Note: Multi-Category Award. In the mid-1990s Retrospective Hugo Awards were added: Worldcons held 50, 75, or 100 years after a Worldcon where no Hugos had been awarded or for the years that there was no Worlcon due to World War II (i.e. 1939––52 and 1954) can also retroactively select Hugos for that year, by the same process as the regular Hugos. This was a subject of much controversy, with critics of the proposal arguing that hindsight necessarily distorts perception, and that there was no point in giving awards decades after the fact.
As of 2024, there have been eight Retro Hugos given: in 1996 (1946), 2001 (1951), 2004 (1954), 2014 (1939), 2016 (1941) , 2018 (1943), 2019 (1944) and 2020 (1945). Not yet awarded or planned for years are the years 1940, 1942, 1947-1950, and 1952. The next opportunity to award a Retrospective Hugo, not already announced will be in 2025 for the year 1950.
| Retro Year | For works
published | Award Year (bold)
or next eligible |
|---|
| 1939 | 1938 | 2014 |
| 1940 | 1939 | 2040 |
| 1941 | 1940 | 2016 |
| 1942 | 1941 | 2042 |
| 1943 | 1942 | 2018 |
| 1944 | 1943 | 2019 |
| 1945 | 1944 | 2020 |
| 1946 | 1945 | 1996 |
| 1947 | 1946 | 2047 |
| 1948 | 1947 | 2048 |
| 1949 | 1948 | 2049 |
| 1950 | 1949 | 2025 |
| 1951 | 1950 | 2001 |
| 1952 | 1951 | 2027 |
| 1954 | 1953 | 2004 |
