Mystery Book Awards

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

Anthony Awards
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.

Arthur Ellis Awards
The Crime Writers of Canada present the Arthur Ellis Awards (named after the nom de travail of Canada’s official hangman) to recognize excellence in Canadian crime writing.

Barry Awards
The Barry Awards, named for Barry Gardner, one of the most ardent and beloved ambassadors of mystery fiction, were first awarded in 1997 by Deadly Pleasures. The Barry Awards are now voted on by the readers of Deadly Pleasures and Mystery News and are presented at the annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention.

Dagger Awards
The Crime Writers’ Association awards the Daggers. Only British publishers can submit entries for the Dagger Awards, and the submissions must have been published in the English language in the United Kingdom within a limited period of time. The number of awards, as well as their names, have varied over the years.
Diamond Dagger Winners

Dilys Award
The Dilys Award is given annually by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association to the mystery titles of the year which the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling. The Dilys Award is presented at the Left Coast Crime mystery convention.

Edgar^®Awards
Mystery Writers of America give these awards to honor the best in mystery fiction and nonfiction produced the previous year. (We list only the fiction awards.) The awards began in 1946 and are named in honor of Edgar Allan Poe.
Grand Master Winners

Hammett Prize
The Hammett Prize is given annually by the North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers to honor literary excellence in the field of crime-writing (fiction or non-fiction), as reflected in a book published in the English language in the US and/or Canada.

Hillerman Prize
The Hillerman Prize, honoring Tony Hillerman, was first awarded in 2007. The prize goes to an unpublished author for a first mystery novel set in the Southwest, and is selected by judges chosen by the editorial staff of St. Martin’s Press.

Left Coast Crime Awards
The Lefty Award is given annually to the most humorous mystery. Bruce Alexander Memorial Mystery Award, for the best historical mystery, and up to two more awards can be awarded annually. Left Coast Crime Awards are voted on by Left Coast Crime attendees.

Macavity Awards
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 nominate and vote for their favorite mysteries.

Ned Kelly Awards
The Ned Kelly Awards (named for a notorious Australian outlaw of the 19th century) are presented by the Crime Writers’ Association of Australia (CWAA) to recognise and promote excellence in Australian crime writing.

Nero Awards
The Nero Award is presented annually by The Wolfe Pack for the best American Mystery written in the tradition of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe stories. The Archie Goodwin Lifetime Achievement Award is presented bi-annually.

Shamus Awards
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.

Thriller Awards
The Thriller Awards are presented by the International Thriller Writers at the annual ThrillerFest conference.