The 2026 Edgar Awards have officially wrapped up for the year, with the Mystery Writers of America announcing this year’s winners on Wednesday night. It is always a fun moment in the mystery world, with plenty of interest in which books and authors take home the big prizes.
If you are new to the Edgars, they honour the best in mystery across just about every format you can think of, from fiction and non-fiction to television, film, and theatre. First established in 1946, the awards have long been considered some of the most respected honours in the mystery world.
For readers of this site, the key categories include Best Novel, Best First Novel by an American Author, Best Paperback Original, Best Fact Crime, Best Critical or Biography, Best Short Story, Best Juvenile, Best Young Adult, the Robert L. Fish Award, the Mary Higgins Clark Award, the Sue Grafton Memorial Award, the Lillian Jackson Braun Memorial Award, and of course the Grand Master Award.
If you are curious about the awards named after authors, each one celebrates a different corner of the mystery world. The Robert L. Fish Award recognises outstanding short fiction by a new writer. The Mary Higgins Clark Award highlights suspense novels that follow the traditions of Clark’s own work, with strong heroines and high stakes. The Sue Grafton Memorial Award honours novels that carry on the spirit of Grafton’s alphabet series. And the Lilian Jackson Braun Award shines a light on books that embrace the cosy, character‑driven style Braun was known for.
With that said, here are the winners of the MWA’s 2026 Edgar Awards:
2026 Edgar Award Winners
As announced earlier in the year, Donna Andrews and Lee Child were both named Grand Masters by the MWA. A well-deserved honour for two authors who have shaped the genre in very different ways.
A few additional highlights round out the night. The teleplay for the “Pilot” episode of Paradise by Dan Fogelman won Best Television Teleplay. The Book Passage bookshop in Corte Madera, California received the Raven Award for its contributions to the mystery community. And John Scognamiglio of Kensington Books was awarded the Ellery Queen Award, which recognises writing teams and other key figures in the publishing world.
Congratulations to all of this year’s winners. It is always great to see such a wide range of voices and styles represented.
For more on the awards, you can visit EdgarAwards.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Based near Toronto, Brandon is a news writer and Book Specialist for Book Notification who covers the world of books, maintains author pages, writes a variety of content, and is an avid reader of non-fiction and biographies.