Edgar Awards


The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America which is based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe, a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television, film, and theater published or produced in the previous year.

Active author categories

Robert L. Fish Memorial Award

The Robert L. Fish Memorial Award was established in 1984 to honor the best first mystery short story by an American author. The winners are listed below.
YearAuthorTitlePublication
2008""Still Waters
2009"Buckner's Error"Queens Noir
2010""Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine
2011"Skyler Hobbs and the Rabbit Man"Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
2012""Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
2013"When They Are Done With Us"Staten Island Noir
2014""Criminal Element's Malfeasance Occasional
2015"Getaway Girl"Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
2016"Chung Ling Soo's Greatest Trick"Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
2017""Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
2018"The Queen of Secrets"
2019"How Does He Die This Time?"
2020"There’s a Riot Goin' On"Milwaukee Noir
2021""Tampa Bay Noir
2022"Analogue"Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
2023"Dogs in the Canyon"Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
2024Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, May–June 2023

Lilian Jackson Braun Award

The Lilian Jackson Braun Award, established in 2022 in honor of Lilian Jackson Braun, is presented for the "best full-length, contemporary cozy mystery."
YearAuthorTitle
2023Buried in a Good Book
2024Glory Be

G. P. Putnam's Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award

The G. P. Putnam's Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award was established in 2019 to honor Sue Grafton and is presented to "the best novel in a series featuring a female protagonist."

Grand Master Award

The Edgar Allan Poe Grand Master Award was established in 1955. The award "acknowledges important contributions to the genre as well as for a body of work that is both significant and of consistent high quality."
The Grand Master Award winners follow:
The Raven Award was established in 1953 to honor "outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside of the realm of creative writing."

Ellery Queen Award

The Ellery Queen Award was established in 1983 "to honor outstanding writing teams and outstanding people in the mystery-publishing industry." The winners are listed below.
YearAuthorInformation
2010 and Robert RosenwaldPoisoned Pen Press
2012Connecticut Post/Hearst Media News Group
2013Akashic BooksAmerican book publisher
2015Co-founder of Hard Case Crime
2016Founder of Mystery Readers International
2017Executive VP, associate publisher, and editor in chief of G.P. Putnam's Sons
2019Editor of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine
2021
2022Soho Press – Soho Crime
2023
2024Kensington Books

Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award

The Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award was established in 2001.

Active story categories

Fact Crime

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Fact Crime was established in 1948.

Critical/Biographical Work

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Critical/Biographical Work was established in 1977.

Novel

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel was established in 1954.

Paperback or eBook Original

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Paperback Original was established in 1970.

First Novel

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel was established in 1946.

Young Adult Novel

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Novel was established in 1989.

Juvenile

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile was established in 1961.

Short Story

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Short Story was established in 1951.

Episode in a Television Series

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Episode in a TV Series was established in 1952.

Discontinued categories

Book Jacket

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Book Jacket was established in 1955 and discontinued in 1975.

Foreign Film

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Foreign Film was established in 1949 and discontinued in 1966.

Motion Picture Screenplay

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay was established in 1946 and discontinued in 2009.

Mystery Criticism

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Outstanding Mystery Criticism was established in 1946 and discontinued in 1967.

Play

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Play was established in 1950 and is irregular.

Radio Drama

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Radio Drama was established in 1946 and discontinued in 1960.

Special Award

The Edgar Allan Poe Special Award was established in 1949 and is irregular.

Television Feature or Miniseries

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Television Feature or Miniseries was established in 1972 and discontinued in 2007.