The International Thriller Writers Awards are awarded by International Thriller Writers at the annual Thrillerfest conferences for outstanding work in the field since 2006.
The awards are presented by International Thriller Writers (ITW), a non-profit organization founded in 2004 by authors like Gayle Lynds and David Morrell to support and promote thriller writers globally. With over 6,600 members across 52 countries, the ITW Awards recognize excellence in numerous categories, including: Best Hardcover Novel, Best Series Novel, Best First Novel, Best Young Adult Novel, Best Short Story, and Best Audiobook. The eligibility is generally limited to works first published in the English language during the previous calendar year.
Award winners
+International Thriller Writers Award recipientsYearCategoryAuthorTitlePublisher2006Best First Novel ImprobableWilliam MorrowBest Novel The Patriots ClubDelacorte PressBest Paperback Original Pride Runs DeepJoveBest ScreenplayCachéMichael HanekeThrillermaster 2007Best First Novel Mr ClarinetPenguinBest Novel Killer InstinctSt. Martin's PressBest Paperback Original An Unquiet GravePinnacleBest Screenplay The Good ShepherdThrillermaster 2008Best First Novel Heart-Shaped BoxWilliam MorrowBest Novel The GhostSimon & SchusterBest Paperback Original The Midnight RoadBantamSilver Bullet AwardMacy's and David BaldacciThrillermaster 2009Best First Novel Child 44Grand Central PublishingBest Novel The Bodies Left BehindSimon & SchusterBest Short Story "The Edge of Seventeen"The Darker MaskSilver Bullet Award Dollar General Literacy FoundationThrillermaster 2010Best First NovelRunning from the DevilBest Hard Cover NovelThe NeighborBest Paperback Original NovelThe Coldest MileBest Short Story"A Stab in the Heart"Silver Bullet AwardUS AirwaysThrillermasterTrue Thrill Award2011Best First NovelStill MissingBest Hard Cover NovelBad BloodVirgil Flowers Series, book 4Best Paperback Original NovelThe Cold RoomTaylor Jackson Series, book 4Best Short Story"The Gods for Vengeance Cry"Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, November 2010Silver Bullet AwardThrillermasterTrue Thrill Award2012Best Hard Cover Novel11/22/63Best Paperback Original NovelThe Last MinuteBest Short Story"Half-Lives"Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, March/April 2011Silver Bullet AwardThrillermasterTrue Thrill Award2013Best E-Book Original NovelBlind FaithBest First NovelThe 500Best Hard Cover NovelSpilled BloodBest Paperback Original NovelLake CountryBest Short StoryLost ThingsBest Young Adult NovelFalse MemorySilver Bullet AwardThrillermaster2014Best E-Book Original NovelThe World BeneathBest First NovelRed SparrowBest Hard Cover NovelThe DemonologistBest Paperback Original NovelThe One I Left BehindBest Short Story"Footprints in Water"Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, July 2013Best Young Adult NovelAll Our YesterdaysSilver Bullet AwardThrillermaster2015Best E-Book Original NovelHard FallBest First NovelThe Weight of BloodBest Hard Cover NovelThe FeverBest Paperback Original NovelMoonlight WeepsBest Short Story"The Last Wrestling Bear in West Kentucky"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineBest Young Adult NovelNearly GoneSilver Bullet AwardThrillermaster2016Best E-Book Original Novel The Prisoner's GoldBest First NovelBull MountainBest Hard Cover NovelThe Fifth GospelBest Paperback Original NovelAgainst All EnemiesBest Short Story"Gun Accident: An Investigation"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineBest Young Adult NovelPretending to be EricaSilver Bullet AwardThrillermaster2017Best E-Book Original Novel Romeo's WayBest First NovelThe DrifterBest Hard Cover NovelBefore the FallBest Paperback Original NovelThe Body ReaderBest Short Story"Big Momma"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineBest Young Adult NovelSteeplejackSilver Bullet AwardThriller Legend AwardThrillermaster2018Best E-Book Original NovelSecond ChanceBest First NovelThe Freedom BrokerBest Hard Cover NovelFinal GirlsBest Paperback Original NovelGrievanceBest Short Story"Charcoal and Cherry"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineBest Young Adult NovelThe RainsSilver Bullet AwardThriller Legend Award (Oceanview Publishing) Thrillermaster2019Best E-Book Original Novel Pray for the InnocentBest First Novel The Chalk ManBest Hard Cover Novel Jar of HeartsBest Paperback Original Novel The Lost ManBest Short Story "Nana"Killer Women: Crime Club Anthology #2Best Young Adult Novel Girl at the GraveSilver Bullet Award Thriller Legend Award Thrillermaster2020Best E-Book Original Novel Close To YouBest First Novel Miracle CreekBest Hard Cover Novel The ChainBest Paperback Original Novel The ScholarBest Short Story "The Long-Term Tenant"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineBest Young Adult Novel Keep This To Yourself2021Best E-Book Original Novel A Killing GameBest First Novel Winter CountsBest Hard Cover Novel Blacktop WastelandBest Paperback Original Novel What Lies Between UsBest Short Story "Rent Due"Best Young Adult Novel Throwaway Girls2022Best Audiobook with Adam Lazarre-White (narrator)Razorblade TearsMacmillanBest E-Book Original NovelBlood ParishE. J. FindorffBest First NovelMy Sweet GirlBerkleyBest Hardcover NovelRazorblade TearsFlatiron BooksBest Paperback Original NovelBloodlineThomas & MercerBest Short Story"The Lemonade Stand"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineBest Young Adult NovelThe ProjectWednesday BooksThrillerMastersFrederick ForsythDiana Gabaldon2023Best AudiobookThings We Do in the DarkMacmillan AudioBest E-Book Original NovelThe Couple at Causeway CottageHarperCollinsBest First NovelThe ResemblanceFlatiron BooksBest Hardcover NovelSundialMacmillanBest Paperback Original NovelThe Housemaid Grand Central PublishingBest Short Story"Stockholm"Best Young Adult NovelDaughterWednesday Books2024Best AudiobookThe Last OrphanMacmillan AudioBest E-Book Original NovelThe Killing RoomBlackstone AudioBest First NovelThe Peacock and the SparrowAtria Publishing GroupBest Hardcover NovelAll the Sinners BleedMacmillanBest Paperback Original NovelThe Paleontologist Atria Publishing GroupBest Short Story"Unknown Caller"Best Young Adult NovelStatelessLittle, Brown and CompanyThrillerMasters2025Best AudiobookNo One Can KnowMacmillan AudioBest Series NovelTo Die ForGrand Central Publishing Best First NovelAfter ImageThomas & MercerDeadly AnimalsHenry Holt & CoBest Standalone Thriller NovelFlatiron BooksBest Standalone Mystery NovelMissing White Woman Mulholland BooksBest Short StoryBest Young Adult NovelDarklyDelacorte Press ThrillerMasterSilver Bullet Award2026Best Audiobook, narrated by Katy SobeySimon & SchusterBest Series NovelPenguin/PutnamBest First NovelParty of LiarsMinotaurBest Standalone Thriller NovelCross My HeartAtriaBest Short StoryAlfred Hitchcock Mystery MagazineBest Young Adult NovelDelacorte Press
References
External links International Thriller Writers Awards, official website Current and Past Thriller Awards