The Hellmouth Awards

Here are the categories open for nomination.

Remember that this site celebrates RARE PAIRS ONLY and stories with primary pairings of the following may not be nominated: Buffy/Spike, Buffy/Angel, Willow/Tara, Willow/Kennedy, Willow/Oz, Xander/Spike, Xander/Angel, Xander/Anya, Xander/Cordelia, Spike/Willow, Spike/Angel, Angel/Cordy, Fred/Wes, Fred/Gunn, Giles/Buffy, Faith/Buffy, Angel/Darla, Spike/Drusilla, Wesley/Lilah
In the Threesome/Moresome category, the following groups are not allowed: Spike/Buffy/Angel, Spike/Xander/Angel, Spike/Drusilla/Angel

• Best Angst
  Displays a general depressive mood or sense of anxiety or disquiet, but does not contain graphic dark elements. The ending can be happy or sad. A fic cannot be nominated in both the Angst and Dark categories.


• Best Dark
  Must contain some overarching or graphic dark element or theme, such as dubious consent or non-consensual sex, torture (psychological or physical) or slavery. A fic cannot be nominated in both the Angst and Dark categories.


• Best Fluff
  Should have an overall content or happy mood and give you a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. A fic cannot be nominated in both the Fluff and Comedy categories.


• Best Comedy
  Is primarily comedic in nature. It should make you laugh! A fic cannot be nominated in both the Fluff and Comedy categories.


• Best Romance
  Focuses on a romantic pairing between two individuals of any sex. Should be primarily romantic in tone.


• Best Rare Male Slash
  Focuses on a romantic or sexual pairing between two male individuals. A fic cannot be nominated in more than one of the following: Male Slash, Femslash, Het.
  Fics with primary pairings of Xander/Spike, Xander/Angel, and Spike/Angel are not allowed.


• Best Rare Femslash
  Focuses on a romantic or sexual pairing between two female individuals. A fic cannot be nominated in more than one of the following: Male Slash, Femslash, Het.
  Fics with primary pairings of Willow/Tara, Faith/Buffy and Willow/Kennedy are not allowed.


• Best Rare Het
  Focuses on a romantic or sexual pairing between a heterosexual couple (male and female). A fic cannot be nominated in more than one of the following: Male Slash, Femslash, Het.
  Fics with primary pairings of Buffy/Spike, Buffy/Angel, Willow/Oz, Xander/Anya, Xander/Cordelia, Spike/Willow, Angel/Cordelia, Fred/Wes, Fred/Gunn, Giles/Buffy, Angel/Darla, Spike/Drusilla or Wesley/Lilah are not allowed.


• Best Rare Threesome/Moresome
  Should focus on a romantic or sexual pairing between three individuals of any gender.
  Disallowed pairings for this category: Spike/Buffy/Angel, Spike/Xander/Angel, Spike/Drusilla/Angel.


• Best AU
  Should deviate significantly from canon events. All-Human AU's are not allowed.


• Best Post-Series
  Should occur after one or both series ended. If the fic is post-BtVS, it should not be primarily set in Season Five of Ats. Displays a continuation of the spirit of the Buffyverse into the future.


• Best In-Series
  Should occur during the time covered by canon of one or both of the shows and should match the spirit and feel of the series.


• Best Characterization
  Should show excellent characterization, including voice, dialogue and understanding of character behaviors. Please include the character you're nominating for in the provided place on the nomination form.


• Best Plot
  For well-plotted, interesting stories that you can sink your teeth into.


• Best Heat
  For fics that heat things up!


• Best Drabble/Ficlet
  For fics from 100 to 999 words.


• Best One-Shot
  For fics between 1,000 and 9,999 words that stand alone and are not part of a series.


• Best Long
  For fics at or over 10,000 words that stand alone and are not part of a series.


• Best Series
  For a series of fics containing two or more stories, totaling equal to or more than 10,000 words.


• Best Kink
  Should contain, but does not have to focus on, some aspect of kink.


• Most Unbelievably Believable
  For stories with a pairing that shouldn't work – according to canon - but the author actually sells it well, keeping the characters true and developing a scenario that makes you believe it really could happen.


• Best Rare Femslash Author
  For authors who write multiple rare femslash pairings, and has the understanding of characters and canon that make the pairings work.


• Best Rare Male Slash Author
  For authors who write multiple rare male slash pairings, and has the understanding of characters and canon that make the pairings work.


• Best Rare Het Author
  For authors who write multiple rare het pairings, and has the understanding of characters and canon that make the pairings work.


• Best Overall Rare Pairs Author
  For authors who write multiple rare pairings in more than one type of pairing – male slash, femslash and het – and has the understanding of characters and canon that make the pairings work.