Game
* Mouse Guard roleplaying game
* Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
* Sonic Unleashed
* Spore