The 5th annual 2026 Clue Awards are set to take place Saturday at 8 p.m. PT, at Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace, with celebrated “Dateline NBC” television personality Chris Hansen as this year’s host.
The prestigious awards program recognizes outstanding and ethical storytelling in true crime content, encompassing diverse media, including publishing, television, film, and podcasts.
Operating as a formal, ticketed centerpiece, as part of the CrimeCon convention, the evening event brings media professionals, law enforcement, and fans together to recognize ethical and impactful storytelling during a gala banquet.
The annual awards also celebrate the extraordinary contributions of those championing justice for crime victims.
Nominees have been finalized through a rigid, multi-step process, beginning with submissions from networks and independent creators. Entries are then thoroughly vetted before judging takes place by “creators, experts, and leaders within the true crime media community,” who are selected on their expertise, achievements, and professional reputation.
The 2026 CLUE Awards nominees are as follows:
- “My Father, the BTK Killer” | Campfire Studios / Netflix
- “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish” | Terminal B TV / Campfire Studios / Netflix: Winner
- Night in West Texas | Texas Monthly / Naked Edge Films / Myths of Monsters
- Prince Andrew: On Trial | Good TV / Channel 5 / True Royalty
- Ruby Red Handed: Stealing America’s Most Famous Pair of Shoes | ABC News Studios / Committee Films / Hulu
- “On the Case with Paula Zahn” | Weinberger Media / Scott Sternberg Productions / ID
- “The Death Investigator with Barbara Butcher”| Universal Television Alternative Studio / Alfred Street Industries / Wolf Entertainment / Oxygen True Crime: Winner
- “FEDS”| October Films / Orit Entertainment / ID
- “Desert Law” | Twenty Twenty Productions / A&E Network
- “24 Hours In Police Custody: Murder is No Game” | The Garden Productions / Channel 4
- “Dark Winds”| (AMC) AMC Studios
- “Paradise” | (Hulu) 20th Television
- “Reasonable Doubt” | (Hulu) 20th Television and Onyx Collective
- “RJ Decker” | (ABC) 20th Television
- “Only Murders in the Building” | (Hulu) 20th Television: Winner
- “Burden of Guilt” (Season 2)
- “Hunting the Bogeyman”
- “The Binge Betrayal” (Season 5): Winner
- “Blood is Thicker”
- “The Farris Wheel Shipwreck: How a Captain, Company, and Culture Sank the SS El Faro”
Podcast: Outstanding Episodic Series
- “48 Hours: Post Mortem” 48 Hours (CBS News): Winner
- “True Crime Recaps” Jellysmack and Trendly
- “Lawless Planet” Audible
- “One Minute Remaining” Mashed Pumpkin Productions PTY LTD
- “Mind Over Murder” Another Dog Productions and Absolute Zero Productions
- “Courtroom Confidential” | Hosted by Joshua Ritter
- “Crime Weekly” | Hosted by Stephanie Harlowe & Derrick Levasseur: Winner
- “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” | Hosted by Nancy Grace
- “SERIALously & 10 to LIFE” | Hosted by Annie Elise
- “he Prosecutors” | Hosted by Alice LaCour & Brett Talley
Books
Publication: Book of the Year
- “Expert Witness” (Grand Central Publishing) Written by Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess
- “Out of the Woods” (Thomas & Mercer, an imprint of Amazon Publishing) Written by Gregg Olsen
- “Injustice Town” (Pegasus Books) Written by Rick Tulsky: Winner
- “Chasing Down the Zombie Hunter” (Pegasus Books) Written by Troy Hillman
- “Something Big: The True Story of the Brown’s Chicken Massacre” (Post Hill Press) Written by Patrick Wohl
“America’s Greatest Detective” Award
- Tara Augustin & Alyson Dupouy (Maryland’s Montgomery County Police Department) for solving the Leslie Preer cold case: Winner
- Jenn Benjamins (Retired Sergeant, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; founder of Covert Blue LLC)
- Vicki Rains Pearson (Sergeant, Richland County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina)
The Crimefighter of the Year honor will be presented to Jeffrey Epstein survivors, Jena-Lisa Jones, Haley Robson and Courtney Wild.
