The winners of the seventeenth annual Ursa Major Awards (formally the Annual Anthropomorphic Literature & Arts Awards), for the Best in anthropomorphic/"funny animal" literature and art first published during the calendar year 2017, were announced at a presentation ceremony at the Furry Down-Under 2018 convention in Surfer�s Paradise, Queensland, Australia, on Saturday May 5 at 6:00 PM AEST. A video of the event can be seen at FurDU's YouTube channel.

The Ursa Major Awards are Anthropomorphic (a.k.a. Furry) Fandom's equivalents of s-f fandom's Hugo Awards, mystery fandom's Anthony Awards, horror fandom's Bram Stoker Awards, and so forth.  The Ursa Majors are administered and presented by the Anthropomorphic Literature and Arts Association (ALAA), an organization dedicated to promoting anthropomorphic literature and arts both within and outside of the fandom.  Nominations and voting for the awards are open to the public.  The physical award consists of a acrylic plaque with art designed by Heather Bruton as per the sample at right.

Eligibility in twelve categories is for works featuring intelligent &/or talking animals first published during the calendar year 2017.  This can include new compilations of older works, such as a new collection of previously-published separate works.  The winners are chosen by popular vote among those participating in Anthropomorphic Fandom who, first, submitted their nominations for the winners, and then voted upon a final ballot consisting of the five finalists (those receiving the most nominations) in each category. (Go here for full voting statistics.) The voting for the awards was open to all furry fandom via the internet; and took place between March 15 and April 15; and received votes from countries all around the world.

The envelope, please...

Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture

Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2

(Directed by James Gunn; May 5)

Runners-up were:
My Little Pony: The Movie (Directed by Jayson Thiessen; October 6)
Rock Dog (Directed by Ash Brannon; February 24)
Ferdinand (Directed by Carlos Saldanha; December 15)
War for the Planet of the Apes (Directed by Matt Reeves; July 14)

Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short Work or Series

Duck Tales [2017 reboot]

(Directed by John Aoshima, Dana Terrace; Season 1, August 12 to December 2)

Runners-up were:
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Directed by Jim Miller, Tim Stuby, Denny Lu, Mike Myhre; Season 7, episodes 1 to 26)
OK KO! Let's Be Heroes (Directed by Hwang Ki-hoo, Chang-woo Shin, Sunjae Lee, Byungjae Oh, Eunyung Byun, Sunhung Kim; Season 1 Episode 1 to 42)
Here's the Plan (Directed by Fernanda Frick; April 27)
Mascot Fur Life (Directed by Jens Wernstedt; December 23)
Doodle Toons (Directed by Jack C; Pilot episode to "Deleted Scene: Fast Food Follies")
Kouka and Bibi (by Dan Variano; January 8

Best Anthropomorphic Novel

The Wayward Astronomer

by Geoffrey Thomas (Corvus Publishing; May 9)

Runners-up were:
Always Gray in Winter, by Mark J. Engels (Thurston Howl Publications; August 10)
Otters in Space III: Octopus Ascending, by Mary E. Lowd (FurPlanet Productions; June 30)
Kismet, by Watts Martin (Argyll Productions, FurPlanet Productions; January 12)
Black Friday, by Jan Stryvant (CreateSpace; September 8)

Best Anthropomorphic Short Fiction

Lieutenant Kruger and the Mistress Jade Trophy Game

by Kathy Garrison Kellogg (in The Cross Time Cafe; October 5)

Runners-up were:
Behesht, by Dwale (in ROAR vol. 8, Bad Dog Books; June 30)
Beyond the Great Divide, by S. H. Mansouri (in Cirsova Heroic Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine #5; Spring 2017)
The Moon Like an Unhatched Egg, by Mary E. Lowd (in Symbol of a Nation; June 30)
Rickety V, by Rechan (in Intimate Little Secrets; March 24)

Best Anthropomorphic Non-Fiction Work

Furry Nation

by Joe Strike (Cleis Press; October 10)

Runners-up were:
Furries Among Us 2; More Essays On Furries By Furries, edited by Thurston Howl (Thurston Howl Productions; August 18)
Furry Fandom Conventions, 1989-2015, by Fred Patten (McFarland & Co.; January 3)
3 Ursa Major-ly Painful Victories, by Rooview (on YouTube; April 23)
The Shocking Furry Fandom Conversation. Yes, Really! (on YouTube, featuring Stefan Molyneux; October 16)

Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work

Dogs of War

edited by Fred Patten (anthology; FurPlanet Productions; January 12)

Runners-up were:
ROAR volume 8, edited by Mary E. Lowd (anthology; Bad Dog Books; June 30)
Arcana: A Tarot Anthology, edited by Madison Scott-Clary (anthology; Thurston Howl Publications; November 9)
Intimate Little Secrets by Rechan (collection; FurPlanet Productions; March 24)
Symbol of a Nation, edited by Fred Patten (anthology; GoAL Publications; June 30)

Best Anthropomorphic Graphic Story

DreamKeepers

by David & Liz Lillie (Internet; January 2 [#340] to December 18 [#385])

Runners-up were:
Lackadaisy, by Tracy J. Butler (internet; Lackadaisy Gimmickry to Lackadaisy Deliria)
TwoKinds, by Tom Fischbach (internet; January 5 to December 28)
A&H Club, by Rick Griffin (Internet; January 7 to November 25)
Endtown, by Aaron Neathery (Internet; January 2 to December 25)

Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip

Housepets!

by Rick Griffin (Internet; January 2 to December 29)

Runners-up were:
DreamKeepers Prelude, by David & Liz Lillie (Internet; January 6 [#350] to December 28 [#393])
Freefall, by Mark Stanley (Internet; January 2 to December 29)
Carry On, by Kathy Garrison Kellogg (Internet; January 1 to December 29)
Doc Rat, by Jenner (Internet; January 4 to December 29)

Best Anthropomorphic Magazine

Dogpatch Press

ed. by Patch Packrat (Internet; January 5 to December 25)

Runners-up were:
Flayrah, edited by GreenReaper, Sonious, and Dronon (Internet; January 1 to December 30)
InFurNation, ( Internet; January 1 to December 31)
FurryFandom.es, edited by Mike Retriever (Internet; February 19 to October 9)
Typewriter Emergencies: A Journal of Furry Lit, edited by Weasel (Weasel Press; May)

Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration

David Lillie, cover for The Wayward Astronomer, by Geoffrey Thomas

(Corvus Publishing; May 9)

Runners-up were:
Bone, cover for Always Gray in Winter by Mark J. Engels (Thurston Howl Publications; August 10)
Teagan Gavet, cover for Dogs of War, edited by Fred Patten (FurPlanet Productions; January 12)
Teagan Gavet, cover of ROAR vol, 8, edited by Mary E. Lowd (Bad Dog Books; June 30)
Baron Engel, for Prepare to Engage the Enemy, cover for A Different Perspective by Bernard Doove (June 8)
Idess, cover for Otters in Space III: Octopus Ascending, by Mary E. Lowd (FurPlanet Productions,; June 30)
Ashley Foy, for Valentine's Gifts (February 14)

Best Anthropomorphic Game

Night in the Woods

(Developer: Infinite Fall, Publisher: Finji; February 21)

Runners-up were:
Cuphead (Developer and Publisher: StudioMDHR Entertainment; September 29)
Star Fox 2 (Developer: Nintendo and Argonaut Games, Publisher: Nintendo; September 29)
Sonic Mania (Developer: PagodaWest Games and Headcannon, Publisher: Sega; August 15)
Yooka - Laylee (Developers: Playtonic Games; April 11)

Best Anthropomorphic Website

Inkbunny

(furry art community)

Runners-up were:
e621, (art, discussions, etc.)
WikiFur, (furry fandom encyclopedia)
The Furry Writers’ Guild (Supporting, informing, elevating, and promoting quality anthropomorphic fiction and its creators)
The Cross Time Cafe, (forum for comic discussions, including many on the Recommended List)