The Big Heart Award is a science fiction fandom service award traditionally presented at Worldcon. It honors fans whose generosity, volunteer work, organizing, hospitality, archival labor, and community service have helped keep fandom alive beyond the spotlight of professional awards.
Table of Contents
| Quick fact | Information |
|---|---|
| First presented | 1959 |
| Original name | E. Everett Evans Big Heart Award |
| Later name | Forrest J Ackerman Big Heart Award |
| Tradition | Presented in connection with Worldcon |
| Recognizes | Service, generosity, and long-term contribution to fandom |
What the Big Heart Award Recognizes
The award is not primarily about writing the best story or editing the best magazine. It recognizes the people who make fan culture livable: the volunteer who keeps a convention running, the fan who welcomes newcomers, the archivist who preserves fragile material, the organizer who solves problems before anyone notices, and the friend whose care holds a community together.
History and Name
The award began in 1959 as the E. Everett Evans Big Heart Award, named in memory of the fan and science fiction writer E. Everett Evans. It later became associated with Forrest J Ackerman, who presented it for many years. In 2006 the award was renamed in Ackerman’s honor, reflecting his own long presence in fan history.
Its placement near the Hugo Awards gives it symbolic weight. The Hugos recognize voted achievement in science fiction and fantasy; the Big Heart Award reminds the same community that service, kindness, and unpaid labor are also part of the field’s history.
Selected Recipients
Recipients have included well-known writers, fan historians, convention workers, editors, collectors, and community figures. Early honorees included E. E. Smith, Robert Bloch, Sam Moskowitz, Bob Tucker, Bjo Trimble, David A. Kyle, Robert Madle, Bill Rotsler, Andre Norton, Julius Schwartz, Robert Silverberg, Juanita Coulson, Mike Glyer, and many others across decades of fandom.
Why It Matters
The Big Heart Award matters because fandom depends on people whose work is often invisible. A convention can look effortless to an attendee because dozens of volunteers have made it so. A fan archive can appear stable because someone preserved, cataloged, and shared it. The award gives that kind of labor a public name.
Related Fancyclopedia entries include Worldcon, Hugo Awards, and the Science Fiction Conventions Glossary.
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