Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
The Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation is an annual prize given by the World Science Fiction Society as part of the Hugo Awards. It honors the best dramatized science fiction or fantasy work released in the previous year, including theatrical films, television episodes, radio, stage, or other formats. The award began in 1958 and originally covered both film and television. In 2003 it was split into two categories: Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) for works 90 minutes or longer, and Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) for shorter works.
Voting is done by members of Worldcon using instant-runoff voting. The ballot typically includes six finalists—the six most-nominated works of the year. In some years voters have chosen “No Award” if none of the finalists deserved the prize. “No Award” has happened four times in this category: in 1959, 1963, 1971, and 1977. Since 1996, Retro Hugo Awards have also been given for earlier years when no award was originally presented.
The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, founder of the science fiction magazine Amazing Stories. Over the years, it has sometimes recognized works outside traditional film and television, such as coverage of the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1970, or other media like concept albums and radio plays.
Recent winners include Dune: Part Two (Long Form) and Star Trek: Lower Decks: "The New Next Generation" (Short Form). The Hugo awards have highlighted many popular franchises, including Doctor Who, Star Trek, and Star Wars, among others.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 11:50 (CET).