The Ursa Major Awards (2016)

 
The Ursa Major Awards (UMAs) are the furry fandom’s awards for outstanding achievement in animal-anthropomorphic literature and arts, similar in spirit to the Hugo Awards from the science fiction fandom. Their first iteration was in 2001 at ConFurence 12, California. Since then, they have been presented yearly at several different furry conventions. The awards are run by the ALAA (Anthropomorphic Literature and Arts Association), a group of experienced furries; however, the winners are decided not by a committee, but by fans all around the globe.

Each year the ALAA invites people to nominate and vote for what they may consider the best furry works that have been published or released the previous year, fitting a number of categories. Any furry who wishes to vote can easily register at their website, UrsaMajorAwards.org , and follow their simple steps. Alternatively, you can also vote by e-mail or snail mail. Votes can be made for any, or all, categories; so make sure to vote yearly for the candidates you consider the best!

Up until the 2014 awards, the UMAs consisted of a framed certificate with an illustration of the award logo by Heather Bruton. Last year, they changed to an acrylic glass trophy that stands upright.

 

Rod O’Riley (editor of InFurNation.com), and Sam Kirkpatrick (co-creator of ‘Furry Force’, College Humor), with their UMA 2014 plaques, at CaliFur 11 (California).		The UMA 2015 for Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip awarded to Housepets!. The illustration by Heather Bruton has a timeless and elegant artistry.

This year, the Ursa Major Awards for 2016 were granted. The ceremony took place at the Anthrocon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (North-East USA), the 30th of June. There were 1,446 votes (by comparison, the Hugo Awards have had, the last years, between 3,000 and 6,000 votes.) There are five nominees for each category, one of which gets the rank of winner. There are a total of 12 categories. Congratulations to the winners!

Beginning next year, a thirteenth category will be added for Best Anthropomorphic Fursuit, to be awarded to the fursuit maker (not the wearer), with a number of additional rules that can be checked at the ALAA’s website.

Ursa Major Awards 2016

		Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture Zootopia Directed by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush; February 11 Runners-Up (in descending number of votes) Finding Dory (Directed by Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane; June 17) Sing (Directed by Garth Jennings and Christophe Lourdelet; December 21) Kung Fu Panda 3 (Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni; January 29) The Secret Life of Pets (Directed by Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney; July 8)

		Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short Work or Series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Directed by James Thiessen, Jim Miller, Tim Stuby, and Denny Lu; Season 6 episodes 1 to 143 [TV] Runners-Up (in descending number of votes) The Lion Guard (Directed by Howy Parkins; Season 1 episodes 1 to 22 [TV]) Bunnicula (Directed by Jessica Borutski, Maxwell Atoms, Robert F. Hughes, Matthew Whitlock, and Ian Wasseluk; Season 1 episodes 1 to 8 [TV]) Littlest Pet Shop (Directed by Joel Dickie, Steven Garcia, and Mike Myhre; Season 4 episode 10 to Season 4 episode 26 [TV]) Petals (Directed by Andrea Gallo and Alvaro Dominguez; November 29 [student film])

		Best Anthropomorphic Novel My Diary, by Fredrick Usiku Kruger, Lieutenant of the Rackenroon Hyena Brigade By Kathy Garrison Kellog (The Cross Time Cafe; April 2) Runners-Up (in descending number of votes) Sixes Wild: Echoes, by Tempe O’Kun (FurPlanet Productions; June 30) Dog Country, by Malcolm F. Cross (Amazon Digital Services; March 28) Fracture, by Hugo Jackson (Inspired Quill; September 1) The Origin Chronicles: Mineau, by Justin Swatsworth (Dolphyn Visions; June 14)

		Best Anthropomorphic Short Fiction 400 Rabbits By Alice “Huskyteer” Dryden, in Gods With Fur (FurPlanet Productions; June 30) Runners-Up (in descending number of votes) A Gentleman of Strength, by Dwale, in Claw the Way to Victory (Jaffa Books; January 24) Questor’s Gambit, by Mary E. Lowd, in Gods With Fur (FurPlanet Productions; June 30) Marge the Barge, by Mary E. Lowd, in Claw the Way to Victory (Jaffa Books; January 24) Sheeperfly’s Lullaby, by Mary E. Lowd, in GoAL #2 (Goal Publications; March 27)

		Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work Gods With Fur Edited by Fred Patten (FurPlanet Productions; June 30 [anthology]) Runners-Up (in descending number of votes) Claw the Way to Victory, ed. by AnthroAquatic (Jaffa Books; January 24 [anthology]) ROAR volume 7, ed. by Mary E. Lowd (Bad Dog Books; June 30 [anthology]) The Muse, by Alex Cockburn (Rabbit Valley Publishing; March [background booklet for Lucid’s Dream]) Hot Dish #2, ed. by Dark End (Sofawolf Press; December 1 [anthology])

		Best Anthropomorphic Non-Fiction Work The Art of Zootopia By Jessica Julius (Chronicle Books; March 8 [book; making of feature film]) Runners-Up (in descending number of votes) Fursonas (Directed by Dominic Rodriguez; May 10 [documentary film]) 17 Misconceptions About Furries and the Furry Fandom (Culturally F’d #23; February 11 [podcast]) CSI: Fur Fest; The Unsolved Case of the Gas Attack at a Furry Convention, by Jennifer Swann (VICE Media; February 10 [Internet]) Burned Furs and How You Perceive Porn (Culturally F’d: After Dark; October 6 [podcast])

		Best Anthropomorphic Graphic Story TwoKinds By Tom Fischbach (Internet; January 6 to December 25) Runners-Up (in descending number of votes) Swords and Sausages, by Jan (Internet; January 10 to December 25) Lackadaisy, by Tracy J. Butler (Internet; Lackadaisy Sabbatical to Lackadaisy Headlong) Lucid’s Dream, by Alex Cockburn (Rabbit Valley Publishing; March) Endtown, by Aaron Neathery (Internet; January 1 to December 30)

		Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip Housepets! By Rick Griffin (Internet; January 1 to December 30) Runners-Up (in descending number of votes) Savestate, by Tim Weeks (Internet; January 6 to December 28) Carry On, by Kathy Garrison (Internet; January 1 to December 30) Kevin & Kell, by Bill Holbrook (Internet; January 1 to December 31) Doc Rat, by Jenner (Internet; January 1 to December 29)

		Best Anthropomorphic Magazine Dogpatch Press Edited by Patch Packrat (Internet, January 4 to December 20) Runners-Up (in descending number of votes) Fur What It’s Worth (Podcast; Season 5 episode #8 to Season 6 episode #8) InFurNation, ed. by Rod O’Riley (Internet; January 1 to December 31) Flayrah, ed. by crossaffliction and GreenReaper (Internet; January 1 to December 29) Fangs and Fonts (Podcast; episodes #57 to #72)

		Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration Cover of Anthrocon 2016 Souvenir Book By Tracy J. Butler Runners-Up (in descending number of votes) Cover of Gods With Fur, by Teagan Gavet, ed. by Fred Patten (FurPlanet Productions, June 30) Autumn, by Iskra, FurAffinity, October 22 Cover of Claw the Way to Victory, by Jenn ‘Pac’ Rodriguez, ed. by AnthroAquatic (Jaffa Books, January 24) Hey Baby, You’re the Cat’s Meow!, by Dolphyn, in Anthrocon 2016 Souvenir Book

		Best Anthropomorphic Game Major / Minor Developer: Klace; Publisher: Steam; October 11 Runners-Up (in descending number of votes) Pokémon Sun & Moon (Developer: Game Freak; Publishers: Nintendo and The Pokémon Company; November 18) Overwatch (Developer and Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment; May 24) Stories: The Path of Destinies (Developer and Publisher: Spearhead Games; April 12) Bear Simulator (Developer and Publisher: Farjay Studios; February 26)

		Best Anthropomorphic Website Fur Affinity (Internet, [furry art & discussion]) Runners-Up (in descending number of votes) E621 (Internet [furry art & discussion]) WikiFur (Internet [furry wiki]) The Furry Writers’ Guild (Internet [FWG news & discussion]) Culturally F’d, ed. by Arrkay and Underbite (YouTube [furry history & sociology])