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 . The award statuette was designed by actor and theatre designer Peter Blais .[ 1]
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.[ 2]
Best Crime Book in French
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Best Juvenile or Young Adult Crime Book
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Best Crime Nonfiction
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Best Crime Short Story
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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
[ 41]
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
[ 2]
2022
Elizabeth Elwood
Number 10 Marlborough Place
[ 39]
Best Unpublished First Novel – "Unhanged Arthur"
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First awarded in 2007 as part of the CWC mandate to recognize and promote the careers of promising new crime writers.
Derrick Murdoch Award
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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.
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
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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 [ 52]
The award for Best Play has only been presented once.
1 2 3 "Crime Writers of Canada honors Murdoch, Wright". The Globe and Mail , May 25, 1984.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Qiao, Vicky (May 28, 2021). "Will Ferguson among the winners of 2021 Crime Writers of Canada Awards" . CBC Books . Retrieved May 20, 2023 .
↑ Coates, Donna; McIntosh, Andrew (January 15, 2020). "Howard Engel" . The Canadian Encyclopedia . Retrieved May 20, 2023 .
1 2 "Crime writers honor two authors". Toronto Star , May 7, 1986.
1 2 3 "Montreal novelist Phillips wins crime writers' prize". Montreal Gazette , May 26, 1987.
1 2 3 4 5 "Crime writers honor their own". The Globe and Mail , May 20, 1988.
1 2 3 4 5 "Crime writer's prize slips from his grasp". The Globe and Mail , May 19, 1989.
1 2 3 "B.C. author wins prize for best crime novel". Vancouver Sun , May 25, 1990.
1 2 3 4 5 "'Chilling' novel captures top crime writers award". Waterloo Region Record , May 27, 1991.
1 2 3 4 5 "Crime writers get just deserts". The Globe and Mail , June 4, 1992.
1 2 3 4 5 "Sometimes, crime pays". The Globe and Mail , May 20, 1993.
1 2 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 .
1 2 3 4 5 "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.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Wright wins book award". The Globe and Mail , May 30, 1996.
↑ "Toronto writer gets award for mystery". Waterloo Region Record , May 29, 1997.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Deverell wins top crime-writing prize for Trial of Passion". The Globe and Mail , May 22, 1998.
1 2 3 4 5 "Crime does pay for novelists". Ottawa Citizen , May 28, 1999.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Procuta, Egle. "Novel about former judge wins crime prize". The Globe and Mail , May 25, 2000.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Arthur Ellis Awards to Robinson, Wright". The Globe and Mail , May 25, 2001.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Crime and mystery writers get Ellis awards". Guelph Mercury , June 14, 2002.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "James Nichol wins Arthur Ellis award for first crime novel: 20th anniversary of awards for crime novels". Moose Jaw Times-Herald , June 5, 2003.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Book on Hells Angels takes prize". Brantford Expositor , June 12, 2004.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Ottawa psychologist wins award for best Canadian crime novel". Alberni Valley Times , June 10, 2005.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Farquharson, Vanessa (June 9, 2006). "Author William Deverell's April Fool wins prize for best Canadian crime novel". National Post .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Goldberg, Brianna. "Cheesy mystery wins novel prize. Calgary Herald , June 8, 2007.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Jon Redfern wins second Arthur Ellis Award for historical crime novel". Prince George Citizen , June 7, 2008.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Canada's crime writers announce winners of 2009 Arthur Ellis Awards". Canadian Press , June 5, 2009
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Shrier wins Ellis Award for crime, mystery writing". Ottawa Citizen , May 28, 2010.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Penny, Cameron win Arthur Ellis Awards". The Globe and Mail , June 4, 2011.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Medley, Mark (June 1, 2012). "Arthur Ellis Awards practically criminal". National Post .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Giles Blunt, Steve Lillebuen take home Arthur Ellis Awards for crime writing". Canadian Press , May 31, 2013.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Bronte author wins crime writing award". Hamilton Spectator , June 14, 2014.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Robertson, Becky (May 29, 2015). "Margaret Atwood, C.C. Humphreys among 2015 Arthur Ellis Award winners" . Quill and Quire . Retrieved May 20, 2023 .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Knoll, Erin (July 17, 2017). "Peter Kirby, Ausma Zehanat Khan win Arthur Ellis Awards for crime writing" . CBC Books . Retrieved May 20, 2023 .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Elle Wild, Donna Morrissey and Gordon Korman highlight 2017 Arthur Ellis Awards winners" . Quill and Quire . May 29, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2023 .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 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 .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 van Koeverden, Jane (May 24, 2019). "Anne Emery wins best crime novel award for Though the Heavens Fall" . CBC Books . Retrieved August 10, 2019 .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Yeo, Debra (May 25, 2020). "Climate change novel 'Greenwood' wins Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel" . Toronto Star . Retrieved May 20, 2023 .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Toronto author Ashley Audrain among the winners of 2022 Crime Writers of Canada Awards" . CBC Books . May 26, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2023 .
1 2 "2023 Crime Writers of Canada Awards Announced" . www.mysteryscenemag.com . Retrieved August 27, 2024 .
1 2 3 4 5 Val Ross, "Atwood, Findley win literary awards". The Globe and Mail , June 2, 1994.
↑ Morley Walker, "The art of crime". Winnipeg Free Press , January 13, 2007.
↑ Raymundo, Bridget (May 31, 2023). "Thomas King among winners of 2023 Crime Writers of Canada Awards" . CBC Books . Retrieved June 6, 2024 .
↑ "Crime Writers of Canada Announces the 2024 Awards of Excellence Winners | Crime Writers of Canada Events & Announcements" . crimewriterscanada.com . Retrieved June 6, 2024 .
↑ "Montrealer wins Arthur Ellis prize for crime-writing". Montreal Gazette , May 31, 1997.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Arthur Ellis Award – Derrick Murdoch Award Crime Writers of Canada , (retrieved 11/21/2012)
↑ Mark Medley, "Arthur Ellis Awards practically criminal". National Post , June 1, 2012.
↑ Mark Medley, "Finalists announced for Arthur Ellis Awards". The Globe and Mail , April 21, 2017.
1 2 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.
↑ Deborah Dundas, "Sarah Weinman, Anne Emery, Linwood Barclay among winners of coveted Arthur Ellis Awards". Toronto Star , May 24, 2019.
↑ Erin Knoll, "Peter Kirby, Ausma Zehanat Khan win Arthur Ellis Awards for crime writing" . CBC Books , July 17, 2016.
↑ "Best murder mystery". Financial Post , June 8, 1992.