Dengeki Novel Prize

The Dengeki Novel Prize (電撃小説大賞, Dengeki Shōsetsu Taishō) is a literary award handed out annually (since 1994) by the Japanese publisher ASCII Media Works (formerly MediaWorks) for their Dengeki Bunko light novel imprint. The contest has discovered many popular and successful light novelists, like Kouhei Kadono and Yashichiro Takahashi. Originally called the Dengeki Game Novel Prize, the name was changed in 2003. The main Dengeki Novel Prize awards consist of the Grand Prize (¥3 million), Gold Prize (¥1 million) and Silver Prize (¥500,000). In addition to the money received, the winning novelists get their work published under Dengeki Bunko with the addition of an artist for the illustrated aspects of the light novels. However, if an entry is awarded the Media Works Bunko Prize, the winning novel will be published under ASCII Media Works' Media Works Bunko imprint, along with the author winning ¥1 million.^[1] Often, the name of the novel series is changed from what it was originally titled when it won the prize. There are over 5,000 submissions annually since 2011, and it is considered the largest prize for light novels.^[2]

Committee members

Hitoshi Yasuda: Novelist, translator
Mishio Fukazawa: Novelist
Kyōichirō Takahata: Novelist
Tatsuo Satō: The former board chairman of MediaWorks
Kazutomo Suzuki: The managing editor of Dengeki Bunko

Prizes

Prizes	Awards (1994–2012)	Awards (2013 on)
Grand Prize^[A]	¥1 million	¥3 million
Gold Prize^[A]	¥500,000	¥1 million
Silver Prize^[A]	¥300,000	¥500,000
Media Works Bunko Prize^[D]	¥500,000	¥1 million
Dengeki Bunko Magazine Prize^[C]	¥200,000	¥300,000
Honorable Mention^[B]	¥50,000

Prize winners

1994–2007

#	Year	Participants	Grand Prize	Gold Prize	Silver Prize
01	1994	656	Gorei Tōshi Ōki Den Gorei Tōshi Genrin! Hiroyuki Domon	Criss Cross: Konton no Maoh Kyoichiro Takahata	Bōken Phoniness Amurafi - Kaijin Doramu no Hiho Yuji Nakasato
01	1994	656	Gorei Tōshi Ōki Den Gorei Tōshi Genrin! Hiroyuki Domon	Criss Cross: Konton no Maoh Kyoichiro Takahata	Kumo Yuki Ayashi, Ame ni Naran ya Ryosuke Tsubota
02	1995	566	Blackrod Hideyuki Furuhashi	Not awarded	Yamai wa Chikara: Special Man Naohiro Narishige
02	1995	566	Blackrod Hideyuki Furuhashi	Not awarded	Koseki Gakari no Yūutsu Ari Kayamoto
03	1996	953	Not awarded	Panzer Polis 1935 Minoru Kawakami	Horogram Seed Ayato Miyabi
03	1996	953	Not awarded	Naniwa Sōsinki Jiro Kurifu	Dark Eyes Saya Amo
04	1997	869	Boogiepop^[3] Kouhei Kadono	Nekome Gari Tsumugu Hashimoto	Boku no Chi o Suwanaide Taro Achi
05	1998	996	Grand Prize	Gold Prize	Silver Prize	Honorable Mention
			Not awarded	Gakuen Bugeicho 'Tsuki ni Waraku' Nobutaka Shirai	Called Gehenna Gakuto Mikumo	Tsuki to Anata ni Hanataba o Kazuya Shimura
			Not awarded	Gakuen Bugeicho 'Tsuki ni Waraku' Nobutaka Shirai	Called Gehenna Gakuto Mikumo	Gimmick Heart Jun Nanami
06	1999	1,326	Ringtail Kachi Ikusa no Kimi Muku Maruyama	Double Breed Erika Nakamura	Wakagusa Yakyubu Kyosokyoku Submarine Girl Ginga Isshiki	Not awarded
07	2000	1,469	Not awarded	Tengoku ni Namida wa Iranai Kei Sato	Wizard's Brain Reiichi Saegusa	Ōdo Rakuga Akihiko Odo
07	2000	1,469	Not awarded	Onmyo no Miyako Soichiro Watase	Wizard's Brain Reiichi Saegusa	Tenken Ohki Miwa Choshiro
08	2001	1,647	Daito Fūnki: Rakuyo no Shōjo Tosei Tamura	Not awarded	Akuma no Mikata Hisamitsu Ueo	A/B Extreme CASE-314 Emperor Yashichiro Takahashi
08	2001	1,647	Daito Fūnki: Rakuyo no Shōjo Tosei Tamura	Not awarded	Infinity Zero: Fuyu~white snow Mamizu Arisawa	Kyuketsuki no Oshigoto: The Style of Vampires Suzu Suzuki
09	2002	2,080	Kiri: Shishatachi wa Koya ni Nemuru Yukako Kabei	Nanahime Monogatari Wataru Takano	Not awarded	Sharp Edge - stand on the edge Shinichi Sakairi
09	2002	2,080	Kiri: Shishatachi wa Koya ni Nemuru Yukako Kabei	Baccano!: The Rolling Bootlegs Ryohgo Narita	Not awarded	Sylph Night Junichi Kamino
10	2003	2,015	Shio no Machi: Wish on My Precious Hiro Arikawa	Wagaya no Oinari-sama. Jin Shibamura	Senpai to Boku Masashi Okita	Kekkaishi no Fugue Hazuki Minase
10	2003	2,015	Shio no Machi: Wish on My Precious Hiro Arikawa	Wagaya no Oinari-sama. Jin Shibamura	Senpai to Boku Masashi Okita	Shupuru no Ohanashi: Grandpa's Treasure Box Aki Amamiya
11	2004	2,603	Ruka: Rakuen no Torawarebitotachi Hirotaka Nanae	Hikari no Machi: nerim's note Masashi Hasegawa	Kiseki no Hyogen Mitsutaka Yuki	Serious Rage Toshiyuki Shirakawa
12	2005	3,022	Orusu Banshee Masatake Ogawa	Kanashimi Chimera Rei Rairaku	Spice and Wolf Isuna Hasekura	Tenshi no Recipe Makura Otogi
12	2005	3,022	Orusu Banshee Masatake Ogawa	Kanashimi Chimera Rei Rairaku	Hime no Miko Hikaru Sugii	Tenshi no Recipe Makura Otogi
13	2006	2,931	Mimizuku to Yoru no Ō Izuki Kogyoku	Sekai Heiwa wa Ikka Danran no Ato ni Kazuya Hashimoto	Natsuki Fullswing: Ketsubatto Onna Warau Natsuki, Hideto Kido	Not awarded
13	2006	2,931	Mimizuku to Yoru no Ō Izuki Kogyoku	Tobira no Soto Shinjirō Dobashi		Not awarded
14	2007	2,943	Hōkago Hyakumonogatari Hirokazu Minemori	Kimi no Tame no Monogatari Marehito Mikagami	Ikai Nostalgia Kazuaki Sena	Hazakura ga Kita Natsu Kōji Natsumi
14	2007	2,943	Hōkago Hyakumonogatari Hirokazu Minemori	Kimi no Tame no Monogatari Marehito Mikagami	Oshikake Ragnarok Hyōsuke Takatō	Hazakura ga Kita Natsu Kōji Natsumi

2008–2021

#	Year	Participants	Grand Prize	Gold Prize	Silver Prize		Dengeki Bunko Magazine Prize	Honorable Mention
15	2008	3,541	Accel World Reki Kawahara	Parallel Lovers Tōka Shigatsu	Tokyo Vampire Finance Junjō Shindō		Gankyū Kitan Tomo Takaha	Kataribe Jinei Kōzaburō Yamaguchi
15	2008	3,541	Accel World Reki Kawahara	Parallel Lovers Tōka Shigatsu	Ro-Kyu-Bu! Sagu Aoyama		Sukima Onna (Habahiro) Hideto Maruyama	Kataribe Jinei Kōzaburō Yamaguchi
#	Year	Total Number of Participants	Grand Prize	Gold Prize	Silver Prize	Media Works Bunko Prize	Dengeki Bunko Magazine Prize	Honorable Mention
16	2009	4,602	Bakumatsu Mahoushi -Mage Revolution- Tanabe Souji	Vandal Garougai no Kiseki Minagawa Mamoru	Goshujin-san & Maid-sama Enokizu Mudai	(Ei) Amrita Nozaki Mado	Seiren Sangokushi Nana Shuuniko	Natsukoi Shigure (Aozora Shigure) Ayasaki Shun
16	2009	4,602	Bakumatsu Mahoushi -Mage Revolution- Tanabe Souji	Vandal Garougai no Kiseki Minagawa Mamoru	Goshujin-san & Maid-sama Enokizu Mudai	Taiyou no Akubi Arima Kaoru	Seiren Sangokushi Nana Shuuniko	Sora no Kanata Hishida Manabi
17	2010	4,842	Shirokuro Necro Taube Sadato	Seishun Lariat!! SemigawaT akamaru	Hataraku Maou-sama! (originally Maoujou wa Rokujou Hitoma!; The Devil Is a Part-Timer! in English) Wagahara Satoshi	Gyogan Lens Natsu Asaba	See-through!? Ifusei Amou	Not awarded
				Idolizing! Hirosawa Sakaki	Anti-literal no Suugaku Uzuki Yagi	Ocharake! Kuchibaya
				Idolizing! Hirosawa Sakaki	Anti-literal no Suugaku Uzuki Yagi	Ten'i no Nyōbō Mutsue Nakamachi
18	2011	5,293	Escape Speed Nozomu Kuoka	Anata no Machi no Toshi Denki! Shibai Kineko	Wizard & Warrior With Money Ghost Mikawa	Shinryaku Kyōshi Seijin UMA Edward Smith	Ashita kara Orera ga Yatte Kita Rin Takaki	Minutes: Ichi Bunkan de Sekai o Horobosu Hōhō ni Tsuite Yomoji Kiono
18	2011	5,293	Escape Speed Nozomu Kuoka	Anata no Machi no Toshi Denki! Shibai Kineko	Yūsha ni wa Katenai Shirō Kuta	Yamabiko no Iru Mado Nariko Narita	Ashita kara Orera ga Yatte Kita Rin Takaki
19	2012	6,078	Kijikakushi no Niwa Mina Sakurai	Ashita, Boku wa Shinu. Kimi wa Ikikaeru. Maru Fuji	Tokyo Soul Withers Nekotarō Aizen	Tamayura Toori Rinshitsu Yokochō Kana Hyōgu Ten Naoki Gyōda	Shitsuren Tantei Hyakuse Saginomiya Misaki	Summer Lancer Natsuki Amasawa
19	2012	6,078	Hello, Mr. Magnum Matsuri Akaneya	Eco to Tōru to Bukatsu no Jikan Kokkuri Yanagida	Tokyo Soul Withers Nekotarō Aizen		Shitsuren Tantei Hyakuse Saginomiya Misaki	Summer Lancer Natsuki Amasawa
20	2013	6,554	Zero kara Hajimeru Mahō no Sho Kakeru Kobashiri	In ga Orinasu Shōkan Mahō Kimidori	Ōte Keika Tori! Yūichi Aoba	World of Words: Kami wa Sekai o Kijutsu Suru Minato Jūsan	Kyūshoku Sōdatsusen Azumi	Mizuki Shigeko-san to Musubaremashita Masaru Masaka
20	2013	6,554	Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens Saki Kizaki	San-nen B-gumi Nakazaki-kun (kari) Hiroshi Ogawa	Hōkago Waisetsu Kurabu Keishun Akizaka	World of Words: Kami wa Sekai o Kijutsu Suru Minato Jūsan	Kyūshoku Sōdatsusen Azumi	Mizuki Shigeko-san to Musubaremashita Masaru Masaka
21	2014	n/a	Hitotsu Umi no Pallas Athena Hatomi Suta	Unmei ni Aisarete Gomennasai Uwami Kuruma	Retrica Chronicle: Usotsuki wajutsushi to kitsune no shisho Mori Hyuganatsu	Chotto ima kara shigoto yamete kuru Emi Kitagawa	Barrier Cracker Kyousuke Seki	none
21	2014	n/a	φ no Houseki -Hakuyudou maseki kitan- Shusuke Nitta	Unmei ni Aisarete Gomennasai Uwami Kuruma	Manga no Kamisama Kazuyuki Sono Ideologue! Juzo Shiita	Chotto ima kara shigoto yamete kuru Emi Kitagawa	Barrier Cracker Kyousuke Seki	none
22	2015	n/a	Tada, Soredake de Yokatta ndesu Ryoya Matsumura	Valhalla no Bangohan -Inoshishi to dragon no kushi ryori- Kazutoshi Mikagami	Retrica Chronicle: Usotsuki wajutsushi to kitsune no shisho	Chocolate Confusion Hoshisona Natsume	Oretachi! Kiyupikyupi Q pits!! Souta Nadasou	none
22	2015	n/a	Tokyo Shitamachi Gold Crash Kakuno Makoto	ORESUKI: Are You The Only One Who Loves Me? Rakuda	Koisuru SP busho-kei danshi no mamori kata Asami Yuzuki	Chocolate Confusion Hoshisona Natsume	Oretachi! Kiyupikyupi Q pits!! Souta Nadasou	none
23	2016	n/a	86 -eighty six- Asato Asato	Tobakushi wa Inoranai Sutou Ren	KiraPri Oji-san to Youjo-senpai Iwasawa Ai	Kinema Tantei Kaleido Mystery Shasendou Yuuki	none	Olympus no Yuubin Post Ashino Tamao
23	2016	n/a	Kimi wa Tsukiyo ni Hikarikagayaku Sano Tetsuya	Tobakushi wa Inoranai Sutou Ren	Meiji Ayakashi Shinbun: Taida na Kisha no Urakagyou Satomi Sakura	Kinema Tantei Kaleido Mystery Shasendou Yuuki	none	Hikikomori no Otouto datta Ashifune Natsu
24	2017	5,088	Tata no Mahoutsukai Wooper	Hello, Hello and Hello Hazuki Fumi	Sabikui Bisco Kobukubo Shinji	Yoshiwara Hyakka Hitokuchi no Yume Enaka Minori	none	Nidaime Soufuutei Haraku-gatari (Hanashi-ka Monogatari ~Asakusa wa Kyou mo Nigiyaka desu~) Basuko (Murase Ken)
24	2017	5,088	Garakuta no Ou (Kono Sora no Ue de, Itsumademo Kimi wo Matteiru) Kogarashi Rinne	Sekai no Hate no Random Walker Saijou You	Sabikui Bisco Kobukubo Shinji	Yoshiwara Hyakka Hitokuchi no Yume Enaka Minori	none
25	2018	4,843	none	Tsurugi no Kanata Shibuya Mizuya	Rebellio Machina -"Hakudanshiki" Minazuki no Saikidou- (originally Minazuki no Memory) Misaki Nagi	Fushigi-sou de Yuushoku wo ~Yuurei, Tokidoki Curry Rice~ (originally Dormitory de Yuushoku wo) Muratani Yukari	Oritsuru-hime no Keisan Shigen Kida Samurou	Au Hi, Hana Saku. Aomino Hai
					Kagami no Mukou no Saihate Toshokan: Hikari no Yuusha to Itsuwari no Maou (originally Sekai no Hate de Hajimari wo) Fuyutsuki Irori	Hametsu no Keishisha Fukui Ken		Donkan Shujinkou ni Narenai Ore no Seishun Naruse Yui
						Hametsu no Keishisha Fukui Ken		Mad Bullet Underground (originally Silver Bullet) Nomiya Yuu
26	2019	4,607	Seiyū Radio no Ura Omote Kō Nigatsu	Heat the Pig Liver Takuma Sakai	Shōjo Negau ni, Kono Sekai wa Kowasubeki ~Tōgenkyō Hōraku~ (originally Shakka Ryōkyō) Kozo Kobayashi	Kokoro wa Kimi o Kakukara (originally Kon'ya, Sekai kara Kono Koi ga Kiete mo)	none	Soshite, Igai ga Inanaku -Shisha-tachi no Tegami- (originally Soshite, Igai ga Inanaku)
26	2019	4,607	Seiyū Radio no Ura Omote Kō Nigatsu	Heat the Pig Liver Takuma Sakai	Kowareta Sekai no Mukouga wa ~Shōjo-tachi no Disutopia Seizonjutsu~ (originally Tengoku no Rajio)		none	Ōbāraito - Burisutoru no Gōsuto (originally Gurafiti Tantei - Burisutoru no Gōsuto)
27	2020	4,355	Your Forma Mareho Kikuishi	Guild no Uketsukejō desu ga, Zangyō wa Iya nanode Boss wo Solo Tōbatsu Shiyō to Omoimasu (Uketsuke Jōdesuga, Teiji de Kaeritainode Bosu o Soro Tōbatsu Shiyō to Omoimasu) Mato Kousaka	Bōkyaku no Rakuen Arusenon Kakusei (originally Out Of The Woods) Taki Tsuchiya	Kimi to, Nemuranai Mama Yume o Miru (originally Sorekara ore wa Kakkoī Baiku o Katta)	none	Bokura ga Shinigami ni Inoru hi (originally Mōngāta no Sasayaki ~Ichigo to Sakasa Jūjika~)
27	2020	4,355	Your Forma Mareho Kikuishi		Influence Incident Kei Shunme	Boku to Ita Natsu o, Kimi ga Wasurenai yō ni. (originally Hajimete no Natsu, Ningyo ni Sasageru Kyanbasu)	none
28	2021	4,411	Himekishi-sama no Himo Tōru Shirogane	Kono △ Rabukome wa Shiawase ni Naru Gimu ga Aru. (originally Yuri Shōjo wa Shiawase ni Naru Gimu ga Arimasu)	Mimicry Girls (originally Tokkō Yarō L Team) Hitaki	Kimi wa Yuki o Miru Koto ga Dekinai	none	Tonari no Seki no Yuki Moto-san ga i Sekai de Ōsama Yatterurashī.
				End of Arcadia Aoi Yūto	Ryūgoroshi no Brunhild Yuiko Agarizaki			Amalgam Hound Sōsa-kyoku Keiji-bu Tokusō Han (originally Amalgam Hound) Midori Komai
				End of Arcadia Aoi Yūto	Ryūgoroshi no Brunhild Yuiko Agarizaki			Yomosugara Seishun Hanashi Shi

2022–present

#	Year	Total Number of Participants	Grand Prize	Gold Prize	Silver Prize	Media Works Bunko Prize	Dengeki Bunko Magazine Prize	Honorable Mention
29	2022	4,128	Replica Datte, Koi wo Suru. (originally Doppelgänger wa koi o suru) Harunadon	Miri wa Neko no Hitomi no Naka ni Sundeiru Shiki Taiga	Kuse Tsuyo i Shuzoku de Gyōretsu ga Dekiru Kekkonsōdansho ~Kanban Neko Musume wa Kawaī dake ja Tsutomaranai~ (originally Marīhausu ni Yōkoso ~Fantajī Sekai no Kekkonsōdansho~)	Sayonara, dare ni mo Aisa Renakatta-sha-tachi e (originally Sai no Kawara Kabushiki Gaisha)	none	Kimi ga Shinitakatta hi ni, Boku wa Kimi o kau koto ni Shita (originally Tōka Shikisai no Saika)
29	2022	4,128		Yūsha Shōkōgun Rei Ayatsuki			none

Notes

^A The Grand, Gold, and Silver Prizes were originally the only three prizes offered for the first four rounds between 1994 and 1997.
^B Honorable mentions were added with the fifth round in 1998 and were originally called the "Special Prize". In the seventh round in 2000, the prize was renamed as "Honorable Mention".
^C The Dengeki Bunko Magazine Prize was added with the fifteenth round in 2008.
^D The Media Works Bunko Prize was added with the sixteenth round in 2009.

References

^ メディアワークス文庫 [Media Works Bunko] (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
^ "The Dengeki Novel Prize's official website" (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
^ "Seven Seas Licenses Boogiepop". Mania.com. 2005-10-31. Archived from the original on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2009-12-07.

External links

The Dengeki Novel Prize's official website (in Japanese)

[1] メディアワークス文庫 [Media Works Bunko] (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. Retrieved December 6, 2009.

[Dengeki_Prize-2] "The Dengeki Novel Prize's official website" (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. Retrieved 2013-08-31.

[3] "Seven Seas Licenses Boogiepop". Mania.com. 2005-10-31. Archived from the original on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2009-12-07.

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