Crime Fiction Awards: The Best in Mysteries, Suspense Novels and Thrillers

List of Awards

Agatha

Anthony

Arthur Ellis

Audie

Barry

Benjamin Franklin

Best Books

Blóðdropinn

Bloody Scotland Crime Novel

Bloody Words

Bruce Alexander

CrimeFest

CWA Dagger

Danish Crime Novel

Daphne du Maurier

David

Davitt

Dilys

Edgar

EPIC

Falcon

Finnish Crime Novel

ForeWord

Friedrich Glauser

Glass Key

Grand Prix de Lit. Policière

Grant Allen

Gumshoe

Hammett

Harper Lee

Indie Lit

International Book

IPPY

Irish Book

John Spray

LA Times

Lambda

Lefty

Lovey

Macavity

National (UK)

National Indie

Ned Kelly

Nero

Next Generation

Ngaio Marsh

Petrona Award

Poloni Prize

Premier

Premio Azzeccagarbugli

Premio Fedeli

Prix Mystère

Quill

Reader Views

Reviewers' Choice

Riverton Prize

SCIBA

Shamus

SMM Crime Novel

SMM Private Eye

SMM Traditional

Spotted Owl

Strand Critics

Swedish Crime Novel

Theakstons

Thriller

Tony Hillerman

Whodunit

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Crime Fiction Awards

(formerly Mystery Book Awards)

There are many organizations that annually recognize outstanding writing in the field of mystery, suspense, thriller and crime fiction. Select the award from the list below for more information on the authors and titles that have won. (The date next to the award is the first year in which the prize was given out; an alphabetical list is in the left sidebar menu.)

 

The Edgar Awards (1946)

The Edgar Allan Poe Awards® (the "Edgars®) are awarded annually by the Mystery Writers of America to authors of distinguished work in various categories of the genre.

Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière (1948)

The Grand Prix de Littérature Policière is awarded annually to the best crime novel published in French and best international crime novel translated into French.

The CWA Dagger Awards (1955)

The Crime Writer Association (CWA) Dagger Awards are given annually to celebrate the very best in crime and thriller writing.

The Swedish Crime Novel Awards (1971)

The Swedish Crime Academy (Svenska Deckarakademin) annually recognizes the best crime fiction written in Swedish and translated into Swedish.

The Prix Mystère de la Critique (1972)

The Prix Mystère de la Critique is given each year to the best crime novel by a French author and the best foreign crime novel translated into French.

The Riverton Prize (1972)

The Riverton Prize is awarded annually by the Riverton Club to the best Norwegian work of literary crime published during the year.

The Nero Award (1979)

The "Nero" is an annual award presented to an author for literary excellence in the mystery genre. The award is presented at the Black Orchid Banquet, which is traditionally held on the first Saturday in December in New York City.

The Shamus Awards (1982)

The Shamus Award is given annually by the Private Eye Writers of America to honor excellent work in the Private Eye genre. Committee members of PWA select the winners.

The Falcon Award (1983)

The Falcon Award is awarded annually by the Maltese Falcon Society in Japan to honor the best hard-boiled mystery novel published in Japan.

The Arthur Ellis Awards (1984)

The Arthur Ellis Award, named after the nom de travail of Canada's official hangman, is an annual award that recognizes excellence in Canadian crime writing.

The Vuoden Johtolanka (Clue) Award (1985)

The Vuoden Johtolanka (Clue) Award is given annually to the best Finnish crime fiction novel by the Dekkariseura (Finnish Crime Society).

The Anthony Awards (1986)

The Anthony Awards are given at each annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention with the winners selected by attendees. The award is named for the late Anthony Boucher (William Anthony Parker White), well-known writer and critic from the New York Times, who helped found the Mystery Writers of America.

The Best Private Eye Novel Contest (1986)

The annual Best Private Eye Novel Contest is sponsored by the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) and St. Martin's Minotaur. The contest is open to any professional or non-professional writer who has never been the author of a published "private eye" novel (as defined by the contest sponsors).

The Danish Crime Novel Awards (1987)

The Danish Crime Academy gives out two major crime fiction awards: The Palle Rosenkrantz Award for Best Crime Novel published in Danish, and the Harald Mogensen Award for Best Thriller.

The Friedrich Glauser Prize (German Crime Novel) (1987)

The Friedrich Glauser Prize (Friedrich-Glauser-Preis, sometimes Friedrich-Glauser-Krimipreis) honors the best crime novel written in German.

The Macavity Awards (1987)

The Macavity Award is named for the "mystery cat" of T.S. Eliot (Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats). Each year the members of Mystery Readers International organization vote for their favorite mysteries in several categories.

The Agatha Awards (1988)

The Agatha Awards honor the traditional mystery — books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie — and are awarded annually by Malice Domestic, Ltd.

The Lambda Literary Awards (1988)

The Lambda Literary Awards are presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation in 24 categories (including gay men's mystery and lesbian mystery) are based principally on the quality of the writing and the LGBT content of the work.

The Best Traditional Mystery Contest (1990)

The annual Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Contest is sponsored by St. Martin's Minotaur. The contest is open to any professional or non-professional writer who has never been the author of a published traditional mystery novel (as defined by the contest sponsor).

The Benjamin Franklin Awards (1991)

The Independent Book Publishers Association recognizes excellence in independent publishing with the Benjamin Franklin Award. Awards are given in many categories, including Mystery/Suspense, for books published in the previous year.

The Hammett Prize (1991)

The North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers presents the Dashiell Hammett Award (the Hammett Prize) annually for literary excellence in the field of crime writing.

The Dilys Award (1992)

The Dilys Award has been given annually since 1992 by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association (IMBA) to the mystery titles of the year which the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling. The award is named in honor of Dilys Winn, the founder of Murder Ink (now sadly closed), the first specialty bookseller of mystery books in the United States.

The Glass Key Award (1992)

The Glass Key Award is given annually by the Skandinaviska Kriminalsällskapet (Crime Writers of Scandinavia) to the best crime novel written by a Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, or Swedish author.

The Lefty Awards (1996)

The Lefty Award is awarded annually at the Left Coast Crime convention honoring the best humorous mystery published during the previous year.

The Ned Kelly Awards (1996)

The Ned Kelly Award is awarded annually by the Crime Writers Association of Australia recognizing outstanding works in the field of crime fiction and non-fiction by Australian authors.

The Spotted Owl Awards (1996)

Friends of Mystery, a non-profit literary/educational organization headquartered in Portland, Oregon, gives an annual award, the Spotted Owl, for the best mystery by a Pacific Northwest author.

The Audies (1997)

The Audie Awards recognize distinction in audiobooks and spoken work entertainment, sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association (APA).

The Barry Awards (1997)

The Barry Award is an annual award presented by the editorial staff of Deadly Pleasures for the best works published in the field of crime fiction each year.

Il Premio Fedeli (Faithful Award) (1998)

Il Premio Fedeli (the Faithful Award) is given annually to the best Italian crime novel in which a policeman is the main character.

Poloni Prize (1998)

The Poloni Prize (Polonipriset) was given out from 1998 to 2001 to the most promising female Swedish crime novelist.

The Lovey Awards (1998)

The Lovey Award, announced at the annual Love is Murder conference, recognizes excellence in several categories for books published during the previous calendar year.

The EPIC eBook Awards (1999)

The Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition (EPIC) annually recognizes the best ebooks in many categories, including mystery and suspense.

The Reviewers' Choice Awards (1999)

The Reviewers' Choice Award is given annually by Romantic Times Book Reviews and honors the best books of the year. There are several best mystery categories.

The ForeWord Book of the Year Awards (2000)

ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Awards were established to bring increased attention from librarians and booksellers to the literary achievements of independent publishers and their authors.

The Los Angeles Times Book Prizes (2000)

The Los Angeles Times Book Prize is an annual award recognizing outstanding books in nine categories. The mystery/thriller category which was established in 2000.

The Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPYs) (2001)

The "IPPY" Awards, launched in 1996, are designed to bring increased recognition to the deserving but often unsung titles published by independent authors and publishers.

The Davitt Awards (2002)

The Davitt Award is given out each year by Sisters of Crime Australia for the best crime novel by a woman and published in Australia in book form in the previous year.

The Gumshoe Awards (2002)

The Gumshoe Award is given out each year by the editors of Mystery Ink to recognize the best achievements in crime fiction. Winners are selected from titles published in the previous year.

The Best Books Awards (2004)

The Best Books Awards honor outstanding books from mainstream and independent publishing houses and are sponsored by USA Book News. There are over 150 categories of which mystery and thriller are included.

The Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award (2004)

The Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award is awarded annually at the Left Coast Crime convention honoring the best historical (events pre-1950) mystery published during the previous year.

The Grant Allen Award (2004)

The Grant Allen Award honors Canada's crime-writing pioneers, and is given out annually at the Wolfe Island Scene of the Crime Festival.

Premio Azzeccagarbugli al Romanzo Poliziesco (2005)

The Premio Azzeccagarbugli al Romanzo Poliziesco is an annual award for the best Italian crime novel.

The National (UK) Book Awards (2005)

The National Book Awards (formerly known as the British Book Industry Awards), which honor all sectors of the book business, has provided the industry with a prestigious platform from which it has been able to recognize and reward its own.

The Quill Book Awards (2005)

The Quill Awards are the only book awards to pair a populist sensibility with Hollywood-style glitz. They are the first literary prizes to reflect the tastes of all the groups that matter most in publishing--- readers, booksellers and librarians.

The Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award (2005)

The winner of the Crime Novel of the Year Award is announced during the opening ceremony of the annual Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate (UK). The winner is chosen by readers who voted from a shortlist of titles.

The Reader Views Literary Awards (2006)

The annual Reader Views Literary Awards were established to honor writers who self-published or had their books published by a subsidy publisher, small press, university press, or independent book publisher.

The Thriller Awards (2006)

The winners of the Thriller Awards are announced at ThrillerFest, an annual event hosted by the International Thriller Writers organization, to recognize the best books published in this genre from the previous year.

The Best First Crime Novel Contest (2007)

The annual Best First Crime Novel Contest is sponsored by the Mystery Writers of America and St. Martin's Minotaur. The contest is open to any professional or non-professional writer who has never been the author of a published crime novel (as defined by the contest sponsors).

The Blóðdropinn Award (2007)

The Blóðdropinn — Blood Drop — is awarded annually by the Reykjavik City Library to honor the best Icelandic crime novel of the year.

The David Award (2007)

Named in honor of David G. Sasher, this award is given out annually by Deadly Ink Press to honor the best mystery published during the prior year. Winners are announced during the Deadly Ink Conference.

The National Indie Excellence Awards (2007)

The National Indie Excellence® Awards competition is judged by an independent panel of experts from all aspects — editing, marketing, publicity, and design — of the publishing industry.

The Strand Critics Awards (2007)

Recognizing excellence in the field of mystery fiction, the Strand Critics Award is judged by a select group of book reviewers from the nation's top daily newspapers, as well as by the managing editor of The Strand Magazine.

The Tony Hillerman Prize (2007)

The Tony Hillerman Prize is awarded annually to the first-time author of a mystery set in the southwestern United States and which represents the style of Tony Hillerman.

The CrimeFest Awards (2008)

The winners of the CrimeFest Awards are announced at CrimeFest, an annual event for people who like to read an occasional crime novel as well as for die-hard fanatics.

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards (2008)

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards are open to independent authors and publishers worldwide.

The Premier Book Awards (2008)

Premier Book Awards were established to recognize meritorious works by writers who self-published or had their books published by a small press or independent book publisher.

The SCIBA T. Jefferson Parker Mystery Award (2008)

The Southern California Independent Booksellers Association (SCIBA) recognizes excellence in books that reflect Southern California culture or lifestyle, with authors/illustrators living within the SCIBA region.

The Irish Book Awards (2009)

The Irish Book Awards celebrate the best of Irish writing, and include an award for Best Crime Fiction.

The Daphne du Maurier Award (2010)

The Daphne du Maurier Award is given out by the Kiss of Death Chapter of Romance Writers of America for excellence in mystery and suspense fiction.

The Independent Literary Awards (2010)

The Independent Literary Awards are book awards given by literary bloggers in several categories, including mystery.

The International Book Awards (2010)

The International Book Awards honor outstanding books from mainstream and independent publishing houses worldwide.

The Ngaio Marsh Award (2010)

The Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel is given for the best crime, mystery, or thriller novel written by a New Zealand citizen or resident.

The Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction (2011)

The Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction is an annual award given to books — not necessarily mysteries or thrillers — that best exemplifies the role of lawyers in society.

The John Spray Mystery Award (2011)

The John Spray Mystery Award recognizes an original work in English, aimed at readers ages eight to sixteen, and written by a Canadian author.

The Bloody Scotland Crime Novel of the Year Award (2012)

The Bloody Scotland Crime Novel of the Year Award recognizes and rewards excellence in Scottish crime writing.

The Bloody Words Light Mystery Award (2012)

The Bloody Words — formerly Bony Blithe — Light Mystery Award is an annual prize for a "book that makes us smile", for a print or an e-book published in the previous year by a Canadian author.

The Petrona Award (2013)

The Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year is named in honor of Maxine Clarke, who was an expert on and champion of Scandinavian crime fiction (translated into English).

The Whodunit Award (2015)

The Mystery Writers Key West Whodunit Writing Competition is open to writers of unpublished manuscripts with the winner of the Whodunit Award receiving a publishing contract.

Page Author: Lance Wright. Site Publisher: Crime Fiction Awards (Mystery Awards) — The Omnimystery Family of Mystery Websites.

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