The World Fantasy Awards have been presented annually at the World Fantasy Convention since 1975. The categories included: Best Novel, Best Anthology/Collection, Best Short Fiction, Best Artist, Lifetime Achievement, Special Awards and the Convention Awards. The Convention Awards, unlike the other category awards, were issued only for a few years:
- 1978 Glenn Lord
- 1979 Kirby McAuley
- 1980 Stephen King
- 1981 Gahan Wilson
- 1982 Joseph Payne Brennan and Roy Krenkel
- 1983 Arkham House
- 1984 Donald M. Grant
- 1985 Evangeline Walton
- 1986 Donald A. Wollheim
- 1987 Andre Norton
The trophy was designed by Gahan Wilson (US cartoonist, illustrator and writer).
Taken from The Encyclopedia of Fantasy by John Clute and John Grant, Orbit 1997.