NED KELLY AWARDS SHORT LISTS: Australian Crime Writers Association

The Australian Crime Writers Association announced the 2026 Ned Kelly Awards Shortlist for Best Crime Fiction. The Australian Crime Writers Association recognizes and celebrates the achievements and continuing strength of Australian authors. Stay tuned for other category shortlists.

Lyrebird by Jane Caro

The Other Child by Susi Fox

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

The Ghost Walk by Karen Herbert

Fire in the Head by Daniel Oakman

The White Crow by Michael Robotham

The Casino by Iain Ryan

Ned Kelly Awards Shortlists: Australian Crime Writers Association

The Australian Crime Writers Association announced three new shortlists for the 2025 Ned Kelly Awards. 

Best True Crime Nominees

They’ll Never Hold Me, by Michael Adams (Affirm Press)
A Thousand Miles from Care, by Steve Johnson (William Collins)
The Kingpin and the Crooked Cop, by Neil Mercer (Allen & Unwin)
Meadow’s Law, by Quentin McDermott (HarperCollins)
The Lasting Harm, by Lucia Osborne-Crowley (HarperCollins)

Best International Crime Fiction Nominees

Return to Blood, by Michael Bennett (Simon & Schuster UK)
Leave the Girls Behind, by Jacqueline Bublitz (Allen & Unwin)
The Waiting, by Michael Connelly (Allen & Unwin)
A Case of Matricide, by Graeme Macrae Burnet (Text)
Moscow X, by David McCloskey (Swift Press)
Home Truths, by Charity Norman (Allen & Unwin)

Best Crime Fiction Nominees

Shadow City, by Natalie Conner

Sanctuary, by Garry Disher

Unbury the Dead, by Fiona Hardy

The Creeper, by Margaret Hickey

Cold Truth, by Ashley Kalagian Blunt

Highway 13, by Fiona McFarlane

17 Years Later, by J.P. Pomare

Storm Child, by Michael Robotham

The winners, along with Best Debut Crime Fiction, will be awarded in September.

THE NED KELLY AWARD WINNERS: Australian Crime Writers Association

The Australian Crime Writers Association announced the winners of the Ned Kelly Awards. Congratulations to All! 

2024 Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction:

The Only Suspect - By Louise Candlish

2024 Ned Kelly Award for Best True Crime:

Crossing the Line - By Nick McKenzie

2024 Ned Kelly Awards for Best Crime Fiction: 

Darling Girls - Sally Hepworth

2024 Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction:
Murder in the Pacific: Ifira Point - By Matt Francis

For all the nominees, go here. 

NED KELLEY AWARDS SHORTLISTS: Australian Crime Writers Association

The Australian Crime Writers Association announced the 2023 NED KELLY AWARDS SHORTLISTS.  

BEST TRUE CRIME 

Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! by Officer 

A Death Row at Truro by Geoff Plunkett 

Rattled by Ellis Gunn 

Betrayed by Sandi Logan 

Out of the Ashes by Megan Norris 

BEST INTERNATIONAL CRIME FICTION

 (Published in Australia) 

The Lemon Man by Keith Bruton 

Paper Cage by Tom Baragwanath 

The Favour by Nicci French 

The Hitchhiker by Gerwin van der Werf 

BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION 

Wake by Shelley Burr 

No Country for Girls by Emma Styles 

Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor 

Black River by Matthew Spencer 

How to Kill a Client by Joanna Jenkins 

The House of Now and Then by Jo Dixon 

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne 

Denizen by James McKenzie Watson 

BEST CRIME FICTION 

Soulmate by Sally Hepworth 

When The Carnival is Over by Greg Woodland 

Exiles by Jane Harper 

When We Fall by Aoife Clifford 

The Tilt by Chris Hammer 

Those Who Perish Emma Viskic 

Seven Sisters by Katherine Kovacic

Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham

NED KELLY AWARD WINNERS 2021: Australia Crime Writers Association

NED KELLY AWARD WINNERS: Australia Crime Writers Association 

Congratulations to all!

Best Crime Fiction: Consolation, by Garry Disher (Text)

Also nominated: Gathering Dark, by Candice Fox (Penguin Random House); A Testament of Character, by Sulari Gentill (Pantera Press); The Survivors, by Jane Harper (Pan Macmillan); The Good Turn, by Dervla McTiernan (HarperCollins); Tell Me Lies, by J.P. Pomare (Hachette); When She Was Good, by Michael Robotham (Hachette); and White Throat, by Sarah Thornton (Text)

Best Debut Crime Fiction: The Second Son, by Loraine Peck (Text)

Also nominated: The Good Mother, by Rae Cairns (Bandrui); The Bluffs, by Kyle Perry (Penguin Random House); and The Night Whistler, by Greg Woodland (Text)

Best True Crime: Stalking Claremont: Inside the Hunt for a Serial Killer, by Bret Christian (HarperCollins)

Also nominated: The Husband Poisoner, by Tanya Bretherton (Hachette); Public Enemies, by Mark Dapin (Allen & Unwin); Hazelwood, by Tom Doig (Penguin Random House); and Witness, by Louise Milligan (Hachette)

Best International Crime Fiction: We Begin at the End, by Chris Whitaker (Allen & Unwin)

Also nominated: The Guest List, by Lucy Foley (HarperCollins); The Secrets of Strangers, by Charity Norman (Allen & Unwin); Take Me Apart, by Sara Sligar (Text); and Broken, by Don Winslow (HarperCollins)

2019 Ned Kelly Award Winners

The Australian Crime Writers Association announced the winners of the 2019 Ned Kelly Awards.

Longlist: 2019 Best Fiction

The Rip by Mark Brandi
Kill Shot by Garry Disher
Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox
The Spotted Dog by Kerry Greenwood
Scrublands by Chris Hammer
The Lost Man by Jane Harper
The Other Wife by Michael Robotham
Preservation by Jock Serong
Under Your Wings by Tiffany Tsao
Live and Let Fry by Sue Williams

Longlist: 2019 Best True Crime

Trace by Rachael Brown
The Arsonist by Chloe Hooper
Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee
Southern Justice by Colin McLaren
Siege by Deborah Snow
The Prisoner by Kerry Tucker with Craig Henderson
The Court Reporter by Jamelle Wells
Waiting for Elijah by Kate Wild

Longlist: 2019 Best First Fiction

Half Moon Lake by Kirsten Alexander
The Practice Baby by L.M. Ardor
The Portrait of Molly Dean by Katherine Kovacic
The Yellow House by Emily O'Grady
Lonely Girl by Lynne Vincent McCarthy
The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan
Call Me Evie by J.P. Pomare
Greenlight by Benjamin Stevenson
The Nowhere Child by Christian White

2018 NED KELLY AWARDS

The Australian Crime Writers Association announced the winners of the 2018 Ned Kelly Awards at the Melbourne Writers Festival.

2018 Ned Kelly Awards

Best Crime

• Crossing the Lines by Sulari Gentill

Best First Crime

• The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey

Best True Crime

• Unmaking A Murder: The Mysterious Death of Anna Jane Cheney by Graham Archer

Ned Kelly Awards Shortlist: Australian Crime Writers Association

The Ned Kelly Awards Shortlist was announced at the Melbourne Writers Festival yesterday. The Ned Kelly Awards are given by the Australian Crime Writers Association.

Best Fiction:
Ash Island by Barry Maitland
Before It Breaks by Dave Warner
Fall by Candice Fox
R&R by Mark Dapin
Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty
The Heat by Garry Disher

Best First Fiction
Amplify-A Billy Lime Thriller by Mark Hollands
Four Days by Iain Ryan
Good Money by J.M. Green
Please Don't Leave Me Here by Tania Chandler
Resurrection Bay by Emma Viskic
Skin Deep by Gary Kemble

True Crime
A Murder Without Motive by Martin McKenzie-Murray
Certain Admissions by Gideon Haigh
Kidnapped by Mark Tedeschi
Killing Love by Rebecca Poulson
The Sting by Kate Kyriacou

Ned Kelly Awards: Australia

2013 Ned Kelly Award Winners announced by the Australian Crime Writers Association:

Best First Fiction:
The Midnight Promise, by Zane Lovitt (Text Publishing)

Best Fiction:
Blackwattle Creek, by Geoffrey McGeachin (Penguin)

Best True Crime:
The People Smuggler, by Robin De Crespigny (Penguin)

S.D. Harvey Short Story Award:
“Echoes from the Dolphin,” by Roger Vickery

Here's a link to all the nominees

HT: Fair Dinkum Crime

NED KELLY AWARDS 2013 SHORTLIST

The Australian Crime Writers Association announced the shortlist for the 2013 Ned Kelly Awards.

Best First Fiction
Steve Lewis & Chris Uhlmann – The Marmalade Files
Zane Lovitt - The Midnight Promise
Paul Anderson - The Robbers
Sue Williams - Murder With The Lot
Andrew Grimes - The Richmond Conspiracy

Best Fiction
Robert Gott - The Holiday Murders
Katherine Howell - Web of Deceit
Geoffrey McGeachin - Blackwattle Creek
Adrian McKinty - I Hear The Sirens In The Street
Malla Nunn - Silent Valley

True Crime
Robin de Crespigny - The People Smuggler
Belinda Hawkins - Every Parent’s Nightmare
Steve Lillebuen - The Devil’s Cinema
Derek Pedley - Dead by Friday
Mark Tedeschi QC – Eugenia

HT: Jeremy Lynch, Crimespree

2012 Ned Kelly Award Winners

Crime Writers' Association of Australia announced the winners of the Ned Kelly Awards:

Best Novel: Pig Boy by J.C. Burke (Random House)

Best First Novel: The Cartographer by Peter Twohig (HarperCollins)

Best True Crime: Sins of the Father by Eamonn Duff (Allen & Unwin)

S.D. Harvey Short Story Award: “Summer of the 17th Poll,”
by A.J. Clifford

Lifetime Achievement: Gabrielle Lord

Hat Tip: Omnimystery News