There are several organizations that annually recognize outstanding writing in the field of mystery and detective fiction. Select the award for more information on the authors and titles that have won. (The date next to the award is the first year the prize was given out.)

(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.

(1955)

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

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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).

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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).

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(2005)

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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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).

(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.

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