Leaked emails shed light on the reasons for these exceptions. They reveal a systematic process by which nominated works are filtered according to their “political sensitivity” and potential to cause trouble in China.
Under the leadership of 2023 jury chairman Dave McCarthy, administrators examined the candidates’ social networks, travel histories and beyond the nominated works. The emails show administrators were scrutinizing the writers’ views and personalities, and doubts were growing about their suitability for the ceremony being held in China. For example, one manager expressed concerns about “how they can play in China” by pointing out Naseem Jamnia’s homosexuality.
As a result of this selective filtering, the works of Gaiman, Kuang, Zhao, and Weimer were deemed “inappropriate” without any transparent explanation. As the leak’s authors put it, “There was no reason to exclude their works, other than they were seen as undesirable administrators of the Hugo Awards acting as proxies for the Chinese government.”
This statement sparked outrage in the science fiction and fantasy community, which accused the Hugo Awards of compromising artistic integrity and freedom of expression for political gain.
Source: Ferra
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