The CWA Dagger Awards 2009
TV deal marks new chapter in Crime Writers’ Association history

London, 1st September, 2009 — The Crime Writers’ Association is pleased to announce that it will join forces with Specsavers, Cactus TV and ITV3 to celebrate the Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards 2009.

Following the success of last year’s inaugural event on ITV3, the 2009 event will be merged with the Crime Writers’ Association Daggers and the new combined “Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards on ITV3” will take place on Wednesday, 21st October, 2009 and be shown on ITV3 later that month.

Crime Writers’ Association Chair Margaret Murphy commented: “The Crime Writers’ Association Daggers have been synonymous with quality crime writing for over fifty years. This exciting partnership with Cactus TV and ITV3 will enable us to create a mass media platform for the Crime Writers’ Association’s proud heritage in recognising great crime writing talent. We are delighted that the CWA Gold Dagger, Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, and John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger will benefit from this increased exposure and we look forward to reaching a new audience for what is already publishing’s most popular genre.”

Th new partnership is a three year deal between the four parties. The initiative has the support of leading publishers and high street retailers and will have posters and stickered books in shops and supermarkets and coverage in the press, reinforcing the Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards as a major industry event.

The culmination of a six-week season of ITV3 crime and drama programming, the Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards (“Daggers”) will be a glittering occasion at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. The awards ceremony will celebrate the crème de la crème of Crime & Thriller fiction with awards focusing on the best of British and International crime thriller novels.

Literary Awards presented will include the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year, the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for best thriller, the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger for a new author of note, and the Hall Of Fame Dagger, which honours the achievements of the genre’s greatest exponents, past and present. In addition, the evening will introduce a brand new award – the The ITV3 Bestseller Dagger, sponsored by Specsavers – voted for by ITV3 viewers.
The Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards will also celebrate crime fiction off the page with awards focusing on the greatest crime and thriller films and TV dramas of the year – along with the actors who brought the characters to life. Each award of the evening will be presented by celebrity faces with a connection to the world of crime fiction – last year’s presenters included Dame Helen Mirren and Ricky Gervais.

The Daggers in contention are:
The CWA Gold Dagger for the best Crime Novel of the year.
The CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger – for first books by previously unpublished writers, awarded in memory of CWA founder John Creasey.
The CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger – for the year’s best thriller.
The The ITV3 Bestseller Dagger, sponsored by Specsavers – voted for by ITV3 viewers.
The Hall of Fame – honouring the achievements of the genre’s greatest exponents, past and present.
The Film Dagger – for the best big-screen crime thriller story.
The TV Dagger – for the best small-screen crime thriller drama.
The International TV Dagger – for the best TV crime thriller drama from around the world.
The Best Actress Dagger – for the female star of a crime thriller drama.
The Best Actor Dagger - for the male star of a crime thriller drama.

The shortlists for each of these award categories will be announced on 4th September, 2009.