The administrators of LA Con IV, the 2006 World Science Fiction Convention, have chosen to present a Hugo Award for the best Interactive Video Game. Only games which were first released in 2005 are eligible.

Each year's Worldcon committee has the option of adding a special additional category for that year. Special additional categories are not included every year. In recent years, the only additional category has been Best Website, which was presented in 2002 and 2005.

The nominations for all categories of the Hugo Awards are now open. All members of the 2005 World Science Fiction Convention and those that are members of the 2006 World Science Fiction Convention by January 31, 2006 are eligible to nominate for this years award. The winners will be selected from those nominations by all members of LA Con IV.

Nomination ballots will be available in Progress Report 3, or are available online at http://www.laconiv.org/2006/hugos/hugoform.htm. Ballots must be received by Friday, March 10 to be eligible.

The Hugo Awards are named for Hugo Gernsback who, in 1926, published Amazing Stories, the first magazine dedicated to science fiction. The awards are presented every year at the World Science Fiction Convention and this year will be presented at a ceremony at the 64th World Science Fiction Convention, which will be held in Anaheim, California on August 23-27, 2006.

The award itself consists of a rocket designed by Jack McKnight and Ben Jason and has remained unchanged since 1955. However, the base design varies from year to year to reflect the region in which the WorldCon is being held.

Posted December 31, 2005