The winners of the twenty-third 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 2023 were announced in a special presentation at Golden State Fur Con on Sunday April 7 at 11:30am PST.
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 thirteen categories is for works featuring intelligent &/or talking animals first published during the calendar year 2023. 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 1 to 24 and received 648 votes from countries all around the world.
The envelope, please...
Best Anthropomorphic Costume a.k.a. Fursuit
Forlorn Raven - Maker: Lemonbrat. Owner: Forlorn Raven
Runners-Up (in descending number of votes)
• Pig in Dress - Maker/Owner/Wearer: Suolaxierr.
• Vauk - Maker: Kkes and Vauk. Owner: Vauk.
• Draco - Maker: The Beastcub. Owner: Draco Deflagro.
• Sandey - Maker/Owner/Wearer: Misplaced_Spigot.
Best Website
Online collections of art, stories, and other creative and/or informational works. Includes galleries, story archives, directories, blogs, and personal sites.
Fur Affinity
Runners-Up (in descending number of votes)
• e621
• Wikifur
• Wolfery
• Kemono Café
Best Game
Computer or console games, role-playing games, board games.
Laika: Aged Through Blood
Runners-Up (in descending number of votes)
• Super Mario Bros Wonder
• Friends vs Friends
• Pseudoregalia
Best Visual Art
Illustrations for books, magazines, convention program books, cover art for such, coffee-table portfolios.
Squiddy, The Record Store
Runners-Up (in descending number of votes)
• ARVEN92, Our Furry City - Anthrocon 2023
• Squiddy, Market Haul
• Glopossum, Pines
• Bubblewolf, Winterrock Oasis
Best Magazine
Edited collections of creative and/or informational works by various people, professional or amateur, published in print or online in written, pictorial or audio-visual form.
Dogpatch Press, by Patch Packrat
Runners-Up (in descending number of votes)
• Flayrah, edited by GreenReaper
• InFurNation, edited by Rod O'Riley
• Dhole Moments, edited by Soatok
• Zooscape, edited by Mary E. Lowd
Best Comic Strip
Newspaper-style strips, including those with some ongoing arcs.
Foxes in Love, by Toivo Kaartinen.
Runners-Up (in descending number of votes)
• Carry On, by Kathy Garrison Kellogg.
• Lauren Ipsum, by Charles Brubaker.
• Freefall, by Mark Stanley.
• The Whiteboard, by Doc Nickel.
Best Graphic Story
Includes comic books, and serialized online stories.
Tamberlane, by Caytlin Vilbrandt and Ari Noble.
Runners-Up (in descending number of votes)
• Two Kinds, by Thomas Fischbach.
• Slightly Damned, by Chu.
• Silverwing: The Graphic Novel, written by Kenneth Opel, Illustrated by Christopher Steininge.
• Would Have Bit You, by Inanimorphs.
Best Non-Fiction Work
Includes opinion pieces and news articles.
Furscience, by Dr. Courtney N. Plante.
Runners-Up (in descending number of votes)
• Furry Planet, by Joe Strike.
• On Furries and the Media, by Soatok.
• A Guide to Drawing Manga Fantasy Furries: and Other Anthropomorphic Creatures, by Ryo Sumiyoshi.
• TFTuesday Podcast - A Measured Response: Saberspark's TF Video Essay, by Zilepo and K-Libra.
Best General Literary Work
Story collections, comic collections, graphic novels, and serialized online stories.
Gnoll Tales, by NightEyes DaySpring.
Runners-Up (in descending number of votes)
• Lauren Ipsum, by Charles Brubaker.
• Zooscape, Volume 1, edited by Mary E. Lowd.
• Some Words Burn Brightly: An Illuminated Collection of Poetry, by Mary E. Lowd.
• Commander Annie and Others Adventures, by Mary E. Lowd.
Best Short Fiction
Stories less than 40,000 words, poetry, and other short Written works.
On the Difference Between AI Cats and Actual Cats: A Love Story, by Daniel Lowd and Mary E. Lowd.
Runners-Up (in descending number of votes)
• Rhapsody of Stolen Feathers, by Frank Alvarez.
• How Pepper Learned Magic, by Renee Carter Hall.
• Of Heart and Stone, by Solomon Harries.
• Aged Plant Fibers and Ink, by James L. Steele.
Best Novel
Written works of 40,000 words or more. Serialized novels qualify only for the year that the final chapter is published.
Wolf of Withervale by Joaquín Baldwin.
Runners-Up (in descending number of votes)
• Rafts (ebook), by Utunu.
• Otters In Space 4: First Moustronaut, by Mary E. Lowd.
• Family Matters, by Mitch Marmel, Walter D. Reimer, and E.O. Costello.
• You're Cordially Invited to Crossroads Station, by Mary E. Lowd.
Best Dramatic Series
TV, streaming, or YouTube series.
Helluva Boss (Created by Vivienne "VivziePop" Medrano - Season 2 Episode 3 to Midseason Special)
Runners-Up (in descending number of votes)
• The Owl House (Created by Dana Terrace; "For the Future" & "Watching and Dreaming")
• Bluey (Created by Joe Brumm - Season 3)
• Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake (Developed by Adam Muto - August 31 to September 28)
• Sonic Prime (Created by Man of Action - Season 2)
Best Dramatic Short Work
One-shots, advertisements or short videos.
Lackadaisy (Pilot) (Directed by Fable Siegel)
Runners-Up (in descending number of votes)
• Tamberlane (Directed by Ashley Nichols and Caytlin Vilbrandt)
• A Fox in Space - Apisode Two - Fixing a Hole (Directed by Matthew Gafford)
• Once Upon a Studio (Directed by Dan Abraham and Trent Correy)
• The Meeps - Love Louder (Official music video. Created in partnership with XIX Entertainment and T&B Media Global)
Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture
Live-action or animated feature-length movies.
Nimona (Directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane)
Runners-Up (in descending number of votes)
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Directed by James Gunn)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Directed by Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears)
• Leo (Directed by Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel and David Wachtenheim)
• Migration (Directed by Benjamin Renner and Guylo Homsy)
For the full results and voting statistics, go to the 2023 tally page.
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