The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films belonging to genre fiction, as well as television and home media releases. The Saturn Awards were created in 1973 and were originally referred to as Golden Scrolls.
History
The Saturn Awards were devised by Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that work in films in the genre of science fiction at that time lacked recognition within the established Hollywood film industry's award system. Initially, the award given was a Golden Scroll certificate. In the late 1970s, the award was revamped to a representation of the planet Saturn, with its ring(s) composed of a film reel.
The Saturn Awards are voted upon by members of the presenting Academy. The Academy is a non-profit organization with membership open to the public. Its president and executive producer is Robert Holguin, and producer/writers Bradley Marcus and Kevin Marcus. Its members include filmmakers J. J. Abrams, Bryan Singer, Steven Spielberg, Bryan Fuller, Mark A. Altman, Vince Gilligan and James Cameron, among others.
Although the Awards still primarily focus on films and television in the science fiction, fantasy and horror categories, the Saturns have also recognized productions in other dramatic genres. There are also special awards for lifetime achievement in film production.
For the first televised Science Fiction Film Awards in 1978 (as it was called at the time), the production team needed a physical golden award statue to present the winners. Prior to 1978, there was no award statue. The unique statue, with film tape circling Saturn, was created by 19 year old Robert John Wold, the son of Robert Norman Wold, who founded The Robert Wold Company and Wold Communications, located in Los Angeles. The Robert Wold Company was responsible for the televised broadcast of the 1978 Science Fiction Film Awards show, which was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Karen Black was a hostess, and William Shatner performed Bernie Taupin's Rocket Man, while seated at a stool on stage smoking a cigarette.
Following the 46th ceremony held in 2021, the decision to rebrand what would have been the 47th as the "50th Saturn Awards" was made in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Saturn Awards, which were founded in 1973. Subsequent ceremonies have continued with the new numbering. The television categories were majorly overhauled at the 50th ceremony, with several categories being split to recognise both network/cable and streaming series. These changes were reverted at the following ceremony, however. In 2023, the nominations announcement and awards process for the 51st Saturn Awards was postponed by several months in solidarity with the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.
Award categories
Film
Television
Home media
Best Classic Film Home Media Release (since 2001)
Best Television Home Media Release (since 2002)
Best Film Home Media Collection Release (since 2003)
Best 4K Home Media Release (since 2021)
Special awards
The George Pal Memorial Award
The Life Career Award
The President's Memorial Award
Special Recognition Award
Breakthrough Performance Award
Discontinued awards
Records
Criticism
The Saturn Awards has been criticized for having broadened its scope, nominating and awarding prestige movies genre awards (sci-fi, fantasy, or horror) and thereby stretching the meanings of the genres too far.
Year-by-year results
The year indicates the year of release of the films eligible.