(Coveted) Balrog Award

The (Coveted) Balrog Award was presented by the International Fantasy Gamers Society at Foolcon from 1979 to 1982 and elsewhere from 1983 to 1985 to the best in a variety of predominantly fantasy categories.

The award never was taken very seriously -- probably because they gave out so many awards with a limited set of non-mainstream voters (and let's not mention that naming an award after an evil demon — from Tolkein’s Middle Earth — is a bit odd). By tradition it is referred to as the "(Coveted) Balrog Award."

Year	Novel	Short Fiction	Amateur Publication	Amateur Achievement
1979	Tom Reamy Blind Voices	"Death from Exposure" by Pat Cadigan	Shayol ed. Arnie Fenner and Pat Cadigan	Paul C. Allen (for Fantasy Newsletter and "Of Swords and Sorcery")
1980	Anne McCaffrey Dragondrums	"The Last Defender of Camelot" by Roger Zelazny	Fantasy Newsletter (ed. Bob Collins)	Paul C. Allen (for Fantasy Newsletter and "Of Swords and Sorcery")
1981	Stephen R. Donaldson The Wounded Land	"The Web of the Magi" by Richard Cowper	Fantasy Newsletter	Paul C. Allen & Susan Allen (for Fantasy Newsletter)
1982	Katherine Kurtz Camber the Heretic	"A Thief in Korianth" by C. J. Cherryh	Eldritch Tales	Robert A. Collins (for saving Fantasy Newsletter)
1983	Stephen R. Donaldson The One Tree	"All of Us Are Dying" by George Clayton Johnson	Shayol	Allan Bechtold (for SF workshops)
1984	George R. R. Martin The Armageddon Rag	"Wizard Goes A-Courtin'" by John Morressy	Fantasy Newsletter (ed. Bob Collins)	Stan Gardner (for saving the Balrogs)
1985	David Brin The Practice Effect	"A Troll and Two Roses" by Patricia A. McKillip	Eldritch Tales (ed. Crispin Burnham)	David B. Silva (for The Horror Show

Year	Collection / Anthology	Artist	Professional Publication	Professional Achievement	Judges' Choice
1979	Born to Exile, Phyllis Eisenstein	Tim Kirk	Age of Dreams Alicia Austin	Donald M. Grant & J. R. R. Tolkien	Andre Norton (Lifetime achievement) & Jonathan Bacon for Fantasy Crossroads
1980	Night Shift, Stephen King	Michael Whelan	Omni	Anne McCaffrey	Ian Ballantine & Betty Ballantine
1981	Unfinished Tales, J. R. R. Tolkien	Frank Frazetta	F&SF	George Lucas	Jorge Luis Borges, Fritz Leiber
1982	Shadows of Sanctuary, Robert Lynn Asprin	Real Musgrave	Omni	George Lucas	Leo Dillon & Diane Dillon
1983	Storm Season, Robert Lynn Asprin	Tim Hildebrandt	F&SF	Ben Bova	Kirby McCauley
1984	Unicorn Variations, Roger Zelazny	Real Musgrave	F&SF	Pendragon Gallery (for promoting fantasy artwork)	Mercer Mayer (for educating children in fantasy art)
1985	Daughter of Regals, Stephen R. Donaldson	Richard Pini & Wendy Pini	Masques, J. N. Williamson, ed.	Hap Henriksen (for the National SF/Fantasy Hall of Fame)	Lester del Rey

Year	Poet	SF Film Hall of Fame	Fantasy Film Hall of Fame
1979	Ray Bradbury
1980	H. Warner Munn	2001	Fantasia
1981	H. Warner Munn	The Empire Strikes Back	The Wizard of Oz
1982	Frederick Mayer	Forbidden Planet	King Kong
1983	Frederick Mayer	The Day the Earth Stood Still	Dark Crystal
1984	Frederick Mayer	Blade Runner	Bambi
1985	Ardath Mayhar	E.T. The Extraterrestrial & Starman	Raiders of the Lost Ark

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Award

1979—1985

This is an award page. If you know something about it, such as who awarded it, who the winners were, what the criteria were, and when it was awarded, please add it! See Standards for Awards.