The Ned Kelly Awards (named for the famous Australian bushranger Ned Kelly) are Australia's leading literary awards for crime writing in both the crime fiction and true crime genres. They were established in 1996 by the Crime Writers Association of Australia to reward excellence in the field of crime writing within Australia.

The genre of crime writing has long been popular, but it wasn't until the early 1990's that a local growth of writing within the genre occurred in Australia. By the middle of the decade support for the field had grown sufficiently that it was decided to establish the Ned Kelly Awards.

The awards are effectionately referred to as 'The Neddies' within the community. Winners are announced during the Melbourne Writers' Festival each year.

2008 Ned Kelly Nominations

Best First Fiction:
Golden Serpent, Mark Abernethy
Shadow Maker, Robert Sims
A Fraction Of The Whole, Steve Toltz
The Low Road, Chris Womersley
The Butcherbird, Geoffrey Cousins
Bye Bye Baby, Lauren Crow
Broken Swallow, JJ Burn
Green Velvet Shoes, Christina Ann Alexander
Frantic, Katherine Howell
Vodka Doesn't Freeze, Lea Giarratano
Iraqi Icicle, Bernie Dowling
Maelstrom, Michael MacConnell

Best Fiction:
Trick or Treat, Kerry Greenwood
Cherry Pie, Leigh Redhead
Endangered List, Brian Westlake
Harem Scarum, Felicity Yound
Sensitive New Age Spy, Geoffrey McGeachin
Sucked In, Shane Maloney
Night Has A Thousand Eyes, Mandy Sayer
Orpheus Lost, Janette Turner Hospital
Amongst The Dead, Robert Gott
Appeal Denied, Peter Corris
Open File, Peter Corris
Gospel, Sydney Bauer
Broken, Ilsa Evans
Skin & bone, Kathryn Fox
fan Mail, PD Martin
el Dorado, Dorothy Porter
Shattered, Gabrielle Lord
The Calling, Jane Goodall
Shatter, Michael Rowbotham
Game As Ned, Tim Pegler
The Tattooed Man, Alex Palmer
Blood Sunset, Jarad Henry
Redback, Lindy Cameron

Best Non-Fiction:
Bondi Badlands, Greg Callaghan
Mr Sin, Tony Reeves
Underbelly The Gangland War, John Silvester and Andrew Rule
Killing Jodie, Janet Fife-Yeomans
Red Centre, Dark Heart, Evan McHugh
Big Shots, Adam Shand
Lives of Crime, Tippet & Munro
Fatal Flaw, Roger Maynard
Ned Kelly's Jerilderie Letter, Carole Wilkinson
Wild Colonial Boys, Paula Hunt

Ned Kelly Past Award Winners

2007:
Best First Fiction:
Diamond Dove, Adrian Hyland (Text)
Best True Crime (Tie):
Written On The Skin, Liz Porter (Macmillan)
Killing For Pleasure: The Definitive Story of the Snowtown Murders,
Debi Marshall (Random House)
Best Fiction:
Chain of Evidence, Gary Disher (Text)
Lifetime Achievement Awards:
Sandra Harvey and Lindsay Simpson

2006:
Best First Novel:
Out of the Silence Wendy James, Random House
Best True Crime:
Packing Death Lauchlin McCulloch, Sly Ink
Best Novel (Tie):
Crook as Rookwood Chris Nyst, Harper Collins
and The Broken Shore Peter Temple, Text
Lifetime Achievement Awards:
Andrew Rule and John Silvester

2005
Best First Novel
A Private Man Malcolm Knox
Best Novel
Lost Michael Rowbotham
Best True Crime (Tie)
Jo Cinque’s Consolation Helen Garner
Mr Big Tony Reeves
Lifetime Achievement Award
Stuart Coupe

2004
Best First Novel (Joint Winners)
The Walker Jane R Goodall
Junkie Pilgrim Wayne Grogan
Best Novel
Degrees of Connection Jon Cleary
Best True Crime
Killing Juanita Peter Rees
Lifetime Achievement Award
Investigative journalist Bob Bottom

2003
Best First Novel
Blood Redemption Alex Palmer
Best Novel
White Dog Peter Temple
Best True Crime
Blood Stain Peter Lalor
Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented to Kerry Greenwood

2002
Best First Novel (Tie)
Apartment 255 Bunty Avieson
Who Killed Angelique? Emma Darcy
Best Novel
Death Delights Gabrielle Lord
Best True Crime (Tie)
Razor Larry Writer
The Hanged Man Mike Richards
Best Teenage/Young Adult
Blue Murder Ken Catran
Readers Vote
Apartment 255 Bunty Avieson
Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented to Patrick Gallagher, Managing Director, Allan & Unwin

2001
Best First Crime Novel
Last Drinks Andrew McGahan
Best Crime Novel (tie)
Dead Point Peter Temple
The Second Coming Andrew Masterson
Best True Crime (Non-Fiction)
Broken Lives Estelle Blackburn
Readers Vote
Bleeding Hearts Lindy Cameron
Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented to Professor Stephen Knight

2000
Best First Novel
The Wooden Leg of Inspector Anders Marshall Browne
Best Novel
Shooting Star Peter Temple
Best True Crime (tie)
Huckstepp: A Dangerous Life John Dale
Underbelly 3 Andrew Rule and John Silvester

1999
Best First Novel
The Last Days Andrew Masterson
Best Novel
Amaze Your Friends Peter Doyle
Lifetime Contribution
Awarded to Peter Corris

1997
Best First Novel (tie)
Bad Debts Peter Temple
Get Rich Quick Peter Doyle
Best Novel
Brush Off Shane Maloney
Best Non-Fiction
How to write crime edited by Marele Day
Lifetime Contribution
Awarded to Alan Yates (aka Carter Brown)

1996
Best First Novel
Dark Angel John Dale
Best Novel (tie)
The Malcontenta Barry Maitland
Inside Dope Paul Thomas
Lifetime Contribution
Presented to Jon Cleary