Genre
Edgar Allan Poe Awards (Edgar Awards)
Mystery Writers of America (MWA)
In short
The Edgar Awards are run by Mystery Writers of America for mystery and crime writing published in the United States during a calendar year. Booksellers, libraries, and genre press report the nominations. There is no entry fee and the publisher normally submits, though an author may; ask your publisher in the month of publication whether the book has been entered and in which single category. Self-published work is not eligible, and the publisher must appear on the association's approved list.
Deadline December 7, 2026Checked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Every label is a fact from the official rules, never a judgment about whether the award is worth entering. How we describe awards.
The Edgar Awards, run by Mystery Writers of America (MWA), recognize mystery and crime writing published in the United States during a calendar year. Book categories cover novels, first novels by American authors, paperback originals, fact crime, critical and biographical work, juvenile, and young adult titles, alongside short story and television categories and the named Mary Higgins Clark, Sue Grafton Memorial, and Lilian Jackson Braun awards.
There is no entry fee. Works are normally submitted by the publisher, but the author may submit. One copy of the book goes to each judge on the relevant committee, and most judges accept digital files. Submissions run on a rolling schedule tied to the book's publication month, with everything due to the judges by early December.
Self-published work is not eligible under the current rules, and the publisher must appear on MWA's approved publisher list. A work may be entered in only one Edgar category (the named awards are the exception).
Why it may matter
The Edgars are the longest-running awards specific to the mystery and crime genre in the United States, and nominations are widely reported by booksellers, libraries, and genre press. Because the publisher is expected to submit and a copy must reach every judge, the practical step for a traditionally published author is confirming early in the publication year that the book has been entered in the right category.
2027 cycle: 2027 Edgar Awards (works published in 2026)
- Eligible publication dates
- January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026
- Final deadline
- December 7, 2026Checked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Deadline note
- Rolling deadlines by publication month: January to March books by April 30, April by May 29, May by June 30, June by July 31, July by August 31, August by September 30, September by October 30, and October to December books by December 7, 2026. All works must arrive with the judges by December 7, 2026
- Entry fee
- No entry feeChecked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Results
- Nominations announced on or around January 19, 2027; winners announced at the Edgar Awards banquet in New York City in late April or early May 2027
| Tier | Deadline | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Per entry | See rules | No fee |
Worth knowing
Our reading, not a rule the organization published. We judge an award on the rubric in how we describe awards.
Deadlines are staggered by publication month (for example, books published January through March 2026 were due April 30, 2026), so a book published early in the year has an early deadline even though the final cutoff is in December. Submitters must also confirm the work is free of AI-generated material. MWA posts a running list of works received; appearing on it means the book was submitted, not that it was nominated.
Rules and deadlines change. We last checked this information on September 13, 2026. If you see something that needs updating, please tell us.
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