Gold Dagger
| Gold Dagger | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best crime novel of the year |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Presented by | Crime Writers' Association (CWA) |
| First award | 1955 |
| Most recent winner | Una Mannion Tell Me What I Am (2024) |
| Most awards | Ruth Rendell (4) |
| Most nominations | Mick Herron (6) |
| Website | thecwa |
The CWA Gold Dagger is an award given annually by the Crime Writers' Association of the United Kingdom since 1960 for the best crime novel of the year.
From 1955 to 1959, the organization named their top honor as the Crossed Red Herring Award. From 1995 to 2002 the award acquired sponsorship from Macallan and was known as the Macallan Gold Dagger.
In 2006, because of new sponsorship from the Duncan Lawrie Bank, the award was officially renamed as the Duncan Lawrie Dagger, and gained a prize fund of £20,000. It was the biggest crime-fiction award in the world in monetary terms. In 2008, Duncan Lawrie Bank withdrew its sponsorship of the awards. As a result, the top prize is again called the Gold Dagger without a monetary award.
From 1969 to 2005, a Silver Dagger was awarded to the runner-up. When Duncan Lawrie acquired sponsorship, this award was dropped. After the sponsorship was withdrawn, this award was not reinstated.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 57 writers. Ruth Rendell has won the award a record four times, including two awards for the novels A Fatal Inversion and King Solomon's Carpet, published under the pseudonym Barbara Vine; this makes her the only writer who has won the award under different names. Rendell and James Lee Burke were nominated a record five times, and they were surpassed only by Mick Herron with six. Abir Mukherjee is the most nominated author in this category without a single win (4 nominations).
The Crime Writers' Association also awards the CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction and several other "Dagger" awards.
Winners
[edit]Winners and, where known, shortlisted titles for each year:
1950s
[edit]| Year | Author | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Crossed Red Herring Award | ||
| 1955 | Winston Graham ‡ | The Little Walls |
| Lee Howard | Blind Date | |
| Ngaio Marsh | Scales of Justice | |
| Margot Bennett | The Man Who Didn't Fly | |
| 1956 | Edward Grierson ‡ | The Second Man |
| Sarah Gainham | Time Right Deadly | |
| Arthur Upfield | Man of Two Tribes | |
| J. J. Marric | Gideon's Week | |
| 1957 | Julian Symons ‡ | The Colour of Murder |
| Ngaio Marsh | Off with His Head | |
| George Milner | Your Money or Your Life | |
| Douglas Rutherford | The Long Echo | |
| 1958 | Margot Bennett ‡ | Someone from the Past |
| Margery Allingham | Hide My Eyes | |
| James Byrom | Or Be He Dead | |
| John Sherwood | Undiplomatic Exit | |
| 1959 | Eric Ambler ‡ | Passage of Arms |
| James Mitchell | A Way Back | |
| Menna Gallie | Strike for a Kingdom | |
1960s
[edit]1970s
[edit]| Year | Author | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Joan Fleming ‡ | Young Man I Think You're Dying |
| Anthony Price | The Labyrinth Makers | |
| 1971 | James H. McClure ‡ | The Steam Pig |
| P. D. James | Shroud for a Nightingale | |
| 1972 | Eric Ambler ‡ | The Levanter |
| Victor Canning | The Rainbird Pattern | |
| 1973 | Robert Littell ‡ | The Defection of A.J. Lewinter |
| Gwendoline Butler | A Coffin for Pandora | |
| 1974 | Anthony Price ‡ | Other Paths to Glory |
| Francis Clifford | The Grosvenor Square Goodbye | |
| 1975 | Nicholas Meyer ‡ | The Seven-Per-Cent Solution |
| P. D. James | The Black Tower | |
| 1976 | Ruth Rendell ‡ | A Demon in My View |
| James H. McClure | Rogue Eagle | |
| 1977 | John le Carré ‡ | The Honourable Schoolboy |
| William McIlvanney | Laidlaw | |
| 1978 | Lionel Davidson ‡ | The Chelsea Murders |
| Peter Lovesey | Waxwork | |
| 1979 | Dick Francis ‡ | Whip Hand |
| Colin Dexter | Service of All the Dead | |
1980s
[edit]| Year | Author | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | H. R. F. Keating ‡ | The Murder of the Maharaja |
| Ellis Peters | Monk's Hood | |
| 1981 | Martin Cruz Smith ‡ | Gorky Park |
| Colin Dexter | The Dead of Jericho | |
| 1982 | Peter Lovesey ‡ | The False Inspector Dew |
| S. T. Haymon | Ritual Murder | |
| 1983 | John Hutton ‡ | Accidental Crimes |
| William McIlvanney | The Papers of Tony Vietch | |
| 1984 | B. M. Gill ‡ | The Twelfth Juror |
| Ruth Rendell | The Tree of Hands | |
| 1985 | Paula Gosling ‡ | Monkey Puzzle |
| Dorothy Simpson | Last Seen Alive | |
| Andrew Taylor | Our Father's Lies | |
| Jill Paton Walsh | A Piece of Justice | |
| 1986 | Ruth Rendell ‡ | Live Flesh |
| P. D. James | A Taste for Death | |
| 1987 | Barbara Vine ‡ | A Fatal Inversion |
| Scott Turow | Presumed Innocent | |
| Liza Cody | Under Contract | |
| 1988 | Michael Dibdin ‡ | Ratking |
| Sara Paretsky | Toxic Shock | |
| 1989 | Colin Dexter ‡ | The Wench Is Dead |
| Desmond Lowden | The Shadow Run | |
1990s
[edit]2000s
[edit]2010s
[edit]| Year | Author | Work | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Belinda Bauer ‡ | Blacklands | [8] |
| S. J. Bolton | Blood Harvest | [9] | |
| George Pelecanos | The Way Home | ||
| Karen Campbell | Shadowplay | ||
| 2011 | Tom Franklin ‡ | Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter | [10] |
| Steve Hamilton | The Lock Artist | ||
| A. D. Miller | Snowdrops | ||
| Denise Mina | The End of the Wasp Season | ||
| 2012 | Gene Kerrigan ‡ | The Rage | [11] |
| N. J. Cooper | Vengeance in Mind | [12] | |
| M. R. Hall | The Flight | [12] | |
| Chris Womersley | Bereft | [12] | |
| 2013 | Mick Herron ‡ | Dead Lions | [13] |
| Belinda Bauer | Rubbernecker | [14] | |
| Lauren Beukes | The Shining Girls | ||
| Becky Masterman | Rage Against the Dying | ||
| 2014 | Wiley Cash ‡ | This Dark Road to Mercy | [15] |
| Paula Daly | Keep Your Friends Close | [16] | |
| Paul Mendelson | The First Rule of Survival | ||
| Louise Penny | How the Light Gets In | ||
| 2015 | Michael Robotham ‡ | Life or Death | [17] |
| Belinda Bauer | The Shut Eye | ||
| James Carlos Blake | The Rules of Wolfe | ||
| Robert Galbraith | The Silkworm | ||
| Sam Hawken | Missing | ||
| Stephen King | Mr. Mercedes | ||
| Attica Locke | Pleasantville | ||
| 2016 | Bill Beverly ‡ | Dodgers | |
| Chris Brookmyre | Black Widow | ||
| Denise Mina | Blood Salt Water | ||
| Mick Herron | Real Tigers | ||
| 2017 | Jane Harper ‡ | The Dry | [18] |
| Belinda Bauer | The Beautiful Dead | ||
| Ray Celestin | Dead Man's Blues | ||
| Mick Herron | Spook Street | ||
| Derek B. Miller | The Girl in Green | ||
| Abir Mukherjee | A Rising Man | ||
| 2018 | Steve Cavanagh ‡ | The Liar | [19] |
| Mick Herron | London Rules | ||
| Dennis Lehane | Since We Fell | ||
| Attica Locke | Bluebird, Bluebird | ||
| Abir Mukherjee | A Necessary Evil | ||
| Emma Viskic | Resurrection Bay | ||
| 2019 | M. W. Craven ‡ | The Puppet Show | [20][21] |
| Claire Askew | All the Hidden Truths | ||
| Christobel Kent | What We Did | ||
| Donna Leon | Unto Us a Son Is Given | ||
| Derek B. Miller | American by Day | ||
| Benjamin Wood | A Station on the Path to Somewhere Better | ||
2020s
[edit]Multiple awards and nominations
[edit]Gold Dagger
[edit]Silver Dagger
[edit]|
The following individuals received two or more Silver Dagger awards:
|
|
Gold and Silver Daggers wins
[edit]The following individuals received both Gold and Silver Dagger awards:
Records
[edit]- Ngaio Marsh was the first writer to receive more than one nomination.
- Ross Macdonald was the first writer to receive two consecutive nominations
- Peter Dickinson is the first writer to receive two Gold Daggers. He and Ruth Rendell are the only ones to win in this category two years in a row.
- Joan Fleming is the first female to win two awards.
- Anthony Price is the first writer to win both the Gold and Silver Daggers.
- P.D. James and Peter Lovesey win a record three Silver Daggers. James also won the most Silver Daggers as the author who never won a Gold Dagger.
- Colin Dexter is the only writer to win both two Silver and two Gold Daggers.
- Ruth Rendell has won the Gold Dagger a record four times. She is also the only one to win the award under different names.
- Mick Herron have the most nominations with 6.
- Mick Herron has the most consecutive nominations (3).
- Abir Mukherjee has the most nominations without a win (4).
References
[edit]- ↑ Best Foreign
- ↑ Best British
- ↑ Best Foreign
- ↑ Best British
- ↑ Best Foreign
- ↑ Silver Dagger
- ↑ Best Foreign
- ↑ Neill, Graeme (11 October 2010). "Bauer seizes Gold Dagger at crime awards". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: CWA Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards Finalists". Shelf Awareness. 11 August 2010. Archived from the original on 11 March 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: Nobel Peace Prize; CWA Daggers". Shelf Awareness. 11 October 2011. Archived from the original on 13 April 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: CWA Daggers; Dylan Thomas; DSC for South Asian Literature". Shelf Awareness. 29 October 2012. Archived from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Awards: CWA Gold Dagger Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. 28 August 2012. Archived from the original on 11 March 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: CWA Daggers". Shelf Awareness. 29 October 2013. Archived from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: Hugo, Campbell Winners; CWA Finalists". Shelf Awareness. 3 September 2013. Archived from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: CWA Daggers; Red House Children's Book". Shelf Awareness. 28 October 2014. Archived from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: Rona Jaffe; Samuel Johnson Nonfiction; CWA Daggers". Shelf Awareness. 3 September 2014. Archived from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: Dayton Literary Peace; Goldsmiths; CWA Daggers". Shelf Awareness. 1 October 2015. Archived from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: CWA Daggers". Shelf Awareness. 27 October 2017. Archived from the original on 6 June 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: SCIBA; CWA Daggers". Shelf Awareness. 29 October 2018. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: CWA Daggers; William Hill Sports Book". Shelf Awareness. 25 October 2019. Archived from the original on 5 June 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ Page, Benedicte (24 October 2019). "Craven wins CWA Gold Dagger; No Exit takes inaugural publisher's award". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 5 December 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: CWA Dagger Winners; Diagram Oddest Title Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. 26 October 2020. Archived from the original on 18 April 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: CWA Dagger Winners". Shelf Awareness. 8 July 2021. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: CWA Dagger Winners". Shelf Awareness. 1 July 2022. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: CWA Dagger Winners; Hugo Finalists". Shelf Awareness. 10 July 2023. Archived from the original on 28 April 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ Brown, Lauren (6 July 2023). "Dawes Green bags Gold Dagger for 'timeless fable' at CWA Dagger Awards 2023". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 1 December 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Spanoudi, Melina (12 May 2023). "Khan, Mason and Ryan shortlisted for CWA Dagger awards". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 14 May 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: CWA Dagger Winners". Shelf Awareness. 9 July 2024. Archived from the original on 16 April 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "2024 Dagger Awards Shortlists". Locus Online. 14 May 2024. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Spanoudi, Melina (10 May 2024). "CWA Dagger Awards shortlists announced". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards: CWA Dagger Winners". Shelf Awareness. 7 July 2025. Archived from the original on 7 August 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ Brown, Lauren (4 July 2025). "Anna Mazzola takes home Gold at the CWA Dagger Awards with 'expertly crafted' thriller". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 23 July 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
- ↑ "Awards: Dagger Winners". Shelf Awareness. 6 July 2026. Archived from the original on 9 July 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Abigail Dean wins CWA Gold Dagger as SA Cosby takes Steel Dagger". The Bookseller. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ including two awards for Barbara Vine novels
- ↑ including two nominations for Barbara Vine novels