The Diamond Dagger is an award given by the Crime Writers' Association of the United Kingdom to authors who have made an outstanding lifetime's contribution to the genre.

Winners

1986 – Eric Ambler

1987 – P. D. James

1988 – John le Carré

1989 – Dick Francis

1990 – Julian Symons

1991 – Ruth Rendell

1992 – Leslie Charteris

1993 – Ellis Peters

1994 – Michael Gilbert

1995 – Reginald Hill

1996 – H. R. F. Keating

1997 – Colin Dexter

1998 – Ed McBain

1999 – Margaret Yorke

2000 – Peter Lovesey

2001 – Lionel Davidson

2002 – Sara Paretsky

2003 – Robert Barnard

2004 – Lawrence Block

2005 – Ian Rankin

2006 – Elmore Leonard

2007 – John Harvey

2008 – Sue Grafton

2009 – Andrew Taylor

2010 – Val McDermid

2011 – Lindsey Davis

2012 – Frederick Forsyth

2013 – Lee Child

2014 – Simon Brett

2015 – Catherine Aird

2016 – Peter James

2017 – Ann Cleeves

2018 – Michael Connelly

2019 – Robert Goddard

2020 – Martin Edwards

2021 – Martina Cole

2022 – CJ Sansom

2023 – Walter Mosley

References

Awards established in 1986

1986 establishments in the United Kingdom

Literary awards honoring lifetime achievement

Mystery and detective fiction awards

Cartier Diamond Dagger