As the server of this class ’s distant , digital - only Hugo Awards , noted author andprocrastinator George R. R. Martinwas tasked with being the voice of the ceremonial , guiding watcher through the pre - produce segment highlighting the study of this year ’s nominees and winners . Though the Hugos did n’t suffer from any of the proficient difficulties that plaguedSan Diego Comic - Con , Martin ’s hosting and some of the statement he made during the ceremonycreated some waves .
Amongthis twelvemonth ’s Hugo winnerswere the late writer H.P. Lovecraft , who was aknown white supremacist , and the late editor John W. Campbell , a outspoken advocator of bondage . Both were posthumously awarded Retro Hugos for their contributions to the sci - fi genre , and outside of only bestowing upon them the award , Martin also seemed keen to talk about Campbell ’s oeuvre in picky . This was an odd decision considering the Hugo Awards ’ late decision to rename the “ John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer ” to the “ Astounding Award for Best New Writer ” in 2019 follow writer Jeanette Ng calling out Campbell ’s views and the Hugos ’ alternative to consociate its brand with him .
Here Are the 2020 Hugo Award Winners
George R.R. Martin at the 70th Emmy Awards.Photo: Rich Polk (Getty Images)
Martin was also holler out for mispronounce the name of a number of accolade achiever , including this class ’s Astounding Award recipient Rebecca Kuang , who used her banker’s acceptance speech to excuse how the mispronunciation of one ’s name is one of the many kinds of microaggressions that citizenry of colour have to cope with on a daily footing .
“ You will be stamp , you will be miscategorized , you will be collocate in with other author of color whose work does n’t remotely resemble yours , ” Kuang suppose , describing warnings she would give to writers of color just getting into the industry . “ Chances are very high-pitched that you will be sexually harassed at conventions or the quarry of racist microaggressions or very often just open racism . mass will misspeak your name repeatedly and in public , even people who are on your publishing team . ”
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1289404961143439361
In response to the criticisms of his hosting — a number of multitude havedescribed it overall as anti-Semite — Martin took tothe comment sectionofsci - fi web log data file 770to comment rather than hisoften used personal web log . He state that while CoNZealand , the organization hosting the larger WorldCon result that bring forth the Hugos , inquire him to rerecord three of his segment ( he said he complied with their request on two and re - did them live ) , it was n’t because of his erroneous pronunciation , but rather to address some expert issues . Martin also accent that he was n’t provided with phonetic pronunciations of everyone ’s names before he recorded his segments .
“ Last dark at the event I was handed sealed envelope with the names of the winners , and there were phonic pronunciations for SOME ( by no means all ) of the name of those success on the cards , which I had a second or two to concentrate before reading them out , ” Martin wrote . “ I in all probability got some of those incorrect as well . Pronunciation has never been my strong suit . I even misspeak the name of my own case at time ( find some of my consultation ) . ”
After repeating that he was n’t generate a list of how to pronounce every winner ’s name , Martin in the end got around to apologizing with a pat “ I ’m meritless . That was never my spirit , ” before continuing on with a prolonged musing about his favorite previous symposiarch whose styles he tried to bring to this year ’s Hugos . Curiously , Martin ’s statement — which number after CoNZealand ’s posted its own apology toits website the sidereal day before — didn’t acknowledge the issue masses took with his decision to specifically spotlight Campbell ’s work while not acknowledging the Hugo ’s attempt at outstrip itself from the editor .
“ We apologise for the mispronunciations of names , and any contempt implied , ” CoNZealand ’s argument read . “ Phonetic guidelines were made useable to us , and we did not overcome the challenge we confront . As Chairs , we accept full duty for this . The Chairs also made the decision to ply an agnostic weapons platform for all the participants , and did not place restrictions on any speech or presentations . ”
While it ’s good that this twelvemonth ’s slate of Hugo winner sport a divers array of voice from a variety of different backdrop , place like this in which white , install members of the old guard still occupy diligence space in a elbow room that wee them finger unwelcoming are a trouble that needs to be turn to . Martin might not have think of to make people feel uncomfortable or disrespected with the thing he say , but in a blank space where professional who all work with the written word are gather to celebrate one another , the thing mass say and how they say them take on a particular significance . People like Martin would do well to bear that in mind , both out of respect for others , and so as not to mistreat on proverbial slant like this .
He Knew
chastening : An earlier version of this post misidentified File 770,a multiple honour winner of Hugos for Best Fanzine , as being assort with “ the Hugos ’ prescribed website . ” io9 regret the erroneousness .
For more , make certain you ’re take after us on our Instagram @io9dotcom .
BooksFantasyGame of ThronesGeorge RR MartinHugo Awards
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