Clue Awards Reveal 2026 Nominees; Jeffrey Epstein Survivors to Be Honored and Former ‘Dateline’ Reporter Chris Hansen Will Host (EXCLUSIVE)
Former “Dateline NBC” personality Chris Hansen, who now hosts “Takedown with Chris Hansen,” will host CrimeCon‘s 2026 Clue Awards. The annual event, which takes place Saturday, May 30, at Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace as part of the three-day CrimeCon convention, recognizes true crime content in TV, film, podcasts and publishing.
CrimeCon announced this year’s Clue Awards nominees on Thursday, and also revealed that Jeffrey Epstein survivors Jena-Lisa Jones, Haley Robson and Courtney Wild will receive this year’s Crimefighter of the Year honor. Jones, Robson and Wild are also being recognized for their work in The Survivors, Inc., which focuses on supporting sexual assault survivors.
Also, the Clue Awards has announced the 2026 finalists for its “America’s Greatest Detective” award, presented by Law & Crime: Tara Augustin and Alyson Dupouy (Maryland’s Montgomery County PD detectives who contributed to solving the Leslie Preer cold case); retired Las Vegas Metro PD Sgt. Jenn Benjamins, who founded law enforcement training company Covert Blue LLC; and South Carolina’s Richland County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Vicki Rains Pearson, recently featured in the Netflix doc “Missing: Dead or Alive.”
Clue Awards presenters include “On Patrol: Live” analyst Tom Rizzo, “CSI” creator Anthony Zuiker and crime scene investigator Sheryl McCollum, among many others.
Past Crimefighter of the Year honorees include The Black & Missing Foundation, The Gabby Petito Foundation, “America’s Most Wanted” creator and NCMEC co-founder John Walsh, and the families of Abigail Williams and Liberty German, along with Lt. Jerry Holeman and Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland.
Here are. the 2026 Clue Award nominees:
TV: Outstanding Docuseries
TV: Outstanding Episodic Series
TV: Outstanding Scripted Series
Podcast: Outstanding Docuseries
Podcast: Outstanding Episodic Series
Outstanding Documentary Film
True Crime Book of the Year
People’s Choice: Creator of the Year
CrimeCon announced this year’s Clue Awards nominees on Thursday, and also revealed that Jeffrey Epstein survivors Jena-Lisa Jones, Haley Robson and Courtney Wild will receive this year’s Crimefighter of the Year honor. Jones, Robson and Wild are also being recognized for their work in The Survivors, Inc., which focuses on supporting sexual assault survivors.
Also, the Clue Awards has announced the 2026 finalists for its “America’s Greatest Detective” award, presented by Law & Crime: Tara Augustin and Alyson Dupouy (Maryland’s Montgomery County PD detectives who contributed to solving the Leslie Preer cold case); retired Las Vegas Metro PD Sgt. Jenn Benjamins, who founded law enforcement training company Covert Blue LLC; and South Carolina’s Richland County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Vicki Rains Pearson, recently featured in the Netflix doc “Missing: Dead or Alive.”
Clue Awards presenters include “On Patrol: Live” analyst Tom Rizzo, “CSI” creator Anthony Zuiker and crime scene investigator Sheryl McCollum, among many others.
Past Crimefighter of the Year honorees include The Black & Missing Foundation, The Gabby Petito Foundation, “America’s Most Wanted” creator and NCMEC co-founder John Walsh, and the families of Abigail Williams and Liberty German, along with Lt. Jerry Holeman and Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland.
Here are. the 2026 Clue Award nominees:
TV: Outstanding Docuseries
TV: Outstanding Episodic Series
TV: Outstanding Scripted Series
Podcast: Outstanding Docuseries
Podcast: Outstanding Episodic Series
Outstanding Documentary Film
True Crime Book of the Year
People’s Choice: Creator of the Year