When People Giggle at Your Name, or the 2025 Hugo Awards Incident
2 days ago
- #Hugo Awards
- #Names
- #Cultural Sensitivity
- The 2025 Hugo Awards ceremony at Worldcon in Seattle was marred by repeated mispronunciations of non-English names by the hosts, including giggling at an African name.
- A nominee, Kamilah Cole, was skipped entirely during the ceremony, highlighting a lack of preparation and respect for the nominees.
- The hosts admitted to not having a pronunciation guide, despite the importance of correctly announcing the names of finalists and winners.
- The incident reflects broader issues of cultural insensitivity and microaggressions, especially towards individuals with non-Western names.
- The author shares personal experiences of name mispronunciation and the emotional impact it has, emphasizing the importance of names as a fundamental aspect of identity.
- The essay critiques the incompetence of the ceremony's planners and calls for basic competency and respect in future events.
- Despite the gravity of global issues, the author argues that respecting individuals' names is a basic human decency that should not be overlooked.
- The author hopes for a future where awards ceremonies treat all nominees with dignity, regardless of their name's origin or pronunciation.