Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence

The Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence, formerly known as the Arthur Ellis Awards, are a group of Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the Crime Writers of Canada for the best Canadian crime and mystery writing published in the previous year. The award is presented during May in the year following publication.

Originally, the awards were named for Arthur Ellis, the pseudonym of several of Canada's official hangmen, the first and most famous being Arthur B. English.

In 2021 the Crime Writers of Canada announced that they were retiring Arthur Ellis's name from the awards, renaming them to their current name.[1]

Best Novel
Main article: Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best Novel
Best Novel Award winners
Year Author Title Ref.
1984 Eric Wright The Night the Gods Smiled [2]
1985 Howard Engel Murder Sees the Light [3]
1986 Eric Wright Death in the Old Country [4]
1987 Edward O. Phillips Buried on Sunday [5]
1988 Carol Shields Swann [6]
1989 Chris Scott Jack [7]
1990 Laurence Gough Hot Shots [8]
1991 L. R. Wright A Chill Rain in January [9]
1992 Peter Robinson Past Reason Hated [10]
1993 Carsten Stroud Lizardskin [11]
1994 John Lawrence Reynolds Gypsy Sins [12]
1995 Gail Bowen A Colder Kind of Death [13]
1996 L.R. Wright Mother Love [14]
1997 Peter Robinson Innocent Graves [15]
1998 William Deverell Trial of Passion [16]
1999 Nora Kelly Old Wounds [17]
2000 Rosemary Aubert The Feast of Stephen [18]
2001 Peter Robinson Cold is the Grave [19]
2002 Michelle Spring In the Midnight Hour [20]
2003 Rick Mofina Blood of Others [21]
2004 Giles Blunt The Delicate Storm [22]
2005 Barbara Fradkin Fifth Son [23]
2006 William Deverell April Fool [24]
2007 Barbara Fradkin Honour Among Men [25]
2008 Jon Redfern Trumpets Sound No More [26]
2009 Linwood Barclay Too Close to Home [27]
2010 Howard Shrier High Chicago [28]
2011 Louise Penny Bury Your Dead [29]
2012 Peter Robinson Before the Poison [30]
2013 Giles Blunt Until the Night [31]
2014 Seán Haldane The Devil's Making [32]
2015 C. C. Humphreys Plague: Murder Has a New Friend [33]
2016 Peter Kirby Open Season [34]
2017 Donna Morrissey The Fortunate Brother [35]
2018 Peter Robinson Sleeping in the Ground [36]
2019 Anne Emery Though the Heavens Fall [37]
2020 Michael Christie Greenwood [38]
2021 Will Ferguson The Finder [1]
2022 Dietrich Kalteis Under an Outlaw Moon [39]

Best First Novel
Best First Novel Award winners
Year Author Title Ref.
1987 Medora Sale Murder on the Run [5]
1988 Laurence Gough The Goldfish Bowl [6]
1989 John Brady A Stone of the Heart [7]
1990 John Lawrence Reynolds The Man Who Murdered God [12]
1991 Carsten Stroud Sniper's Moon [9]
1992 Paul Grescoe Flesh Wound [10]
1993 Sean Stewart Passion Play [11]
1994 Gavin Scott Memory Trace [40]
1995 Sparkle Hayter What's A Girl Gotta Do? [13]
1996 John Spencer Hill The Last Castrato [14]
D.H. Toole Moonlit Days and Nights [14]
1997 C. C. Benison Death At Buckingham Palace [41]
1998 Kathy Reichs Déja Dead [16]
1999 Liz Brady Sudden Blow [17]
2000 Andrew Pyper Lost Girls [18]
2001 Mark Zuehlke Hands Like Clouds [19]
2002 Jon Redfern The Boy Must Die [20]
2003 James W. Nichol Midnight Cab [21]
2004 Jan Rehner Just Murder [22]
2005 Jon Evans Dark Places [23]
2006 Louise Penny Still Life [24]
2007 Anne Emery Sign of the Cross [25]
2008 Liam Durcan Garcia's Heart [26]
2009 Howard Shrier Buffalo Jump [27]
2010 Alan Bradley The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie [28]
2011 Avner Mandelman The Debba [29]
2012 Ian Hamilton Water Rat of Wanchai [30]
2013 Simone St. James The Haunting of Maddy Clare [31]
2014 J. Kent Messum Bait [32]
2015 Steve Burrows A Siege of Bitterns [33]
2016 Ausma Zehanat Khan Unquiet Dead [34]
2017 Elle Wild Strange Things Done [35]
2018 Dave Butler Full Curl [36]
2019 A.J. Devlin Cobra Clutch [37]
2020 Philip Elliott Nobody Move [38]
2021 Guglielmo D'Izzia The Transaction [1]
2022 Ashley Audrain The Push [39]

Best Novella
Best Novella Award winners
Year Author Title Ref.
2013 Lou Allin Contingency Plan [31]
2014 Melodie Campbell The Goddaughter's Revenge [32]
2015 Jas R. Petrin A Knock on the Door [33]
2016 Jeremy Bates Black Canyon [34]
2017 Rick Blechta Rundown [35]
2018 Mike Culpepper How Lon Pruitt Was Found Murdered in an Open Field with No Footprints Around [36]
2019 John Lawrence Reynolds Murder Among the Pines [37]
2020 Wayne Arthurson The Red Chesterfield [38]
2021 Sam Wiebe Never Going Back [1]
2022 Wayne Ng Letters from Johnny [39]

Best Crime Book in French
Best Crime Book in French Award winners
Year Author Title Ref.
2000 Lionel Noël Louna [18]
2001 Norbert Spehner Le roman policier en Amérique française [19]
2002 Anne-Michèle Lévesque Fleur invitait au troisième [20]
2003 Jacques Côté Le rouge ideal [21]
2004 Jean Lemieux On finit toujours par payer [22]
2005 Ann Lamontagne Les douze pierres [23]
2006 Gérard Galarneau Motel Riviera [24]
2007 No award presented [25]
2008 Mario Bolduc Tsiganes [26]
2009 Jacques Côté Le Chemin des brumes [27]
2010 Jean Lemieux Le mort du chemin des Arsene [28]
2011 Jacques Côté Dans le quartier des agités [29]
2012 Martin Michaud La chorale du diable [30]
2013 Mario Bolduc La Nuit des albinos: Sur les traces de Max O'Brien [31]
2014 Maureen Martineau L’enfant promis [32]
2015 Andrée A. Michaud Bondrée [33]
2016 Luc Chartrand L'Affaire Myosotis [34]
2017 Marie-Ève Bourassa Red Light: Adieu, Mignonne [35]
2018 Marie Saur Les Tricoteuses [36]
2019 Hervé Gagnon Adolphus - Une enquête de Joseph Laflamme [37]
2020 Andrée A. Michaud Tempêtes [38]
2021 Roxanne Bouchard La mariée de corail [1]
2022 Patrick Senécal Flots [39]

Best Juvenile or Young Adult Crime Book
Best Juvenile or Young Adult Crime Book Award winners
Year Author Title Ref.
1994 John Dowd Abalone Summer [40]
1995 James Heneghan Torn Away [13]
1996 Norah McClintock Mistaken Identity [14]
1997 Linda Bailey How Can a Frozen Detective Stay Hot on the Trail?
1998 Norah McClintock The Body in the Basement [16]
1999 Norah McClintock Sins of the Father [17]
2000 Linda Bailey How Can a Brilliant Detective Shine in the Dark? [18]
2001 Tim Wynne-Jones The Boy in the Burning House [19]
2002 Norah McClintock Scared to Death [20]
2003 Norah McClintock Break and Enter [21]
2004 Graham McNamee Acceleration [22]
2005 Carrie Mac The Beckoners [23]
2006 Vicki Grant Quid Pro Quo [24]
2007 Sean Cullen Hamish X and the Cheese Pirates [25]
2008 Shane Peacock Eye of the Crow [26]
2009 Sharon E. McKay War Brothers [27]
2010 Barbara Haworth-Attard Haunted [28]
2011 Alice Kuipers The Worst Thing She Ever Did [29]
2012 Tim Wynne-Jones Blink & Caution [30]
2013 Shane Peacock Becoming Holmes [31]
2014 Elizabeth MacLeod Bones Never Lie [32]
2015 Sigmund Brouwer Dead Man's Switch [33]
2016 Stephanie Tromly Trouble Is a Friend of Mine [34]
2017 Gordon Korman Masterminds [35]
2018 Linwood Barclay Chase: Get Ready to Run [36]
2019 Linwood Barclay Escape [37]
2020 Tom Ryan Keep This to Yourself [38]
2021 Frances Greenslade Red Fox Road [1]
2022 Kevin Sands The Traitor's Blade [39]

Best Crime Nonfiction
Best Crime Nonfiction Award winners
Year Author Title Ref.
1985 Martin Friedland The Trials of Israel Lipsky
1986 Maggie Siggins A Canadian Tragedy [4]
1987 Elliott Leyton Hunting Humans [5]
1988 Gary Ross Stung [6]
1989 Mick Lowe Conspiracy of Brothers [7]
1990 Lisa Priest Conspiracy of Silence [8]
1991 Susan Mayse Ginger: The Life and Death of Albert Goodwin [9]
1992 William Lowther Arms and the Man [10]
1993 Kirk Makin Redrum the Innocent [11]
1994 David R. Williams With Malice Aforethought [40]
1995 Michael Harris The Prodigal Husband [13]
1996 Lois Simmie The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson [14]
1997 Jean Monet The Cassock and the Crown [42]
1998 Patricia Pearson When She Was Bad [16]
1999 Derek Finkle No Claim to Mercy [17]
2000 Gordon Sinclair, Jr. Cowboys and Indians [18]
2001 A.B. McKillop The Spinster and the Prophet [19]
2002 Stevie Cameron and Harvey Cashore The Last Amigo [20]
2002 Andrew Nikiforuk Saboteurs [20]
2003 Andrew Mitrovica Covert Entry [21]
2004 Julian Sher and William Marsden The Road to Hell [22]
2005 Matthew Hart The Irish Game [23]
2006 Rebecca Godfrey Under the Bridge [24]
2007 Brian O'Dea High [25]
2008 Julian Sher One Child at a Time [26]
2009 Michael Calce and Craig Silverman Mafiaboy [27]
2010 Terry Gould Murder Without Borders [28]
2011 Stevie Cameron On the Farm [29]
2012 Joshua Knelman Hot Art [30]
2013 Steve Lillebuen The Devil's Cinema [31]
2014 No award presented [32]
2015 Charlotte Gray The Massey Murder [33]
2016 Dean Jobb Empire of Deception: The Incredible Story of a Master Swindler Who Seduced a City and Captivated the Nation [34]
2017 Jeremy Grimaldi A Daughter's Deadly Deception: The Jennifer Pan Story [35]
2018 Trevor Cole The Whisky King: remarkable true story of Canada's most infamous bootlegger and the undercover Mountie on his trail [36]
2019 Sarah Weinman The Real Lolita: Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World [37]
2020 Charlotte Gray Murdered Midas: A Millionaire, His Gold Mine, and a Strange Death on an Island Paradise [38]
2021 Justin Ling Missing from the Village [1]
2022 Nate Hendley The Beatle Bandit [39]

Best Crime Short Story
Best Crime Short Story Award winners
Year Author Story Publication Ref.
1988 Eric Wright Looking for an Honest Man Cold Blood: Murder in Canada [6]
1989 Jas. R. Petrin Killer in the House Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, December 1988 [7]
1990 Josef Skvorecky Humbug The End of Lieutenant Boruvka [8]
1991 Peter Robinson Innocence Cold Blood III [9]
1992 Eric Wright Two in the Bush Christmas Stalkings [10]
1993 Nancy Kilpatrick Mantrap Murder, Mayhem, and the Macabre [11]
1994 Robert J. Sawyer Just Like Old Times On Spec, Summer 1993 [40]
1995 Rosemary Aubert The Midnight Boat to Palermo Cold Blood IV [13]
1996 Mary Jane Maffini Cotton Armour Ladies Killing Circle [14]
1997 Richard K. Bercuson Dead Run Story Teller, Winter 1996-97
1998 Sue Pike Widow's Weeds Cottage Country Killers [16]
1999 Scott Mackay Last Inning Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, February 1998 [17]
2000 Matt Hughes One More Kill Blue Murder Magazine, December 1999 [18]
2001 Peter Robinson Murder in Utopia Crime Through Time III [19]
2002 Mary Jane Maffini Sign of the Times Fit to Die [20]
2003 James Powell Bottom Walker Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, May 2002 [21]
2004 Gregory Ward Dead Wood Hard Boiled Love [22]
2005 Leslie Watts Crocodile Tears Revenge: A Noir Anthology [23]
2006 Rick Mofina Lightning Rider Murder in Vegas [24]
2007 Dennis Richard Murphy Fuzzy Wuzzy Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, August 2006 [25]
2008 Leslie Watts Turners Kingston Whig-Standard, July 7, 2007 [26]
2009 Pasha Malla Filmsong Toronto Noir [27]
2010 Dennis Richard Murphy Prisoner in Paradise Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine [28]
2011 Mary Jane Maffini So Much in Common Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine [29]
2012 Catherine Astolfo What Kelly Did [30]
2013 Yasuko Thanh Spring-blade Knife Floating Like The Dead [31]
2014 Twist Phelan Footprints in Water [32]
2015 Margaret Atwood Stone Mattress [33]
2016 Jeremy Bates Black Canyon [34]
2017 Susan Daly A Death at the Parsonage [35]
2018 Catherine Astolfo The Outlier [36]
2019 Linda L. Richards Terminal City [37]
2020 Peter Sellers Closing Doors [38]
2021 Marcelle Dubé Cold Wave, Sisters in Crime [1]
2022 Elizabeth Elwood Number 10 Marlborough Place [39]

Best Unpublished First Novel - "Unhanged Arthur"

First awarded in 2007 as part of the CWC mandate to recognize and promote the careers of promising new crime writers.

Best Unpublished First Novel Award winners
Year Author Title Ref.
2007 Phyllis Smallman Margarita Nights [25]
2008 D.J. McIntosh The Witch of Babylon [26]
2009 Douglas A. Moles Louder [27]
2010 Gloria Ferris The Corpse Flower [28]
2011 John Jeneroux Better Off Dead [29]
2012 Sam Wiebe Last of the Independents [30]
2013 Coleen Steele Sins Revisited [31]
2014 Rachel Greenaway Cold Girl [32]
2015 Elle Wilde Strange Things Done [33]
2016 Jayne Barnard When the Flood Falls [34]
2017 S. J. Jennings The Golkonda Project [35]
2018 Dianne Scott Destruction in Paradise [36]
2019 Liv McFarlane The Scarlet Cross [37]
2020 Liz Rachel Walker The Dieppe Letters [38]
2021 Raymond Bazowski The Future [1]
2022 Renee Lehnen Elmington [39]

Howard Engel Award
Howard Engel Award winners
Year Author Title Ref.
2007 Katrina Onstad Stay Where I Can See You [1]
2008 C. S. Porter Beneath Her Skin [39]

Derrick Murdoch Award

This is a special achievement award for contributions to the genre of crime and mystery writing, awarded at the discretion of the president of the Crime Writers of Canada. When first presented in 1984, it was known as the Chairman's Award; it was later renamed in honour of its first recipient, Derrick Murdoch. Since 2013, it has only been presented in years when the new biennial Grand Master Award, listed below, is not presented.

Grand Master Award

The Grand Master Award is presented every two years as a lifetime achievement award, to a crime writer with a distinguished and successful national and international career.

Best Genre Criticism/Reference

The award for Best Genre Criticism or Reference has only been presented twice.

  • 1991 - Donald A. Redmond, Sherlock Holmes Among the Pirates[9]
  • 1992 - Wesley A. Wark, Spy Fiction, Spy Films and Real Intelligence[49]

Best Play

The award for Best Play has only been presented once.

References
  1. Qiao, Vicky (May 28, 2021). "Will Ferguson among the winners of 2021 Crime Writers of Canada Awards". CBC Books. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  2. "Crime Writers of Canada honors Murdoch, Wright". The Globe and Mail, May 25, 1984.
  3. Coates, Donna; McIntosh, Andrew (January 15, 2020). "Howard Engel". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  4. "Crime writers honor two authors". Toronto Star, May 7, 1986.
  5. "Montreal novelist Phillips wins crime writers' prize". Montreal Gazette, May 26, 1987.
  6. "Crime writers honor their own". The Globe and Mail, May 20, 1988.
  7. "Crime writer's prize slips from his grasp". The Globe and Mail, May 19, 1989.
  8. "B.C. author wins prize for best crime novel". Vancouver Sun, May 25, 1990.
  9. "'Chilling' novel captures top crime writers award". Waterloo Region Record, May 27, 1991.
  10. "Crime writers get just deserts". The Globe and Mail, June 4, 1992.
  11. "Sometimes, crime pays". The Globe and Mail, May 20, 1993.
  12. New, William Herbert (2002). Encyclopedia of literature in Canada. Toronto (Ont.) Buffalo (N.Y.) London: University of Toronto press. ISBN 978-0-8020-0761-2.
  13. "Bowen wins Ellis prize for latest novel: Fourth in Kilbourn mystery series brings Prairie crime writer $500 and trophy". The Globe and Mail, June 1, 1995.
  14. "Wright wins book award". The Globe and Mail, May 30, 1996.
  15. "Toronto writer gets award for mystery". Waterloo Region Record, May 29, 1997.
  16. "Deverell wins top crime-writing prize for Trial of Passion". The Globe and Mail, May 22, 1998.
  17. "Crime does pay for novelists". Ottawa Citizen, May 28, 1999.
  18. Procuta, Egle. "Novel about former judge wins crime prize". The Globe and Mail, May 25, 2000.
  19. "Arthur Ellis Awards to Robinson, Wright". The Globe and Mail, May 25, 2001.
  20. "Crime and mystery writers get Ellis awards". Guelph Mercury, June 14, 2002.
  21. "James Nichol wins Arthur Ellis award for first crime novel: 20th anniversary of awards for crime novels". Moose Jaw Times-Herald, June 5, 2003.
  22. "Book on Hells Angels takes prize". Brantford Expositor, June 12, 2004.
  23. "Ottawa psychologist wins award for best Canadian crime novel". Alberni Valley Times, June 10, 2005.
  24. Farquharson, Vanessa (June 9, 2006). "Author William Deverell's April Fool wins prize for best Canadian crime novel". National Post.
  25. Goldberg, Brianna. "Cheesy mystery wins novel prize. Calgary Herald, June 8, 2007.
  26. "Jon Redfern wins second Arthur Ellis Award for historical crime novel". Prince George Citizen, June 7, 2008.
  27. "Canada's crime writers announce winners of 2009 Arthur Ellis Awards". Canadian Press, June 5, 2009
  28. "Shrier wins Ellis Award for crime, mystery writing". Ottawa Citizen, May 28, 2010.
  29. "Penny, Cameron win Arthur Ellis Awards". The Globe and Mail, June 4, 2011.
  30. Medley, Mark (June 1, 2012). "Arthur Ellis Awards practically criminal". National Post.
  31. "Giles Blunt, Steve Lillebuen take home Arthur Ellis Awards for crime writing". Canadian Press, May 31, 2013.
  32. "Bronte author wins crime writing award". Hamilton Spectator, June 14, 2014.
  33. Robertson, Becky (May 29, 2015). "Margaret Atwood, C.C. Humphreys among 2015 Arthur Ellis Award winners". Quill and Quire. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  34. Knoll, Erin (July 17, 2017). "Peter Kirby, Ausma Zehanat Khan win Arthur Ellis Awards for crime writing". CBC Books. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  35. "Elle Wild, Donna Morrissey and Gordon Korman highlight 2017 Arthur Ellis Awards winners". Quill and Quire. May 29, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  36. Dundas, Deborah (May 27, 2018). "Robinson and Barclay snag coveted crime-writing awards: The Arthur Ellis Awards include bragging rights and a macabre statue". Toronto Star.
  37. van Koeverden, Jane (May 24, 2019). "Anne Emery wins best crime novel award for Though the Heavens Fall". CBC Books. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  38. Yeo, Debra (May 25, 2020). "Climate change novel 'Greenwood' wins Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel". Toronto Star. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  39. "Toronto author Ashley Audrain among the winners of 2022 Crime Writers of Canada Awards". CBC Books. May 26, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  40. Val Ross, "Atwood, Findley win literary awards". The Globe and Mail, June 2, 1994.
  41. Morley Walker, "The art of crime". Winnipeg Free Press, January 13, 2007.
  42. "Montrealer wins Arthur Ellis prize for crime-writing". Montreal Gazette, May 31, 1997.
  43. Arthur Ellis Award - Derrick Murdoch Award Crime Writers of Canada, (retrieved 11/21/2012)
  44. Mark Medley, "Arthur Ellis Awards practically criminal". National Post, June 1, 2012.
  45. Mark Medley, "Finalists announced for Arthur Ellis Awards". The Globe and Mail, April 21, 2017.
  46. Deborah Dundas, "Robinson and Barclay snag coveted crime-writing awards: The Arthur Ellis Awards include bragging rights and a macabre statue". Toronto Star, May 27, 2018.
  47. Deborah Dundas, "Sarah Weinman, Anne Emery, Linwood Barclay among winners of coveted Arthur Ellis Awards". Toronto Star, May 24, 2019.
  48. Erin Knoll, "Peter Kirby, Ausma Zehanat Khan win Arthur Ellis Awards for crime writing". CBC Books, July 17, 2016.
  49. "Best murder mystery". Financial Post, June 8, 1992.
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