Who was the first winner of Nebula award? The first winner of Nebula award for best novel was Frank Herbert’s Dune, but other awards were offered that year. The ceremony started in 1965 and was presented simultaneously in the east at Overseas Press Club in New York, New York on March 11, 1966 and in the west at McHenry’s Tail O’ the Cock in Beverly Hills. The other awards? The first winner of Nebula award for best novella went to “The Saliva Tree” by Brian W. Aldiss. Best novelette went to “The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth” by Roger Zelazny. And the first winner of Nebula award for best short story went to “Repent, Harlequin! Said the Tockman” by Harlan Ellison.

For user experience purposes, here’s the full list of nominations from SFWA that year:

1965 Nebula Award Winners

Presented at:

East – Overseas Press Club, New York, New York on March 11, 1966
West – McHenry’s Tail O’ the Cock in Beverly Hills, California on March 11, 1966

Best Novel

• The Star Fox by Poul Anderson, published by Doubleday
• Nova Express by William S. Burroughs, published by Grove Press
• Rogue Dragon by Avram Davidson, published by Ace
• Dr. Bloodmoney by Phillip K. Dick, published by Ace
• The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Phillip K. Dick, published by Doubleday
• The Genocides by Thomas M. Disch, published by Berkley
• The Ship That Sailed the Time Stream by G.C. Edmondson, published by Ace
•  Winner: Dune by Frank Herbert, published by Chilton Company
• A Plague of Demons by Keith Laumer, published by Berkley
• All Flesh is Grass by Clifford D. Simak, published by Doubleday
• The Clone by Theodore L. Thomas and Kate Wilhelm, published by Berkley
• The Escape Orbit by James White, published by Ace

Best Novella

•  Winner: “The Saliva Tree” by Brian W. Aldiss, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “Rogue Dragon” by Avram Davidson, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “The Mercurymen” by C. C. MacApp, published by Galaxy Science Fiction
• “Under Two Moons” by Frederik Pohl, published by If
• “The Ballad of Beta-2” by Samuel R. Delany, published by Ace
• “On the Storm Planet” by Cordwainer Smith, published by Galaxy Science Fiction
• “Research Alpha” by A. E. van Vogt and James H. Schmitz, published by If
•  Winner: “He Who Shapes” by Roger Zelazny, published by Amazing Stories

Best Novelette

• “The Shipwrecked Hotel” by James Blish and Norman L. Knight, published by Galaxy Science Fiction
• “Vanishing Point” by Jonathan Brand, published by If
• “102 H-Bombs” by Thomas M. Disch, published by Fantastic
• “Half a Loaf” by R. C. Fitzpatrick, published by Analog
• “The Decision Makers” by Joseph Green, published by Galaxy Science Fiction
• “Planet of Forgetting” by James H. Schmitz, published by Galaxy Science Fiction
• “Goblin Night” by James H. Schmitz, published by Analog
• “Laugh Along with Franz” by Norman Kagan, published by Galaxy Science Fiction
• “The Earth Merchants” by Norman Kagan, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “At the Institute” by Norman Kagan, published by Worlds of Tomorrow
• “The Life of Your Time” by Michael Karageorge, published by Analog
• “Four Ghosts in Hamlet” by Fritz Leiber, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “The Adventure of the Extraterrestrial” by Mack Reynolds, published by Analog
• “Small One” by E. Clayton McCarty, published by If
• “Masque of the Red Shift” by Fred Saberhagen, published by If
• “Maiden Voyage” by J. W. Schutz, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “Shall We Have a Little Talk?” by Robert Sheckley, published by Galaxy Science Fiction
• “The Masculinist Revolt” by William Tenn, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
•  Winner: “The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth” by Roger Zelazny, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

Best Short Story

• “Better Than Ever” by Alex Kirs, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “The House the Blakeneys Built” by Avram Davidson, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “Come to Venus Melancholy” by Thomas M. Disch, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “Game” by Donald Barthelme, published by Playboy
• “A Better Mousehole” by Edgar Pangborn, published by Galaxy Science Fiction
•  Winner: “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” by Harlan Ellison, published by Galaxy Science Fiction
• “Computers Don’t Argue” by Gordon R. Dickson, published by Analog
• “Inside Man” by H. L. Gold, published by Galaxy Science Fiction
• “Souvenir” by J. G. Ballard, published by Playboy
• “Of One Mind” by James A. Durham, published by If
• “Balanced Ecology” by James H. Schmitz, published by Analog
• “Lord Moon” by Jane Beauclerk, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “A Few Kindred Spirits” by John Christopher, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “Becalmed in Hell” by Larry Niven, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “Wrong-Way Street” by Larry Niven, published by Galaxy Science Fiction
• “Uncollected Works” by Lin Carter, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “A Leader for Yesteryear” by Mack Reynolds, published by If
• “In Our Block” by R. A. Lafferty, published by If
• “Slow Tuesday Night” by R. A. Lafferty, published by Galaxy Science Fiction
• “The Mischief Maker” by Richard Olin, published by Analog
• “The Eight Billion” by Richard McKenna, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “Keep Them Happy” by Robert Rohrer, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “Calling Dr. Clockwork” by Ron Goulart, published by Amazing Stories
• “Though a Sparrow Fall” by Scott Nichols, published by Analog
• “Over the River and Through the Woods” by Clifford D. Simak, published by Amazing Stories
• “The Peacock King” by Ted White and Larry McCombs, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
• “Devil Car” by Roger Zelazny, published by Galaxy Science Fiction