This press release just came in, hot off the ether:

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Horror Writers Association celebrates 2008 Stoker winners

At long last, the anticipation is over. The Horror Writers Association has announced the winners of the 2008 Bram Stoker Awards at its annual Stoker Banquet held tonight as part of the Stoker Awards Weekend held in Burbank, California.  Nine new bronze haunted-house statuettes were handed over to the writers responsible for creating superior works of horror last year. This year’s winners are:

Superior Achievement in a NOVEL

DUMA KEY by Stephen King (Scribner)

Superior Achievement in a FIRST NOVEL

THE GENTLING BOX by Lisa Mannetti (Dark Hart Press)

Superior Achievement in LONG FICTION

MIRANDA by John R. Little (Bad Moon Books)

Superior Achievement in SHORT FICTION

“The Lost” by Sarah Langan (Cemetery Dance chapbook)

Superior Achievement in an ANTHOLOGY

UNSPEAKABLE HORROR edited by Vince A. Liaguno and Chad Helder (Dark Scribe Press)

Superior Achievement in a COLLECTION

JUST AFTER SUNSET by Stephen King (Scribner)

Superior Achievement in NONFICTION

A HALLOWE’EN ANTHOLOGY by Lisa Morton (McFarland)

Superior Achievement in POETRY

THE NIGHTMARE COLLECTION by Bruce Boston (Dark Regions Press)

Works can be recommended by any member of the HWA. Members with Active status then vote works onto a preliminary ballot. From there the field is narrowed to the final ballot and Active members choose the winners from that. The award is named for Bram Stoker, best known as the author of Dracula. The trophy, which resembles a miniature haunted house, was designed by author Harlan Ellison and sculptor Steven Kirk.

HWA also presented its annual Lifetime Achievement Awards and its Specialty Press Award. F. Paul Wilson and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, who both received Lifetime Achievement Awards this year, were on hand to accept. The Specialty Press Award went to Larry Roberts of Bloodletting Press.  The Silver Hammer Award, for outstanding service to HWA, was voted by the organization’s board of trustees to Sephera Giron. The President’s Richard Laymon Service Award was given to John R. Little.

Lisa Morton, who organized this year’s event with John R. Little, commented on the location chosen for this year’s event: “It was nice to come home again to Burbank (where the event was held in 2005). It gave us a chance to emphasize more business and film opportunities for our members this year, and hopefully even gave a little extra glitz to the awards banquet.”

For more information, visit www.horror.org.

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Also see the complete final ballot on the HWA weblog, if you’re compiling your 0wn “best horror stories of the year” reading list.