The Third Annual ‘Star Trek’ Salamander Awards — Dragon Con 2024
Dragon Con 2024 has officially concluded and the third annual Star Trek Salamander Awards are now a part of history.
The Salamander Awards, part of the many Star Trek offerings of Dragon Con’s Trek Track, is a celebration of Trek’s best of the worst of the Star Trek franchise. This includes episodes or films that are so bad that they are fun to watch. Think, “Spock’s Brain” from Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) or “Fascination” from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9). In fact, the name ‘Salamander Awards’ is derived from Star Trek: Voyager’s infamous “Threshold,” an episode where two characters transform into salamanders after going really, really fast in a spaceship.
The Salamander Awards are a picture of democracy. A run of sixteen episodes are chosen, via public participation online, before Dragon Con officially starts (think of this phase as the primaries!). In-person voting on those selected sixteen episodes begins at the Con, with passionate Trek fans defending or deriding episodes based on the merit of those stories. Candidates (or, Salamandidates, actually!) are paired up, round after round, with votes being tallied until a clear winner is crowned.
Some fans can get lovingly pedantic — it is a wonderful thing to see! This year, one fan even uttered the phrase, “well, actually, ‘Threshold’ is good because…” (it is tough playing defense, right?). In the very first Salamander Awards, in 2022, “Sub Rosa” of Star Trek: The Next Generation took the prize. In the second Salamander Awards, last year in 2023, “Spock’s Brain” of Star Trek: The Original Series was declared the best of the worst.
And this year’s winner? None other than the namesake episode itself, Star Trek: Voyager’s “Threshold”! Badda-bing, badda-boom!
The raucous, contentious Salamander Awards were not without a little controversy this year. One of the selected sixteen episodes suggested was Star Trek: Strange New World’s “Subspace Rhapsody,” an outright musical that breaks with the dramatic gravitas of Trek’s traditional science fiction premise. “Subspace Rhapsody” is an episode that has left the fandom quite divided. Indeed, there was not a single cold opinion in the room over the matter at this year’s Salamander Awards. Some felt that it didn’t deserve to even be nominated.
As per usual, this kind of affair would not be possible without the attention and efforts of some key Trek Track people. The king salamander, himself, Nick Wright, ran the show. Sue Kisenwether of Women At Warp, author R Alan Siler, and Kyle Mackenzie Sullivan (its me!) filled out the panel and assisted in acting out teaser promos for several of the episodes (Sue even played the kazoo!). Steven Johnson, of course, was our votemaster and the one who kept us all honest. And, we must thank Leo Visentin and Garrett Wang, proprietors of the Trek track for all they do in allowing us to be our true, goofy, salamander selves.
The third annual Salamander Awards was a fantastic affair. If you weren’t there, then you certainly missed out. But worry not! We shall surely endeavor to keep this new tradition going next year at Dragon Con 2025. Come down and see us and help us practice the art of democracy.
If you’d like to know more about Dragon Con or the Trek Track, follow the embedded links and plug in. We will see you next year =)
