Each year the Australian Crime Writers Association recognises and celebrates the achievements and continuing strength of Australian authors.
The Ned Kelly Awards for crime writing are among Australia’s oldest and most recognised awards. They are a highlight of the Australian publishing and literary calendar.
Australia’s love affair with crime books continued this year with 137 books entered for the 2025 Ned Kelly Awards. The majority of those entries were for the Best Crime category with 90 books.
The judging panel commented that the 2025 entries offered a large range of sub-genre within the crime fiction category, including humour, horror, futuristic, historic and rural crime as well as a book of connected short stories. Settings, too, ranged across several international locations in addition to Australia’s inner city, farmlands and much loved outback.
The Australian Crime Writers Association is proud to announce the 2025 Ned Kelly Awards Shortlist for Best Crime Fiction
Shadow City - By Natalie Conyer
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 JP Pomare
Storm Child - By Michael Robotham
Award categories: Best True Crime, Best Debut, Best International and Best Crime Fiction. Inquiries to: Karina Kilmore: info@austcrimewriters.com (Winners announced September)