The Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards (“the Auroras”) have been presented annually since 1980 with the exception of 1984. The name Aurora has been officially in use since 1991.

The primary function of Canvention is the presentation of the annual Canadian Science Fiction & Fantasy Association Awards (Prix AURORA Awards). The other function is to hold the annual CSFFA business meeting. Keycon 27 Canventions will be holding a Canvention Banquet at which this year’s Auroras will be presented.

When the Canadian SF and Fantasy Association was started up in 1980 there was only one award given out. Since 1991 awards have been presented in 10 categories. There are 6 professional awards (3 English and 3 French), 3 fan awards, and the artistic achievement award (open to both pros & fans).

The Aurora awards are closest to the style of the Hugo awards (which are presented by the SF Worldcon) in the method by which they are selected. First there is a nomination phase to select a short list. Then a voting phase to pick the winner from the short list using the Australian voting method (this method has the voter rank their choices in each category).

Each year a different convention or group has hosted the awards. The awards are financed by voting fees, by donations and by the host convention. There is no permanent funding.

On a per-capita basis, the Aurora Awards have the largest voter turnout of any national SF award in the world, exceeding that of the American-dominated Hugos, the Japanese Seiuns, the British Arthur C. Clarke Awards, and the Australian Ditmars.

Canadian fans are able to nominate and to vote on-line at this website. In addition, nominating and voting ballots will be distributed through Canadian SF specialty bookstores (such as Vancouver’s White Dwarf, Calgary’s Sentry Box. and Toronto’s Bakka-Phoenix); with subscription copies of Canadian SF magazines (including the English-language On Spec, Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine and the French-language Solaris…); to all members of various associations for SF writers and many flavours of SC & F Clubs and groups; and at over a dozen science-fiction conventions coast-to-coast. Any Canadian resident may nominate and vote for the best Canadian-authored works of Science Fiction and Fantasy published the preceding year in either of the official languages.