CrimeCon CLUE Awards Unveil 2026 Winners
Winners of the 2026 CrimeCon CLUE Awards were announced tonight in a ceremony hosted by legendary investigative journalist and host of Takedown with Chris Hansen, Chris Hansen. The premiere awards event that celebrates excellence and responsible storytelling in true crime content – across television, film, podcasting and publishing – was hosted at CrimeCon in Las Vegas, NV, with Hulu, Netflix, Oxygen True Crime, CBS News and Pegasus Books among the trophy recipients.
CLUE’s 2026 “Crimefighter of the Year” recipients – Jeffrey Epstein survivors and members of The Survivors, Inc., Jena-Lisa Jones, Haley Robson and Courtney Wild – accepted the prestigious award from 2025 honorees, Becky Patty, Mike Patty and Tara German, the families of Abigail Williams and Liberty German.
Meanwhile, Law&Crime revealed their 2026 “America’s Greatest Detective” winners: Tara Augustin and Alyson Dupouy, decorated detectives for Maryland’s Montgomery County PD known for their recent contributions in solving the Leslie Preer cold case.
For the second year in a row, fans awarded true crime podcast Crime Weekly, and co-hosts Derrick Levasseur and Stephanie Harlowe, with CLUE’s 2026 “Creator of the Year” honor, sponsored by Investigation Discovery.
The 2026 CLUE Award winners and nominees:
TV: Outstanding Docuseries
- WINNER: Girl on the Run: The Hunt for America’s Most Wanted | (Hulu) Produced by Plum Pictures and ABC News Studios
- Death Cap: The Mushroom Murders | (Stan, CNN, Netflix UK) Produced by Dreamchaser, Den of Martians & Fifth Season
- Death of a Showjumper | (Sky) Produced by Walk on Air Films/ Sky Studios
- Amy Bradley is Missing | (Netflix) Produced by Ample Entertainment
- Betrayal: Under His Eye | (Hulu) ABC News Studios/Glass Entertainment Group
TV: Outstanding Episodic Series
- WINNER: The Death Investigator with Barbara Butcher | (Oxygen True Crime) Produced by Wolf Entertainment, Alfred Street Industries and Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group
- FEDS | (ID: Investigation Discovery) Produced by Orit Entertainment, October Films
- Desert Law | (A&E Network) Produced by Twenty Twenty Productions
- 24 Hours In Police Custody: Murder is No Game | (Channel 4) The Garden Productions
- On the Case with Paula Zahn | (ID: Investigation Discovery) Scott Sternberg Productions, Inc. and Weinberger Media
TV: Outstanding Scripted Series or Film
- WINNER: Only Murders in the Building | (Hulu) Produced by 20th Television
- Dark Winds | (AMC) Produced by AMC Studios
- Paradise | (Hulu) Produced by 20th Television
- Reasonable Doubt | (Hulu) Produced by 20th Television, Onyx Collective
- RJ Decker | (ABC) 20th Television
Podcast: Outstanding Docuseries
Hosted by: Omny Studio
Hosted by: Omny Studio4.5 ★
Hosted by: Megaphone
Hosted by: Megaphone4.3 ★
Podcast: Outstanding Episodic Series
Hosted by: Megaphone4.2 ★
Hosted by: Megaphone4.8 ★
Hosted by: Acast4.9 ★
Hosted by: Spreaker4.5 ★
Outstanding Documentary Film
- WINNER: Unknown Number: The High School Catfish | (Netflix) Campfire Studios in association with Terminal B TV
- My Father, the BTK Killer | (Netflix) Campfire Studios
- Night in West Texas | (Theatrical) Myths of Monsters, Naked Edge Films and Texas Monthly
- Prince Andrew: On Trial | (Channel 5 / True Royalty) Good TV
- Ruby Red Handed: Stealing America’s Most Famous Pair of Shoes | (Hulu) Committee Films in association with ABC News Studios
Book of the Year
- WINNER: Injustice Town | (Pegasus Books) Written by Rick Tulsky
- Something Big: The True Story of the Brown’s Chicken Massacre | (Post Hill Press) Written by Patrick Wohl
- 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
- Chasing Down the Zombie Hunter | (Pegasus Books) Written by Troy Hillman
People’s Choice: Creator of the Year | Sponsored by Investigation Discovery
Hosted by: Simplecast
Hosted by: Omny Studio
Hosted by: Audioboom4.7 ★
CLUE nominees and winners are determined by CrimeCon’s selection committee, composed of a wide range of producers, journalists, network and streaming executives, and other creatives and industry leaders, representing all sectors of the true crime genre.
The above list of podcasts is available as an OPML file for your podcast player
About CrimeCon
CrimeCon is an immersive three-day experience for true crime fans, creators and leading industry professionals. Since its launch in 2017, CrimeCon has connected thousands of true crime enthusiasts with the mysteries, cases and issues that intrigue them. With a heavy focus on education, CrimeCon features speakers, panels, breakout sessions, hands-on experiences and more, allowing fans to completely delve into the world of true crime. Created by fans, for fans, CrimeCon brings together the true crime community for a weekend filled with learning, understanding and advocacy. The event is produced by Red Seat Ventures, a digital media company based in New York City. For more information, visit www.CrimeCon.com.
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