Walking Away with Wins

During an awards ceremony tonight at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, the 2010 Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards were handed out in a variety of book, TV, and film categories. The recipients were:

CWA Gold Dagger 2010: Blacklands, by Belinda Bauer (Corgi)

Also nominated: Blood Harvest, by S.J. Bolton (Bantam Press); Shadowplay, by Karen Campbell (Hodder & Stoughton); and The Way Home, by George Pelecanos (Orion)

CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2010 (sponsored by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.): A Loyal Spy, by Simon Conway (Hodder & Stoughton)

Also nominated: The Dying Light, by Henry Porter (Orion); Innocent, by Scott Turow (Macmillan); and The Gentlemen’s Hour, by Don Winslow (Heinemann)

CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger 2010: Acts of Violence, by Ryan David Jahn (Pan)

Also nominated: The Pull of the Moon, by Diane Janes (Robinson); Rupture, by Simon Lelic (Picador); and The Holy Thief, by William Ryan (Mantle)

The Film Dagger: Inception (Warner Bros.)

Also nominated: District 9 (Sony Pictures), Sherlock Holmes (Warner Bros.), and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Momentum Pictures)

The TV Dagger: Sherlock (BBC)

Also nominated: Ashes to Ashes, Series 3 (Kudos); Luther (BBC); and Wallander, Series 2 (Left Bank Pictures)

The International TV Dagger: Wallander, Series 2 (Yellow Bird Films)

Also nominated: Damages, Season 3 (Sony Pictures); and The Good Wife, Season 1 (CBS)

The Best Actress Dagger: Maxine Peake (Criminal Justice)

Also nominated: Glenn Close (Damages), Hermione Norris (Spooks), Keeley Hawes (Ashes to Ashes and Identity), and Sue Johnston (Waking the Dead)

The Best Actor Dagger: Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock)

Also nominated: Idris Elba (Luther), Kenneth Branagh (Wallander), and Philip Glenister (Ashes to Ashes)

The Best Supporting Actor Dagger: Matthew Macfadyen
(Criminal Justice)

Also nominated: Laurence Fox (Lewis), Rupert Graves (Sherlock), and Tom Hiddleston (Wallander)

The Best Supporting Actress Dagger: Dervla Kirwan (The Silence)

Also nominated: Gina McKee (The Silence), Saskia Reeves (Luther), and Sophie Okonedo (Criminal Justice)

Finally, readers and viewers were asked to cast votes for their favorite TV series character in the People’s Detective Dagger category. From the dozen choices offered, the winner was Christopher Foyle (Foyle’s War).

The Crime Thriller Awards are sponsored by Cactus TV and ITV3 in partnership with the British Crime Writers’ Association (CWA).

JUST ONE MORE THING ...: I forgot to mention some special commendations given out as well this evening. As a press release explains: “In recognition of their outstanding careers, Frederick Forsyth and George Pelecanos collected trophies to commemorate their inauguration into the Hall of Fame sponsored by Specsavers. In honor of its mammoth 26 years on screen, 14 cast members of The Bill were in attendance to collect a Special Recognition Award.”

READ MORE: “A Big Hand to Henriksson and Forsyth,” by Ali Karim (Existentialist Man).