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 After the sponsorship was withdrawn, this award was not reinstated.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 Winners and, where known, shortlisted titles for each year:
1950s Year Author WorkCrossed 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 Year Author WorkGold Dagger 1960 Lionel Davidson The Night of Wenceslas Mary Stewart My Brother Michael Julian Symons The Progress of a Crime 1961 Mary Kelly The Spoilt Kill John le Carré Call for the Dead Allan Prior One Way 1962 Joan Fleming When I Grow Rich Eric Ambler The Light of Day Colin Watson Hopjoy Was Here 1963 John le Carré The Spy Who Came in from the Cold Nicolas Freeling Gun Before Butter William Haggard The High Wire 1964 H. R. F. Keating The Perfect Murder Gavin Lyall The Most Dangerous Game Ross Macdonald The Chill Patricia HighsmithBest Foreign The Two Faces of January 1965 Ross Macdonald The Far Side of the Dollar Dick Francis For Kicks Emma Lathen Accounting for Murder Gavin LyallBest British Midnight Plus One 1966 Lionel Davidson A Long Way to Shiloh John Bingham The Double Agent John BallBest Foreign In the Heat of the Night 1967 Emma Lathen Murder Against the Grain Colin Watson Lonely Heart 4122 Eric AmblerBest British Dirty Story 1968 Peter Dickinson Skin Deep Nicholas Blake The Private Wound Sébastien JaprisotBest Foreign The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun 1969 Peter Dickinson A Pride of Heroes Francis CliffordSilver Dagger Another Way of Dying Rex StoutBest Foreign The Father Hunt
1970s 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 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 AliveAndrew TaylorOur Father's LiesJill Paton WalshA Piece of Justice 1986 Ruth Rendell Live Flesh P. D. James A Taste for Death 1987 Barbara Vine A Fatal Inversion Scott Turow Presumed InnocentLiza CodyUnder Contract 1988 Michael Dibdin Ratking Sara Paretsky Toxic Shock 1989 Colin Dexter The Wench Is Dead Desmond Lowden The Shadow Run
1990s Year Author Work 1990 Reginald Hill Bones and Silence Mike Phillips The Late CandidateJohn HarveyRough Treatment 1991 Barbara Vine King Solomon's Carpet Frances Fyfield Deep SleepJanet NeelDeath of a PartnerMichael DibdinDirty Tricks 1992 Colin Dexter The Way Through the Woods Liza Cody Bucket Nut 1993 Patricia Cornwell Cruel and Unusual Sarah Dunant FatlandsRobert RichardsonThe Hand of Strange ChildrenJanet NeelDeath Among the Dons 1994 Minette Walters The Scold's Bridle Peter Høeg Miss Smilla's Feeling for SnowVal McDermidCrack DownSara ParetskyTunnel Vision 1995 Val McDermid The Mermaids Singing Peter Lovesey The SummonsElizabeth IronsideDeath in the GardenMinette WaltersThe Dark Room 1996 Ben Elton Popcorn Peter Lovesey BloodhoundsJessica MannA Private Enquiry 1997 Ian Rankin Black and Blue Janet Evanovich Three to Get DeadlyFrank LeanThe Reluctant Investigator 1998 James Lee Burke Sunset Limited Nicholas Blincoe Manchester SlingbackMichael DibdinA Long FinishGeoffrey ArcherFire HawkReginald HillOn Beulah HeightGeorge PelecanosKing Suckerman 1999 Robert Wilson A Small Death in Lisbon Adrian Mathews Vienna BloodVal McDermidA Place of ExecutionIan RankinDead SoulsMichael ConnellyAngels FlightDenise DanksPhreakFrances FyfieldStaring at the Light
2000s Year Author Work 2000 Jonathan Lethem Motherless Brooklyn Donna Leon Friends in High PlacesJames Lee BurkePurple Cane RoadEliot PattisonThe Skull MantraLucy WadhamLostMartin Cruz SmithHavana Bay 2001 Henning Mankell Sidetracked Giles Blunt Forty Words for SorrowStephen BoothDancing with the VirginsDenise DanksBaby LoveGeorge PelecanosRight as RainScott PhillipsThe Ice Harvest 2002 José Carlos Somoza The Athenian Murders James Crumley The Final CountryMark BillinghamScaredy CatJames Lee BurkeJolie Blon's BounceMichael ConnellyCity of BonesMinette WaltersAcid Row 2003 Minette Walters Fox Evil Morag Joss Half-Broken ThingsBoris AkuninThe Winter QueenRobert LittellThe CompanyCarlo LucarelliAlmost BlueRobert WilsonThe Blind Man of Seville 2004 Sara Paretsky Blacklist John Harvey Flesh and BloodMo HayderTokyoVal McDermidThe Torment of OthersJames W. NicholMidnight CabLaura WilsonThe Lover 2005 Arnaldur Indriðason Silence of the Grave Barbara Nadel Deadly WebKarin FossumCalling Out for YouFriedrich GlauserIn Matto's RealmCarl HiaasenSkinny DipFred VargasSeeking Whom He May DevourDuncan Lawrie Dagger 2006 Ann Cleeves Raven BlackSimon BeckettThe Chemistry of DeathThomas H. CookRed LeavesFrances FyfieldSafer Than HousesBill JamesWolves of MemoryLaura WilsonA Thousand Lies 2007 Peter Temple The Broken ShoreGiles BluntThe Fields of GriefJames Lee BurkePegasus DescendingGillian FlynnSharp ObjectsCraig RussellBrother GrimmC. J. SansomSovereign 2008 Frances Fyfield Blood from StoneJames Lee BurkeThe Tin Roof BlowdownColin CotterillThe Coroner's LunchSteve HamiltonNight WorkLaura LippmanWhat the Dead KnowR. N. MorrisA Vengeful LongingGold Dagger 2009 William Brodrick A Whispered NameKate AtkinsonWhen Will There Be Good News?Mark BillinghamIn the DarkLawrence BlockHit and RunM. R. HallThe CoronerGene KerriganDark Times in the City
2010s Year Author Work 2010 Belinda Bauer Blacklands S. J. Bolton Blood HarvestGeorge PelecanosThe Way HomeKaren CampbellShadowplay 2011 Tom Franklin Crooked Letter, Crooked LetterSteve HamiltonThe Lock ArtistA. D. MillerSnowdropsDenise MinaThe End of the Wasp Season 2012 Gene Kerrigan The RageN. J. CooperVengeance in MindM. R. HallThe FlightChris WomersleyBereft 2013 Mick Herron Dead LionsBelinda BauerRubberneckerLauren BeukesThe Shining GirlsBecky MastermanRage Against the Dying 2014 Wiley Cash This Dark Road to MercyPaula DalyKeep Your Friends ClosePaul MendelsonThe First Rule of SurvivalLouise PennyHow the Light Gets In 2015 Michael Robotham Life or DeathBelinda BauerThe Shut EyeJames Carlos BlakeThe Rules of WolfeRobert GalbraithThe SilkwormSam HawkenMissingStephen KingMr. MercedesAttica LockePleasantville 2016 Bill Beverly DodgersChris BrookmyreBlack WidowDenise MinaBlood Salt WaterMick HerronReal Tigers 2017 Jane Harper The DryBelinda BauerThe Beautiful DeadRay CelestinDead Man's BluesMick HerronSpook StreetDerek B. MillerThe Girl in GreenAbir MukherjeeA Rising Man 2018 Steve Cavanagh The LiarMick HerronLondon RulesSince We FellAttica LockeBluebird, BluebirdAbir MukherjeeA Necessary EvilEmma ViskicResurrection Bay 2019 M. W. Craven The Puppet ShowClaire AskewAll the Hidden TruthsChristobel KentWhat We DidDonna LeonUnto Us a Son Is GivenDerek B. MillerAmerican by DayBenjamin WoodA Station on the Path to Somewhere Better
2020s Year Author Work 2020 Michael Robotham Good Girl, Bad GirlClaire AskewWhat You Pay ForLou BerneyNovember RoadJohn FairfaxForced ConfessionsMick HerronJoe CountryAbir MukherjeeDeath in the East 2021 Chris Whitaker We Begin at the EndS. A. CosbyBlacktop WastelandBen CreedCity of GhostsNicci FrenchHouse of CorrectionRobert GalbraithTroubled BloodElly GriffithsThe Postscript MurdersThomas MullenMidnight Atlanta 2022 Ray Celestin Sunset SwingJacqueline BublitzBefore You Knew My NameS. A. CosbyRazorblade TearsJohn HartThe UnwillingAbir MukherjeeThe Shadows of MenWilliam ShawThe Trawlerman 2023George Dawes Green The Kingdoms of SavannahVaseem Khan The Lost Man of BombaySimon MasonA Killing in NovemberAnna MazzolaThe Clockwork GirlWC RyanThe Winter GuestSimon Van der VeldeThe Silent Brother2024Una Mannion Tell Me What I AmBlack RiverVera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for MurderersOver My Dead Body Small Mercies 2025 The Book of Secrets A Divine Fury I Died at Fallow Hall The Bell Tower The Hunter Guide Me Home2026 The Death of UsKing of AshesNot Quite Dead Yet
Multiple awards and nominations
Gold Dagger
The following individuals received two or more Gold Dagger awards:
Wins Author Nominations 4 Ruth Rendellincluding two awards for Barbara Vine novels 5 2 Eric Ambler4 Colin Dexter Minette Walters John le Carré 3 Lionel Davidson2 Peter Dickinson Joan Fleming H. R. F. KeatingMichael Robotham
The following individuals received two or more Gold Dagger nominations:
Nominations Author 6 Mick Herron 5 James Lee BurkeRuth Rendellincluding two nominations for Barbara Vine novels 4 Eric Ambler Belinda Bauer Colin DexterFrances FyfieldPeter LoveseyVal McDermidAbir MukherjeeMinette Walters 3 John le Carré Michael Dibdin P. D. James Sara ParetskyGeorge Pelecanos 2 Claire Askew Margot Bennett Mark Billingham Francis Clifford Liza Cody Michael Connelly S. A. Cosby Denise Danks Lionel Davidson Peter Dickinson Joan Fleming Dick Francis Robert Galbraith M. R. HallSteve Hamilton Reginald Hill H. R. F. KeatingEmma Lathen Donna Leon Gavin LyallRoss MacdonaldNgaio MarshJames H. McClureWilliam McIlvanneyDerek B. MillerDenise MinaJanet NeelAnthony PriceIan RankinMichael RobothamMartin Cruz SmithJulian SymonsColin WatsonLaura WilsonRobert Wilson
Silver Dagger