Mystery
Writers of America (MWA) announced the recipients of its special awards.
The board chose Donna Andrews and Lee Child as the 2026 Grand
Masters, the 2026 Raven Award recipient is Book Passage, and John
Scognamiglio of Kensington Books will receive the Ellery Queen Award. They will
accept their awards at the 80th Annual Edgar Awards Ceremony, which will be
held April 29, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in New York City.
“Donna Andrews has given us more than fifty
novels, proving the cozy subgenre is more relevant than ever. In addition to
her significant literary accomplishments, she has given back to the community
in so many ways, by mentoring aspiring mystery writers, and serving as the MWA
EVP. I’m thrilled to see Donna named as MWA Grand Master,” said MWA Executive
Vice President James L’Etoile. “And Lee Child’s contributions to the genre
are unparalleled. Aside from his thirty critically acclaimed novels featuring
the iconic Jack Reacher, Lee Child is considered one of the most thoughtful and
generous members of the mystery community. Writer, mentor, and Past President
of MWA, he is a role model, and most deserving of being named MWA Grand
Master.”
MWA’s Grand Master Award represents
the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing and was established to
acknowledge important contributions to this genre, as well as for a body of
work that is both significant and of consistent high quality.
The Raven Award recognizes
outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative
writing. For 2026, Mystery Writers of America selected Book Passage
in Corte Madera, CA.
“Book Passage is honoured and thrilled to
receive the Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America. Many of the 10,000
or more author events that we’ve had over the years have featured mystery
writers. During the last 30 years or so, many of these writers have given
of their time to participate in our annual Mystery Writers Conference and have
helped nurture new writers towards successful careers,” Book Passage founder
and president Elaine Petrocelli said. “We’ve found mystery writers to
be resourceful, fearless, and ingenious in describing the problems of the
world. More than that, they know how to keep their portrayal of the dark side
of humanity on the written page. In person, they are wonderful, personable, and
a pleasure to be around.”
The Ellery Queen Award was
established in 1983 to honour “outstanding writing teams and outstanding people
in the mystery-publishing industry.” This year the Board chose to honour John
Scognamiglio of Kensington Books, who began his career 40 years ago as a file clerk in the Contracts
Department at Simon & Schuster in 1986 while still a sophomore at New York
University. He later moved to where he always wanted to be—editorial—and from
1989 to 1992, Scognamiglio worked as an assistant editor for S&S’s
mass-market division, Pocket Books. In February 1992, he joined Kensington
Publishing as an editor, and he became Editor-in-Chief in 2005. He
launched his own imprint, John Scognamiglio Books, at Kensington in 2017.
Among his authors are New York Times bestsellers Lisa Jackson, Joanne
Fluke, Ellen Marie Wiseman and Leslie Meier.
The
Edgar Awards, or “Edgars,” as they are commonly known, are named after MWA’s
patron saint Edgar Allan Poe and are presented to authors of distinguished work
in various categories. MWA is the premier organization for mystery writers,
professionals allied to the crime-writing field, aspiring crime writers, and
those who are devoted to the genre. The organization encompasses some 3,000
members including authors of fiction and nonfiction books, screen and
television writers, as well as publishers, editors, and literary agents. For
more information on Mystery Writers of America, please visit the website: www.mysterywriters.org.
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