George R.R. Martin Keeps Knighting Fans While The Winds of Winter Gathers Dust
With the Game of Thrones prequel looming, George R.R. Martin launches the #KnightChallenge to find real-life knights—get knighted by him and win a trip to the LA Fan Premiere of HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
HBO and George R.R. Martin are literally knighting fans to hype the new Game of Thrones prequel. Yes, really. If you know a real-life do-gooder who fits the Ser Duncan mold, this could be their moment to get tapped on the shoulder with a sword by the guy who created Westeros.
The #KnightChallenge, in plain English
Martin and HBO launched a fan contest built around A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The pitch: nominate a modern-day knight and, if you win, you both head to the LA Fan Premiere where Martin will actually knight your nominee on stage.
"Who knows? I might just knight them at our premiere."
- How to enter: Post a short TikTok using the hashtag #KnightChallenge, tagging the person you think deserves knighthood.
- What they are looking for: folks who embody honor, courage, valor, and self-sacrifice. Show receipts if you can — video of them in action helps.
- Prize: a trip to the LA Fan Premiere of HBO's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, where George R.R. Martin will do the knighting.
- Deadline: entries close at 12 PM ET on January 2, 2026.
- Eligibility: US residents only.
- Announcement timing: the push kicked off December 8, 2025 on the show's official channels.
Smart promo for a smaller-scale Westeros story
This is a clever way to get fans back in the saddle, especially since A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is intentionally smaller than Thrones. Showrunner Ira Parker has said the show is built on simplicity: no flashy leads, less palace scheming, and a focus on the lower rungs of Westerosi life. It is set apart from Thrones by design — fewer fireworks, more heart.
Not everyone is sold. Some Reddit threads are already side-eyeing the lack of dragons and White Walkers. But that is kind of the point here: Dunk and Egg is a grounded adventure, not a capital-D Dragons spectacle.
The Winds of Winter cloud that never quite moves
As you might expect, Martin's announcement also summoned the usual chorus of book-first fans asking him — some politely, some less so — to finish The Winds of Winter. He is 77 now and has repeatedly said his schedule and assorted commitments eat into writing time. For what it is worth, he insists he is still working on the book, with much of the grind coming from revising and rewriting chapters. There is no date, but he has hinted he hopes to share more updates in 2026.
If you are keeping score on the blowback: the replies ranged from a December 8 post by James Erdman telling him to finish the books, to a December 9 plea from artist UBIEBI begging for progress. The frustration is very real — and so is the show rolling toward premiere day.
What to know about the show
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms adapts Martin's 'Tales of Dunk and Egg' novellas, with Ira Parker running the show. It premieres January 18, 2026 on HBO. Different scale, same world — and if this contest works, a few real people walk away with a knighthood story for the rest of their lives.
Thinking about nominating someone for the #KnightChallenge? If they actually live the honor/courage/valor/self-sacrifice thing, you might as well shoot your shot.