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Japanese Science Fiction Con Award Nominees Revealed

The organizers of T-con 2009 have announced on April 6 the preliminary list of nominees for this year's Seiun Awards. Members of the Japanese National Science Fiction Convention will vote on these awards, which are the Japanese equivalent of the international Hugo Awards. Vying for the Best Media Award are the following titles:

Real Drive
Original creator: Production I.G/Masamune Shirow in cooperation with Crossroad
Director: Kazuhiro Furuhashi
Production I.G


Macross Frontier
Original creator: Shōji Kawamori/Studio Nue
Chief Director: Shōji Kawamori
Director: Yasuhito Kikuchi
Satelight


Kamen Rider Den-O
Original creator: Shōtarō Ishinomori
Scripts: Yasuko Kobayashi, Shoji Yonemura
Toei


Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2
Director: Gorō Taniguchi
Sunrise
Released in North America by Bandai Entertainment


The Dark Knight
Director: Christopher Nolan
Legendary Pictures
Released in North America by Warner Brothers


Fireball
Director: Wataru Arakawa
Jinni's Animation Studio


Library War
Original creator: Hiro Arikawa 
Director: Takayuki Hamana
Production I.G



In the Comic category, the following are nominees:

Omoide Emanon
Art: Kenji Tsuruta
Story: Shinji Kajio
Tokuma Shoten
Ryu Comic Special
[Note: The image is of Omoide Emanon's sequel, Sasurai Emanon.]


Eden - It's an Endless World!
Story & Art: Hiroki Endo 
Kodansha
Afternoon KC
Released in North America by Dark Horse Comics


Trigun Maximum
Story & Art: Yasuhiro Nightow
Shounen Gahousha
Young King Comics
Released in North America by Dark Horse Comics


Kazoku Hakkei
Story: Yasutaka Tsutsui
Art: Natsuno Kiyohara
Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Charge Comics


Aqua Planet Chronicle
Story & Art: Masaru Ohishi
Shounen Gahousha
Young King Comics


Joō-Bachi
Story & Art: Masakazu Ooi
Gentosha
Birz Comics


Robo Dōraku no Gyakushū
Story & Art: Miki Tori
East Press
Cue Comics



The Science Fiction Awards Watch lists the preliminary nominees in the prose fiction categories. Rocket Girls creator Housuke Nojiri is up for the Short Fiction award for his “The South Pole's Pia Pia Dōga" story; he already won three Seiun Awards, includes awards in the last two years. Viz Media's new Haikasoru science-fiction prose imprint will publish Nojiri's Usurper of the Sun novel in North America in September.

Among the contenders for the Art category are Kemonozume artist Kazuko Sasai and Naoyuki Katō (Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Starship Troopers), the Studio Nue co-founder who won the award last year. Arikawa's original Library War novels won the Long Fiction category last year.

Thank you to Petrea Mitchell for the news tip.