The Anthony Awards are literary awards for mystery writers presented at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention since 1986. The awards are named for Anthony Boucher (1911–1968), one of the founders of the Mystery Writers of America. Among the most prestigious awards in the world of mystery writers, the Anthony Awards have helped boost the careers of many recipients.
Awards are voted for by members attending the annual event and are given in the following categories:
Best Novel
Best First novel
Best Paperback original
Best Short story
Best Critical / Non-fiction work
Special Service award
The ceremony may also include a number of "wild card" awards.
Best Novel award - Chris Holm, The Killing Kind
Best First Novel award - Glen Erik Hamilton, Past Crimes
Best Paperback Original award - Lou Berney, The Long and Faraway Gone
Best Critical / Non-fiction work - Val McDermid, Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime
Best Short Story award - Megan Abbott, "The Little Men"
Best Young Adult Novel - Joelle Charbonneau, Need
Best Anthology or Collection - Art Taylor, editor, Murder Under the Oaks
Best Novel award - Laura Lippman, After I'm Gone
Best First Novel award - Lori Rader-Day, The Black Hour
Best Paperback Original award - Catriona McPherson, The Day She Died
Best Short Story award - Art Taylor, "The Odds Are Against Us"
Best Critical / Non-fiction work - Hank Phillippi Ryan, ed., Writes of Passage: Adventures on the Writer's Journey
Best Novel award - William Kent Krueger, Ordinary Grace
Best First Novel award - Matt Coyle, Yesterday's Echo
Best Paperback Original award - Catriona McPherson As She Left It
Best Short Story award - John Connolly, "The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository"
Best Critical / Non-fiction work - Daniel Stashower, The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot To Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War
Best Novel award - Louise Penny, The Beautiful Mystery
Best First novel award - Chris Pavone, The Expats
Best Paperback original award - Johnny Shaw, Big Maria
Best Short story award - Dana Cameron, "Mischief in Mesopotamia" from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, November 2012
Best Critical / Non-fiction work - John Connolly and Declan Burke, Books to Die For: The World's Greatest Mystery Writers on the World's Greatest Mystery Novels
Best Novel award — Louise Penny, A Trick of the Light
Best First novel award — Sophie Littlefield, Learning to Swim
Best Paperback original award — Julie Hyzy, Buffalo West Wing
Best Short story award — Dana Cameron, "Disarming" from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, June 2011
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — Charlaine Harris, The Sookie Stackhouse Companion
Best Novel award — Louise Penny, Bury your Dead
Best First novel award — Hilary Davidson, Damage Done
Best Paperback original award — Duane Swierczynski, Expiration Date
Best Short story award — Dana Cameron, "Swing Shift", from Crimes By Moonlight: Mysteries from the Dark Side
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — John Curran, Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks
Special Service award — Ali Karim, Shots
Wildcard awards:
Best Graphic novel — Jason Starr, The Chill
Best Website / Blog — Lucinda Surber & Stan Ulrich, "Stop, You're Killing Me!"
Lifetime Achievement award — Sara Paretsky
Best Novel award — Louise Penny, The Brutal Telling
Best First novel award — Sophie Littlefield, A Bad Day for Sorry
Best Paperback original award — Bryan Gruley, Starvation Lake
Best Short story award — Hank Phillippi Ryan, "On the House", from Quarry: Crime Stories by New England Writers
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — P.D. James, Talking About Detective Fiction
Special Service award — no award issued
Best Novel award — Michael Connelly, The Brass Verdict
Best First novel award — Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Best Paperback original award — Julie Hyzy, State of the Onion
Best Short story award — Sean Chercover, "A Sleep Not Unlike Death" from Hardcore Hardboiled
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — Jeffrey Marks, Anthony Boucher: A Biobibliography
Special Service award — Jon and Ruth Jordan, publishers and editors of Crimespree magazine
Wildcard awards:
Best Children's / Young-adult novel — Chris Grabenstein, The Crossroads
Best Cover art — Peter Mendelsund, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Lifetime Achievement award — Allen J. Hubin
Best Novel award — Laura Lippman, What the Dead Know
Best First novel award — Tana French, In the Woods
Best Paperback original award — P. J. Parrish, A Thousand Bones
Best Short story award — Laura Lippman, "Hardly Knew Her" from Dead Man's Hand
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — Jon Lellenberg & Daniel Stashower & Charles Foley, Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters
Special Service award — Jon and Ruth Jordan, publishers and editors of Crimespree magazine
Wildcard awards:
Best Website / Blog — Lucinda Surber & Stan Ulrich, "Stop, You're Killing Me!"
Lifetime Achievement award — Robert Rosenwald and Barbara G. Peters
Best Novel award — Laura Lippman, No Good Deeds
Best First novel award — Louise Penny, Still Life
Best Paperback original award — Dana Cameron, Ashes and Bones
Best Short story award — Simon Wood, "My Father's Secret", from Crimespree Magazine B'con 2006 Special Ed, pp 20–22
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — Jim Huang & Austin Lugar – Mystery Muses
Special Service award — Jim Huang, Crum Creek Press and The Mystery Company
Wildcard awards:
Lifetime Achievement award — James Sallis
Best Novel award — William Kent Krueger, Mercy Falls
Best First novel award — Chris Grabenstein, Tilt-a-Whirl
Best Paperback original award — Reed Farrel Coleman, The James Deans
Best Short story award — Barbara Seranella, "Misdirection", from Greatest Hits
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — Marv Lachman, Heirs Of Anthony Boucher
Special Service award — Janet Rudolph, Mystery Readers International
Wildcard awards:
Best Fan Publication — Jon and Ruth Jordan, Crimespree Magazine
Lifetime Achievement award — Robert B. Parker
Best Novel award — William Kent Krueger, Blood Hollow
Best First novel award — Harley Jane Kozak, Dating Dead Man
Best Paperback original award — Jason Starr, Twisted City
Best Short story award — Elaine Viets, "Wedding Knife", from Chesapeake Crimes
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — Max Allan Collins & et al., Men's Adventure Magazines
Special Service award — no award issued
Wildcard awards:
Best Cover art — Sohrab Habibion, Brooklyn Noir
Lifetime Achievement award — Bill Pronzini & Marcia Muller
Best Novel award — Laura Lippman, Every Secret Thing
Best First novel award — P. J. Tracy, Monkeewrench
Best Paperback original award — Robin Burcell, Deadly Legacy
Best Short story award — Rhys Bowen, "Doppelganger", from Blood on Their Hands
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — Gary Warren Niebuhr, Make Mine a Mystery: A Reader's Guide to Mystery and Detective Fiction
Special Service award — no award issued
Wildcard awards:
Best Young-adult mystery — J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Best Historical mystery — Rhys Bowen, For The Love Of Mike
Best Novel award — Michael Connelly, City of Bones
Best First novel award — Julia Spencer-Fleming, In the Bleak Midwinter
Best Paperback original award — Robin Burcell, Fatal Truth
Best Short story award — Marcia Talley, "Too Many Cooks", from Much Ado About Murder
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — Jim Huang, They Died In Vain: Overlooked, Underappreciated and Forgotten Mystery Novels
Special Service award — no award issued
Wildcard awards:
Best Cover art — Michael Kellner from photograph by Christopher Voelker, Measures of Poison
Best Novel award — Dennis Lehane, Mystic River
Best First novel award — C. J. Box, Open Season
Best Paperback original award — Charlaine Harris, Dead Until Dark
Best Short story award — Bill Crider & Judy Crider, "Chocolate Moose", from Death Dines at 8:30
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — Tony Hillerman, Seldom Disappointed
Special Service award — Doris Ann Norris
Wildcard awards:
Best Cover art — Michael Storrings, from photograph by Josef Beck, Reflecting the Sky
Best Young-adult mystery — Penny Warner, The Mystery of the Haunted Caves
Best Novel award — Val McDermid, A Place of Execution
Best First novel award — Qiu Xiaolong, Death of a Red Heroine
Best Paperback original award — Kate Grilley, Death Dances to a Reggae Beat
Best Short story award — Edward D. Hoch, "The Problem of the Potting Shed", from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine July 2000
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — Jim Huang, 100 Favorite Mysteries Of The Century
Wildcard awards:
Best Anthology / Short-story collection — Lawrence Block, Master's Choice II
Best Fan publication — Chris Aldrich & Lynn Kaczmarek, Mystery News
Lifetime Achievement award — Edward D. Hoch
Best Novel award — Peter Robinson, In a Dry Season
Best First novel award — Donna Andrews, Murder with Peacocks
Best Paperback original award — Laura Lippman, In Big Trouble
Best Short story award — Meg Chittenden, "Noir Lite", from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine January 1999
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — Willetta L. Heising, Detecting Women (3rd edition)
Wildcard awards:
Best Series of the century — Agatha Christie, Hercule Poirot series
Best Writer of the century — Agatha Christie
Best Novel of the century — Daphne Du Maurier, Rebecca
Lifetime Achievement award — Jane Langton
Best Novel award — Michael Connelly, Blood Work
Best First novel award — William Kent Krueger, Iron Lake
Best Paperback original award — Laura Lippman, Butcher's Hill
Best Short story award — Barbara D'Amato, "Of Course You Know that Chocolate Is a Vegetable", from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine November 1998
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — George Easter, Deadly Pleasures Magazine
Wildcard awards:
Lifetime Achievement award — Len & June Moffatt
Best Novel award — S. J. Rozan, No Colder Place
Best First novel award — Lee Child, Killing Floor
Best Paperback original award — Rick Riordan, Big Red Tequila
Best Short story award — Jan Grape, "A Front Row Seat", from Vengeance is Hers and Edward D. Hoch, "One Bag of Coconuts", from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine November 1997
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — no award issued
Wildcard awards:
Best Cover art — Michael Kellner, Night Dogs
Best Novel award — Michael Connelly, The Poet
Best First novel award — Dale Furutani, Death in Little Tokyo and Terris McMahan Grimes, Somebody Else's Child
Best Paperback original award — Terris McMahan Grimes, Somebody Else's Child
Best Short story award — Carolyn Wheat, "Accidents Will Happen", from Malice Domestic 5
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — Willetta L. Heising, Detecting Women 2: Reader's Guide and Checklist for Mystery Series Written by Women
Wildcard awards:
Best Fanzine — The Armchair Detective
Lifetime Achievement award — Donald E. Westlake
Best Novel award — Mary Willis Walker, Under the Beetle's Cellar
Best First novel award — Virginia Lanier, Death in Bloodhound Red
Best Paperback original award — Harlan Coben, Deal Breaker
Best Short story award — Gar Anthony Haywood, "And Pray Nobody Sees You", from Spooks, Spies, and Private Eyes
Best Critical / Non-fiction work — Kate Stine, The Armchair Detective Book of Lists, 2nd Edition
Wildcard awards:
Best Cover art — Pamela Patrick, The Body In The Transept
Best Editor — Sara Ann Freed
Best Magazine / Digest / Review publication — The Armchair Detective
Best Movie — The Usual Suspects
Best Publisher — St. Martin's Press
Best Short story collection — Marcia Muller, The McCone Files: The Complete Sharon McCone Stories
Best True crime — Ann Rule, Dead By Sunset: Perfect Husband, Perfect Killer?
Best TV show — The X-Files
Best Novel award — Sharyn McCrumb, She Walks These Hills
Best First novel award — Caleb Carr, The Alienist
Best Paperback original award — no award issued
Best Short story award — Sharyn McCrumb, "The Monster of Glamis", from Royal Crimes
Best Critical work — B.A. Pike & J. Cooper, Crime Fiction, 2nd Edition
Wildcard awards:
Best Anthology / Short story collection — Tony Hillerman, The Mysterious West
Best Film — Pulp Fiction
Best True crime — David Canter, Criminal Shadows: Inside the Mind of the Serial Killer
Best TV series — Prime Suspect
Lifetime Achievement award — Ruth Rendell
Best Novel award — Marcia Muller, Wolf in the Shadows
Best First novel award — Nevada Barr, Track of the Cat
Best Paperback original award — no award issued
Best Short story award — Susan Dunlap, "Checkout", from Malice Domestic 2
Best Critical work — Ed Gorman & Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff, The Fine Art Of Murder: The Mystery Reader's Indispensable Companion
Wildcard awards:
Best Anthology / Short story collection — Martin H. Greenberg, Mary Higgins Clark presents Malice Domestic 2
Best True crime — Ann Rule, A Rose For Her Grave: and Other True Cases
Lifetime Achievement award — Tony Hillerman
Best Novel award — Margaret Maron, Bootlegger's Daughter
Best First novel award — Barbara Neely, Blanche on the Lam
Best Paperback original award — no award issued
Best Short story award — Diane Mott Davidson, "Cold Turkey", from Sisters in Crime 5
Best Critical work — Ellen Nehr, Doubleday Crime Club Compendium 1928-1991
Wildcard awards:
Best Motion picture — The Crying Game
Best True crime — Barbara D'Amato, The Doctor, The Murder, The Mystery: The True Story of the Dr. John Branion Murder Case
Lifetime Achievement award — Hammond Innes and Ralph McInerny
Best Novel award — Peter Lovesey, The Last Detective
Best First novel award — Sue Henry, Murder on the Iditarod Trail
Best Paperback original award — no award issued
Best Short story award — Liza Cody, "Lucky Dip", from A Woman’s Eye
Best Critical work — Maxim Jakubowski, 100 Great Detectives
Wildcard awards:
Best Anthology / Short story collection — Sara Paretsky, A Woman's Eye
Best True crime — David Simon, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
Lifetime Achievement award — Charlotte MacLeod
Best Novel award — Sue Grafton, "G" Is for Gumshoe
Best First novel award — Patricia Cornwell, Postmortem
Best Paperback original award — James McCahery, Grave Undertaking & Rochelle Krich, Where's Mommy Now?
Best Short story award — Susan Dunlap, "The Celestial Buffet", from Sisters in Crime 2
Best Critical work — Jon L. Breen & Martin H. Greenberg, Synod Of Sleuths
Wildcard awards:
Best Motion picture — Presumed Innocent
Best Television series — Mystery!
Lifetime Achievement award — William Campbell Gault
Best Novel award — Sarah Caudwell, The Sirens Song of Murder
Best First novel award — Karen Kijewski, Katwalk
Best Paperback original award — Carolyn Hart, Honeymoon with Murder
Best Short story award — Nancy Pickard, "Afraid All The Time", from Sisters in Crime
Wildcard awards:
Best Movie — Crimes and Misdemeanors
Best TV series — Inspector Morse
Lifetime Achievement award — Michael Gilbert
Best Novel award — Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs
Best First novel award — Elizabeth George, A Great Deliverance
Best Paperback original award — Carolyn Hart, Something Wicked
Best Short story award — no award issued
Wildcard awards:
Lifetime Achievement award — Dorothy Salisbury Davis
Best Novel award — Tony Hillerman, Skinwalkers
Best First novel award — Gillian Roberts, Caught Dead in Philadelphia
Best Paperback original award — Robert Crais, The Monkey's Raincoat
Best Short story award — Robert Barnard, "Breakfast Television", from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, January 1987
Wildcard awards:
Best Movie — The Big Easy
Best TV series — Mystery!
Best Novel award — Sue Grafton, "C" Is for Corpse
Best First novel award — Bill Crider, Too Late to Die
Best Paperback original award — Robert Wright Campbell, The Junkyard Dog
Best Short story award — Sue Grafton, "The Parker Shotgun", from Mean Streets
Best Novel award — Sue Grafton, "B" Is for Burglar
Best First novel award — Jonathan Kellerman, When the Bough Breaks
Best Paperback original award — Nancy Pickard, Say No To Murder
Best Short story award — Linda Barnes, "Lucky Penny", from The New Black Mask, No. 3
Wildcard awards:
Best Movie — Witness
Best TV series — Murder, She Wrote'
Grand Master — Barbara Mertz
