The Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence, formerly known as the Arthur Ellis Awards, are a group of Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the Crime Writers of Canada for the best Canadian crime and mystery writing published in the previous year. The award is presented during May in the year following publication.
Originally, the awards were named for Arthur Ellis, the pseudonym of several of Canada's official hangmen, the first and most famous being Arthur B. English. The award statuette was designed by actor and theatre designer Peter Blais.
Best Novel
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+Best Novel Award winners
!Year
!Author
!Title
!Ref.
|-
|1984
|
|'
|
|-
|1985
|
|Murder Sees the Light
|
|-
|1986
|
|Death in the Old Country
|
|-
|1987
|
|Buried on Sunday
|
|-
|1988
|
|Swann
|
|-
|1989
|
|Jack
|
|-
|1990
|
|Hot Shots
|
|-
|1991
|
|'
|
|-
|1992
|
|Past Reason Hated
|
|-
|1993
|
|Lizardskin
|
|-
|1994
|
|Gypsy Sins
|
|-
|1995
|
|'
|
|-
|1996
|
|Mother Love
|
|-
|1997
|
|Innocent Graves
|
|-
|1998
|
|Trial of Passion
|
|-
|1999
|
|Old Wounds
|
|-
|2000
|
|'
|
|-
|2001
|
|Cold Is the Grave
|
|-
|2002
|
|In the Midnight Hour
|
|-
|2003
|
|Blood of Others
|
|-
|2004
|
|'
|
|-
|2005
|
|Fifth Son
|
|-
|2006
|
|April Fool
|
|-
|2007
|
|Honour Among Men
|
|-
|2008
|
|Trumpets Sound No More
|
|-
|2009
|
|Too Close to Home
|
|-
|2010
|
|High Chicago
|
|-
|2011
|
|Bury Your Dead
|
|-
|2012
|
|Before the Poison
|
|-
|2013
|
|Until the Night
|
|-
|2014
|
|'
|
|-
|2015
|
|Plague: Murder Has a New Friend
|
|-
|2016
|
|Open Season
|
|-
|2017
|
|'
|
|-
|2018
|
|Sleeping in the Ground
|
|-
|2019
|
|Though the Heavens Fall
|
|-
|2020
|
|Greenwood
|
|-
|2021
|
|'
|
|-
|2023
|Anthony Bidulka
|Going to Beautiful
|
|-
|2024
|Loreth Anne White
|The Maid's Diary
|
|}
Best First Novel
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+Best First Novel Award winners
!Year
!Author
!Title
!Ref.
|-
|1987
|
|Murder on the Run
|
|-
|1995
|
|What's A Girl Gotta Do?
|
|-
|1998
|
|Déja Dead
|
|-
|2024
|Cherie Dimaline
|Funeral Songs for Dying Girls
|
|}
Best Crime Nonfiction
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+Best Crime Nonfiction Award winners
!Year
!Author
!Title
!Ref.
|-
|1985
|
|'
|
|-
|1986
|
|'
|
|-
|1998
|
| When She Was Bad
|
- 1986 – Margaret Millar
- 1987 – The CBC Drama Department
- 2013 – Lyn Hamilton
- 2014 – not presented
- 2015 – Sylvia McConnell
- 2018 – not presented
- 2019 – Vicki Delany
Grand Master Award
The Grand Master Award is presented every two years as a lifetime achievement award, to a crime writer with a distinguished and successful national and international career.
- 2014 – Howard Engel
- 2018 – Gail Bowen
Best Play
The award for Best Play has only been presented once.
- 1994 – Timothy Findley, The Stillborn Lover