Macavity Awards

The Macavity Awards, established in 1987, are a group of literary awards presented annually to mystery writers. Nominated and voted upon annually by the members of the Mystery Readers International, the award is named for the "mystery cat" of T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. The award is given in four categories—best novel, best first novel, best nonfiction, and best short story. The Sue Feder Historical Mystery has been given in conjunction with the Macavity Awards.

Best Mystery Novel
The Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel was first awarded in 1987. To be eligible for the award, the mystery novel must have been published in the previous calendar year.

Best First Mystery (Novel)
The Macavity Award for the Best First Mystery Novel was awarded in 1987.

Best Mystery Nonfiction/Critical
The Macavity Award for Best Mystery Non-fiction/Critical Book was established in 1987. This category has had multiple names since its inception and reviews the best mystery-related critical, biographical, and otherwise nonfiction titles.

Best Mystery Short Story
The Macavity Award for Best Mystery Short Story was first awarded in 1987.

Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery
The Sue Feder Historical Mystery Award was established in 2006 to honor Sue Feder, "a reviewer, scholar and dedicated mystery fan, who had founded the [now defunct] Historical Mystery Appreciation Society."