Almost it seemed that the words took shape, and visions of far lands and bright things that he had never yet imagined opened up before him; and the firelit hall became like a golden mist above seas of foam that sighed upon the margins of the world.

–JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings II:I

Works can be nominated for an award in the following categories. Unless otherwise stated, all categories are open to completed works of any genre, style, length, source (The Lord of the Rings book or movie, The Silmarillion, The Hobbit or other work by JRR Tolkien), pairing or rating. Works in progress (WiPs) are not eligible in any category.

Best Silmarillion
Stories which are set during the course of The Silmarillion, Ainulindalë or Akallabêth, or during the Pre-Trees/Trees era or the First and Second Ages.

Best Lord of the Rings
Stories which are set during the course of The Lord of the Rings. Stories which focus on the central characters and events of The Lord of the Rings, or which illuminate its themes, will be preferred. Alternate universes, humour/parody, erotica/PWP, stories focusing on original/minor characters and stories set outside the timeframe of The Lord of the Rings may stand more of a chance in other categories.

Best The Hobbit
Stories which are set during the course of The Hobbit, or which feature characters or settings from The Hobbit, such as Thranduil, Thorin Oakenshield, Smaug, Beorn, Mirkwood or the Dale. Stories which focus on Bilbo Baggins at any time before the start of The Lord of the Rings might also be nominated here.

Best Fourth Age or beyond
Stories principally set after the start of the Fourth Age (once the Ringbearers have sailed West). This includes stories set during Elessar's reign, as well as works that take place in a modern or future setting.

Best alternate universe or crossover
Stories which are set in an alternate universe, in which one or more elements of the Tolkien universe are changed. For example, stories where Denethor did not die or where Thingol did not demand a Silmaril from Beren. Stories which use the change to highlight the consequences of a choice or event in the original source, or to explore character or setting, will be preferred in this category. Crossovers must be a crossover with a non-Tolkien source, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xena or Harry Potter; a Lord of the Rings crossover with The Silmarillion would not be relevant here. Crossover stories may be set in either universe; for example, stories where Buffy is transported to Middle-earth, or Saruman takes a job at Hogwarts would both be eligible. Stories set in the modern world or in the future, with no other alternative elements, are not eligible here.

Best story focusing on Elves
Stories focusing on one or more Elves, or an Elvish community; if other races are included they should be supporting characters only. Works that shed light on the nature of Elves, Elvish culture or society will be preferred.

Best story focusing on Men
Stories focusing on one or more Men, or a Mannish community; if other races are included they should be supporting characters only. Works that shed light on the nature of Men, Mannish culture or society will be preferred.

Best story focusing on Hobbits
Stories focusing on one or more Hobbits, or a Hobbit community; if other races are included they should be supporting characters only. Works that shed light on the nature of Hobbits or Hobbit culture or society will be preferred.

Best story focusing on other races
Stories focusing on one or more members of races other than Elves, Men and Hobbits, including but not limited to Dwarves, Istari, Valar, Maiar, Ents or Orcs. Stories may also include Elves, Men and Hobbits. Stories that shed light on the nature of that race or their culture or society will be preferred.

Best romance or erotica – het
Stories in which an m/f romance forms a significant part of the story. Erotic material may form a major focus of the story, but stories with no erotic content are also eligible. Stories where any erotic encounter is placed in context, and which keep true to the Tolkien characters, are most likely to succeed in this category. Stories may be any rating, from G to NC-17.

Best romance or erotica – slash
Stories in which a same-sex romance (m/m or f/f) forms a significant part of the story. Erotic material may form a major focus of the story, but stories with no erotic content are also eligible. Stories where any erotic encounter is placed in context, and which keep true to the Tolkien characters, are most likely to succeed in this category. Stories may be any rating, from G to NC-17.

Best action/adventure
Stories which feature as a major element an action plot, such as (but not limited to) a quest, adventure or battle.

Best drama
Stories with a strong conflict–crisis–resolution structure, whether the conflict is externally imposed or internal to the character(s). Action plots are acceptable here, but the story must focus on the character(s) inner struggles.

Best gapfiller
Gapfillers should take place between two events in any Tolkien book or film. An example of a gapfiller would be the story between the battle before the Black Gates, and Frodo and Sam's awakening at Cormallen; or detail of Tuor's stay in Gondolin before its fall. The work can reference events described in canon, but must be focused on events that are not explicitly described by Tolkien/the filmmakers.

Best humour or parody
Stories where humour is the main or a major element. The humour may be in-frame or parody.

Best characterisation – Tolkien character
Stories which focus on a single canon character, or one character interacting with one/ more others, which reveal or highlight aspects of the protagonist’s character. They will usually be written from the point of view of the character selected, and may often chart a significant moment in that character’s inner life. They must be in line with the characterisation of the original source. Stories where you think: ‘I can just hear Frodo saying that!’ or ‘Ah, so that’s what Fëanor was thinking!’

Best characterisation – minor character
Stories which focus on one or more minor characters. Major canon characters and/or original characters may also appear but only in subsidiary roles. To do well in this category, the minor character(s) should be fleshed out in a manner consistent with, but clearly additional to, the source. To qualify as a minor character, s/he may be mentioned only in footnotes, appendices or genealogies, or may appear in the books/movies but only have a few lines of dialogue. In addition, s/he must not be central to events. Preference will be given to minor characters that haven't attracted lots of fanon, or where the author's interpretation differs significantly from existing fanon. Some examples include Théodwyn, Diamond of Long Cleeve, Mablung (from Lord of the Rings), Fili (from The Hobbit), Ingwë, Daeron the Minstrel, Aerin or Vairë the Weaver (from The Silmarillion). Some examples which would not count as minor include Sauron, Arwen or any of the sons of Fëanor.

Best characterisation – original character
Stories which focus on an original character, whether male or female. The character must be invented by the author; minor characters invented by Tolkien, even if only mentioned in footnotes, appendices or genealogies, are not eligible here. To do well in this category, the OC would have to fit seamlessly into the Tolkien background and be important to the plot of the story. He/she would be well-fleshed out, and would possess believable goals and motivations of his/her own. Ideally, the use of the OC would have some purpose in the story, such as elucidating some aspect of society that is closed to canon characters, or getting an interesting perspective by seeing one/more canon characters from the outside. Mary-Sue parodies or humorous Modern-girl-in-Middle-earth stories are not suitable here.

Best characterisation – ensemble
Stories which focus on a group of characters, rather than a single character or pair. The story may include only canon characters, or a mix of canon with original characters; however, stories focusing mainly or exclusively on original characters are not eligible here. Preference will be given to stories that highlight interactions among characters of different races, cultures or backgrounds. Some examples might include stories about the adventures of the Fellowship, Men of Rohan fighting alongside Men of Gondor, the reconciliation of the Houses of Fëanor and Fingolfin, or the dealings of the Mirkwood Elves with Thorin and his companions.

Best vignette or short story
Drabbles, prose poems, vignettes and short stories below 2500 words. Must be laid out in prose format, not verse.

Best novel/serial (>50,000 words)
Long works, over 50,000 words, whether novel or multi-part serial. In either case, the work must be complete: works in progress (WiPs) are not eligible.

Poetry – short form
Short poetic forms are limited to those of fewer than 16 lines. Short forms may include sonnets, haiku, song lyrics, epitaphs, prayers or even spells. Short form poems may be of any type, style, voice, rhyme scheme, free or blank verse, provided that the number of lines does not exceed 16. Poetry cycles, even if the individual poems are short, should be submitted under 'Poetry – long form'.

Poetry – long form
Long form poems are limited to works of greater than 16 lines. All poetic forms are welcome, from blank verse to intricate rhyme schemes. Stanzaic, lyrical, free verse, narrative – all are
welcome here. Poetry cycles, regardless of the lengths of the individual poems, should also be submitted here.

Poetry – comic or light
Comic poems are those with an overall humorous quality. Nonsense songs, parodies and dark humour all belong here. Light poems are not necessarily humorous, but they generally have a less serious tone. Examples of light poetry might be drinking songs, work songs, lullabies, informal greetings or children's rhymes. In both cases, any verse form, style or length can be used.

Best critical essay or research article
Non-fiction relating to JRR Tolkien’s settings, characters or languages, or to Tolkien fandom or fanfiction. Must present discussion and analysis, not just a list, map or dictionary. Biographical material relating to JRR Tolkien must be linked to his literary creations in order to be relevant here.

Best story by new author
‘New’ means the author has not published stories in the Tolkien fandom before 1 April 2003.

JUDGES' CHOICE AWARDS

These awards are not open for nomination

Best entry by author for whom English is not their first language
Best work whose author does not have English as their first language. The work must have been written in English by the author (not translated by another) to qualify, although authors may have sought language advice from others. Preference will be given to authors who would not consider themselves to be bilingual in English and their first language. Chosen from among the semi-finalists whose authors wished to be considered in this category by the vote of the Judges/Awards Committee.

Best entry by author aged 16 or under
Best work whose author is 16 or under on 1 April 2004. Chosen from among the semi-finalists whose authors wished to be considered in this category by the vote of the Judges/Awards Committee.

VOTERS' CHOICE AWARDS

These awards are not open for nomination

Best Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit
Works set during the Third or Fourth Ages, or which feature characters or settings from The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit.

Best Silmarillion
Works set during the Pre-Trees/Trees era or the First and Second Ages, or which feature characters or settings from The Silmarillion, Ainulindalë or Akallabêth.

Best Character Piece*
Works that focus on character depiction.

Best Drama/Action Adventure*
Works where drama or action predominate.

Best Humour*
Humorous works, including parodies.

Best Romance/Erotica -- Het
Works with a prominent m/f relationship, whether romance or erotica.

Best Romance/Erotica -- Slash
Works with a prominent m/m or f/f relationship, whether romance or erotica.

*New categories for the 2004 awards were chosen by the public in a poll

Last updated: 15 June 2004