Looking for your next Nordic noir read? The Glass Key is one of the Nordic region's most prestigious crime fiction awards, with winners from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.
Crime fiction has become one of the Nordic region's most successful cultural exports.
Scandinavian crime fiction, often grouped internationally under the label Nordic noir, has attracted a huge readership around the world.
Authors including Jo Nesbø have become international stars thanks to translations into English and many other languages.
But if you're new to Nordic crime, knowing where to begin isn't always easy. We've previously looked specifically at some of the best Norwegian crime novels available in English.
For a wider view of crime writing from across the Nordic region, the winners of the Glass Key Award are an excellent place to start.
What is the Glass Key Award?
Known in Norwegian as ³Ò±ô²¹²õ²õ²Ôø°ì°ì±ð±ô±ð²Ô and Swedish as Glasnyckeln, the Glass Key is awarded annually to an outstanding crime novel by an author from one of the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
The prize was first awarded in 1992 and takes its name from The Glass Key, the classic 1931 crime novel by American writer Dashiell Hammett. Appropriately enough, the winner receives an actual glass key.
The award was established by Skandinaviska Kriminalsällskapet, an umbrella organisation for Nordic crime-writing associations. Following the organisation's dissolution, the prize continues through cooperation between the five national organisations, including Norway's .
Each country nominates one novel, creating a five-book shortlist. A three-person jury from each country then votes to decide the winner.
More than 30 years of Nordic crime
Swedish writer Henning Mankell became the first Glass Key winner in 1992 for Mördare utan ansikte, published in English as Faceless Killers. It was the first novel in his enormously successful Wallander series.
Since then, the award has recognised some of the biggest names in Nordic crime fiction.
Swedish authors have been particularly successful. won twice for books from his Millennium trilogy, while Camilla Grebe has also won twice. Icelandic author Arnaldur Indriðason is another two-time winner.
As of 2026, Sweden has collected 14 Glass Keys, followed by Denmark with nine and Norway with eight. Finland and Iceland have won twice each.
There was a particularly strong Swedish run from 2017 to 2021, when writers from Sweden won five consecutive awards. Since then, however, every Nordic country except Iceland has taken a turn.
Recent Glass Key winners
The most recent winners show just how geographically varied contemporary Nordic crime writing has become:
- 2026: Dennis Nørmark, Denmark – Harare
- 2025: Eva Fretheim, Norway – Fuglekongen
- 2024: Christoffer Carlsson, Sweden – Levande och döda
- 2023: Max Seeck, Finland – Kauna
- 2022: Morten Hesseldahl, Denmark – Mørket under isen
Danish anthropologist and author Dennis Nørmark won the 2026 Glass Key for Harare, his debut crime novel. The political thriller follows a young Danish woman working for an aid organisation in Zimbabwe and explores some uncomfortable questions about international development alongside its crime story.
Norwegian readers had particular reason to celebrate the previous year.
Norwegian winners of the Glass Key
Eva Fretheim's 2025 win for Fuglekongen ended an 11-year wait for a Norwegian Glass Key winner.
Fretheim, a journalist turned crime writer, debuted with Dronningland in 2022. Fuglekongen, her second crime novel featuring police investigator Vigdis Malmstrøm, also won Norway's prestigious Riverton Prize.
She joined an impressive list of Norwegian winners.
The first was Kim Småge in 1994 with Sub Rosa. Småge, the pen name of Anne Karin Thorhus, was already an important figure in Norwegian crime writing and became the first of several Norwegian winners during the 1990s.
Fredrik Skagen followed in 1996 with Nattsug. Karin Fossum then won in 1997 for Se deg ikke tilbake!, published in English as Don't Look Back.
One year later came one of the most internationally famous names on the entire Glass Key list.
Jo Nesbø won in 1998 for Flaggermusmannen, or The Bat, the first book in his hugely successful Harry Hole series. Unlike many of the later Harry Hole novels, which are strongly associated with Oslo, The Bat takes the Norwegian detective to Sydney, Australia.
Kurt Aust won in 2004 with ±áÂá±ð³¾²õø°ì³Ù. Although Danish-born, Aust has lived in Norway for decades and his win is listed under Norway in the award's official history.
It would then be almost a decade before Norway won again. Jørn Lier Horst took the 2013 award with JakthundeneÌý(The Hunting Dogs), part of his popular Wisting series.
Gard Sveen followed immediately in 2014 with Den siste pilegrimen (The Last Pilgrim). Sveen remained Norway's most recent winner for more than a decade, until Eva Fretheim finally brought the Glass Key back to Norway in 2025.
Interestingly, Norway came close again the following year. Jo Nesbø's Minnesota was Norway's nomination for the 2026 prize, but Dennis Nørmark's Harare ultimately took the Glass Key back to Denmark.
Are you a fan of Nordic crime novels? Have you read any of the Glass Key winners above? Let us know in the comments below.
