The Ditmar Award (formally the Australian SF ("Ditmar") Award; formerly the "Australian Science Fiction Achievement Award") has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention (the "Natcon") to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction (including fantasy and horror) and science fiction fandom.
They are named for Martin James Ditmar "Dick" Jenssen, an Australian fan and artist, who financially supported the awards at their inception.
[1][2][3][4] The current rules for the award (which had for many years been specified only in the minimalist "Jack Herman constitution") were developed in 2000 and 2001 as a result of controversy resulting from the withdrawal of the works of several prominent writers from eligibility, and the rules are subject to revision by the "Business Meeting" of the Natcon.
Finalists are given a certificate honouring their achievement and winners are presented with a trophy.
[6][7] In 2000 the awards were cancelled and re-run, resulting in two sets of nominations that year.
Accordingly, Egan's novel remained on the ballot, and was permitted to win the award, which he then declined.
[8] Egan had earlier attempted to withdraw all his works "into the indefinite future" from consideration for the Ditmar Awards in order to give himself greater freedom to state his views on the awards process.
An award for Best Contemporary Author that did not require nominees to be Australian was presented in 1969.
The William Atheling Jr Award when it was introduced in 1976, did not require nominees to be Australian, whereas it now does.
From 1999 to 2003, there were awards in three categories, that for Best Long Fiction having been split into one for Novels and one for Collected Works.
In 1983 and 1984, there was also an award category for Best Australian Science Fiction or Fantasy Cartoonist.