The 2025 Clue Awards are underway, with “SUV” actor Ice-T as this year’s host.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the prestigious awards program recognizes outstanding and ethical storytelling in true crime content, spanning various mediums such as publishing, television, documentary film, and podcasts.
A first of its kind, the CLUE Awards is a way to spotlight the significant impact that people or organizations made while pushing for justice for crime victims.
The 2025 CLUE Awards ceremony will take place at an awards gala on September 6, during CrimeCon Denver, at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.
The awards are judged by “creators, experts, and leaders within the true crime media,” who have extensive knowledge and experience in true crime.
The 2025 nominees the nominees include:
TV: Outstanding Episodic Series
“Hostage Rescue” (The CW)
“PD True” (Paramount+) Winner
“Crime Beat TV” (Hulu)
“Killer Cases” (A&E)
“Prosecuting Evil With Kelly Siegler” (Oxygen True Crime)
TV: Outstanding Docuseries
“Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam” (Hulu)
“Betrayal: A Father’s Secret” (Hulu)
“Beauty Queen Killer” (Hulu)
“Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer” (Hulu)
“American Murder: Gabby Petito” (Netflix) Winner
TV: Outstanding Scripted Series
“Long Bright River” (Peacock)
“Godfather of Harlem” (MGM+) Winner
“Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story” (Lifetime)
Podcast: Outstanding Docuseries
“True Crime News Presents: American Hustlers”
“In Esto Podcast with N Leigh Hunt”
“Up and Vanished”
“Who Killed Jennifer Judd?” Winner
“San Miguel Kidnappings”
Podcast: Outstanding Episodic Series
“Courtroom Confidential”
“True Crime News: The Podcast” Winner
“Crime Fix with Angenette Levy”
“Dead Sleep: True Crime for Bedtime”
“Betrayal: Weekly”
Outstanding Documentary Film
“The Menendez Brothers” (Netflix)
“Serial Killer Capital: Los Angeles” (Oxygen)
“Left for Dead” (Tubi)
“The Girl Who Looked Like Me” (ABC) Winner
“Sins of the Parents: The Crumbley Trials” (Hulu)
True Crime Book of the Year
“My Time to Stand”| Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, Michele Matrisciani and Melissa Moore
“The Scientist and the Serial Killer” | Lise Olsen
“The Atlas of Art Crime: Thefts, Vandalism, and Forgeries” (Prestel Publishing) | Laura Evans, PhD
“The Impostor Heiress: Cassie Chadwick, the Greatest Grifter of the Gilded Age”| Annie Reed
“Story of a Murder: The Wives, the Mistress, and Dr. Crippen”/ Hallie Rubenhold Winner
“The Rent Collectors”
People’s Choice: Creator of the Year
Zone 7/ Host: Sheryl McCollum
A Date with Dateline/Hosts: Kimberly Arnold and Katie Mitchell
Crime Weekly/Hosts: Derrick Levasseur and Stephanie Harlowe Winner
Profiling Evil/Host: Mike Kin
True Crime with Kendall Rae/ Hosts: Kendall Rae
America’s Greatest Detective
According to Variety, the “America’s Greatest Detective” honor will be presented this year, which recognizes the exemplary work and dedication of law enforcement professionals.
The honor, presented by Dan Abram, was awarded to Sgt. Julissa Trapp, a detective with the Anaheim Police Department. She is most widely-known for her work on the case of serial killers Steven Dean Gordon and Franc Cano.
“Crimefighter of the Year” Award
This year, the CLUE Awards honored the families of Delphi teens, Abigail Williams and Liberty German, with the “Crimefighter of the Year” award. The prestigious honor was presented by veteran crime fighter, John Walsh.
Past recipients of the “Crimefighter of the Year” award include John Walsh, the Gabby Petito Foundation and the Black & Missing Foundation.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen below to an episode recorded live at CrimeCon 2022 in Las Vegas.
[Feature Photo: Rapper Ice-T performs at The Cookout: Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary Celebration during the New York City Food & Wine Festival at Pier 86 Hudson River Park on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in New York. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP)]