The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award, often called the Rondo Award, is an annual award founded in 2002 that honors journalism, scholarship and film preservation in the horror genre,[1][2] particularly of classic horror film and their modern-day counterparts.
Named in honor of actor Rondo Hatton, it originated at the Classic Horror Film Board and subsequently moved to a dedicated website. Nominees are chosen by a committee that takes suggestions on the website, with the awards selected via an open vote by generally thousands of participants. The Rondo Award was created by journalist David Colton and artist/illustrator Kerry Gammill,[3] and since its inception has been coordinated by Colton, who serves as their presenter annually at the fantasy/horror convention WonderFest.
History
The Rondo Awards began in 2002, after members of the online Classic Horror Film Board, moderated by journalist David Colton, became aware of a growing body of under-recognized journalism covering the horror genre.[2] The awards took their name from the character actor Rondo Hatton, a cult-classic figure in low-budget horror films. Noted comic book artist and illustrator Kerry Gammill designed the sculpt for the award, a bust of Hatton's character from the movie House of Horrors (1946).[4]
Comic book artist and illustrator Kerry Gammill designed the sculpt for the award, a bust of Hatton's character from the movie House of Horrors (1946).[4]
The initial year attracted 168 voters. The following year brought 600, and the third year 2,000. As of 2018, the number of voters is generally between 3,000 and 3,700.[5][self-published source?] Co-founder Colton presents the awards annually at the fantasy/horror convention WonderFest.[6][7]
As Colton describes, "We don't have Best Actor, we don't have Best Actress, we don't even have Best Director. It's more about the magazines and the books and the independent films and the documentaries.... It's a little highbrow in that way."[8]
Significance
Entertainment Weekly likened The Rondo Award to a "horror Oscar".[9] The Award is a "coveted" prize in the horror community.[10] One PBS station wrote,
Every year, as the Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award spotlights shine on the brightest in their respective fields, the Rondo Awards honor achievements in the darker corners of entertainment, the world of classic horror movies. People working for monster magazines, spooky DVD releases and scary movie soundtracks are the types who win the internationally-known Rondo Award.[11]
Horror magazines and websites, including Dread Central, regularly report on the nominations and awards lists.[12]
In their second year, the Rondo Classic Horror Film Awards created the Monster Kid Hall of Fame, with four to nine, but generally six, living or dead inductees. Also created was another honorary award, Monster Kid of the Year, given to individuals with some important achievement in the field that year.
Writer, film critic, TV host and actor John Irving Bloom a.k.a. Joe Bob Briggs. Honorable mention to sidekick Diana Prince a.k.a. Darcy the Mail Girl. Briggs had been named 2018 Monster Kid of the Year.
Monster Kid of the Year: Documentarian Antonia Carlotta[40]
^"2023 Rondo Awards". Retrieved June 1, 2024. WonderFest. 2023. "Join the Monster of Ceremonies David Colton handing out of the coveted acromegaliacs!"
^Dillon, Cell, Patricia L. Norman and Butsakorn Bunditdumrongkool, Cell (2020). "Edgar Allan Poe and his influence on modern horror movies". Psychology and Education Journal. Vol. 57, no. 9. pp. 1247–1251. ISSN1553-6939. Retrieved July 21, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) "The movie [The Raven (2012)] was nominated for 5 awards [including the] Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards...." (Downloadable PDF)