Michael Kerpan had in his possession two audio cassettes containing a full recording of Suncon’s 1977 Hugo Awards banquet and ceremony.
He’s digitized one of the tapes and has made it available for everyone’s listening pleasure. The other tape is undergoing repair and will receive the same treatment.
The recording was made by Deborah King and features a young Robert Silverberg, that year’s awards Toastmaster.
I personally managed that Hugo Awards banquet and was present throughout, though most of my time was spent running around making sure everything that was supposed to happen actually did happen, mostly the way it was supposed to. I do remember we had some technical difficulties with the slide show (and a few mix-ups in table assignments), so it was a pleasure to be reminded of things I probably missed, and of things I remember now as a result of this reminder.
I think the highlight of the tape is the audience response (and remember, the audience is also the voting pool for the awards) to the announcement that NO AWARD was the winner of the Best Dramatic Presentation category – which featured works produced in 1976, including –
Carrie
Futureworld
Logan’s Run
The Man Who Fell to Earth
Today there seems to be a fairly large contingent that seems to think that Logan’s Run was actually a pretty good film; back then it was roundly panned and, dipping into memory, I’m pretty sure that I recall that No Award was largely a vote against that particular film.
I’ve not been at every Hugo Award presentation ceremony, but I do think that the standing ovation for No Award at Suncon was perhaps the loudest and longest in award history.
Courtesy of fannish sharing, you can now listen and judge for yourselves.
Hugo Awards Ceremony, Suncon, 1977.
