The award originally included only a category for novels. A category for artists was added in 1979 and for short works in 1980. A category for younger readers was added in 2021. The artists category became artwork in 1986, and a category for related non-fiction was added in 2002. A number of new awards were created in 2023. A media category was awarded for 1978 to 1991. The ceremonies are named after the year that the eligible works were published, despite the awards being given out in the next year. The current standard award categories are: •
BSFA Award for Best Novel (from 1969) •
BSFA Award for Best Shorter Fiction (from 2023) •
BSFA Award for Best Short Fiction (from 1980) •
BSFA Award for Best Collection (from 2023) •
BSFA Award for Best Fiction for Younger Readers (from 2021) •
BSFA Award for Best Translated Short Fiction (from 2023) •
BSFA Award for Best Artwork (from 1979) •
BSFA Award for Best Original Audio Fiction (from 2023) •
BSFA Award for Best Long Non-Fiction (from 2001) •
BSFA Award for Best Short Non-Fiction (from 2023) Previous categories: •
BSFA Award for Best Media (1978 to 1991) ==BSFA Award winners==