ESC Scholarly Awards will be presented during the opening ceremony of Eurocrim2024 (24th Annual Conference of the ESC, in Bucharest from 11 to 14 September 2024).
The European Society of Criminology awards annually up to six scholarly awards for career contributions by a European criminologist (established in 2007), for an outstanding article by a young European criminologist (established in 2007), for the best article published during the previous year in the European Journal of Criminology (established in 2019), for an outstanding early career (established in 2020), for distinguished services to the ESC (established in 2020), and for a book representing an outstanding contribution to the further development of European criminology (established in 2020).
ESC European Criminology Award
The ESC European Criminology Award recognises the lifetime contribution of a European criminologist.
The terms ‘criminologist’ (‘persons actually engaged in research, teaching and/or practice in the field of criminology’) and ‘criminological’ relate to criminology as defined in Section 1 of the ESC Constitution (‘The term criminology, as used in this Constitution, refers to all scholarly, scientific and professional knowledge concerning the explanation, prevention, control and treatment of crime and delinquency, offenders and victims, including the measurement and detection of crime, legislation and the practice of criminal law, and law enforcement, judicial, and correctional systems’).
The Jury consists of the most recent three Past-Presidents of the ESC. If one or more of such persons is unavailable, she or he will be replaced by the next previous Past-President. The ESC Executive Board is responsible for constituting the jury.
The jury will transmit its recommendation to the Executive Board by 31 April in a report that describes the process followed to reach a decision. The Executive Board may approve or disapprove the recommendation of the jury. It may also decide not to give the award in any given year.
Nominations shall be sent to the Executive Secretary of the ESC and to the Newsletter Editor by 31 March of each year and include (1) a letter of nomination explaining why the nominee’s work warrants recognition, and (2) the nominee’s curriculum vitae. The nominees must not be current members of the ESC Board or have been members of such Board during the 3 years preceding the year of the award.
ESC Young Criminologist Award
The ESC Young Criminologist Award recognises an outstanding article by a European criminologist who was 35-years-old or younger when the article was published. The nominee must be the sole author of an article on a criminological topic published in a peer-reviewed journal in a European language within the three calendar years preceding the year of the proposed award. If the article was published Early Access (for example, as online first), the three-year period begins the year of the online publication.
The terms ‘criminologist’ (‘persons actually engaged in research, teaching and/or practice in the field of criminology’) and ‘criminological’ relate to criminology as defined in Section 1 of the ESC Constitution (‘The term criminology, as used in this Constitution, refers to all scholarly, scientific and professional knowledge concerning the explanation, prevention, control and treatment of crime and delinquency, offenders and victims, including the measurement and detection of crime, legislation and the practice of criminal law, and law enforcement, judicial, and correctional systems’).
The jury consists of two current or past at-large members of the Executive Board of the ESC and the Past-President. Each year, one member of the jury will be replaced by a new member. The ESC Executive Board is responsible for constituting the jury.
The jury will transmit its recommendation to the Executive Board by 30 April in a report that describes the process followed to reach a decision. The Executive Board may approve or disapprove the recommendation of the jury. It may also decide not to give the award in any given year.
Nominations shall be sent to the Executive Secretary of the ESC and to the Newsletter Editor by 31 March of each year and include
- a letter of nomination explaining why the nominee’s work warrants recognition,
- the nominee’s curriculum vitae,
- a copy of the original article (only one article per nominee can be proposed each year),
- if the article is published in a language other than English, a translation of the article into English (unless all jury members speak or read another European language and the article is in that language), and
- a description of the journal in which the article was published, including a description of its peer-review process.
European Journal of Criminology Best Article of the Year Award
The annual European Journal of Criminology Best Article Award recognizes the author(s) of the most outstanding article published in the European Journal of Criminology during each calendar year.
Following the publication of issue 6 of the journal (November of each year), the Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Criminology calls on the Editorial Board of the journal for nominations from articles appearing during that year. All articles appearing in hard copy are eligible; articles appearing in the on-line first stream are not eligible.
Nominations should name an article and offer a brief explanation as to why it should receive the best article award.
The editor prepares a short-list of nominations. Articles on the short-list should have received at least 2 nominations. This list is transmitted to a jury composed of the Editor, the President of the ESC, and the previous award winner. If one or more of such members is unavailable, they will be replaced by (a) the President-Elect and, if necessary, (b) the Past President. The ESC Executive Board is responsible for constituting the jury.
The jury produces a recommendation from the nominations received. It may decide to propose no award if there are less than 3 nominations. The jury will transmit its recommendation to the Executive Board by 30 April in a report that describes the process followed to reach a decision. The Executive Board may approve or disapprove the recommendation of the jury. It may also decide not to give the award in any given year.
ESC Early Career Award
The ESC Early Career Award recognises the outstanding scientific achievement of an early career European criminologist.
The term ‘criminologist’ refers to persons currently or formerly ‘engaged in research, teaching and/or practice in the field of criminology’ (Section 1 of the ESC Constitution). Criminology is to be understood as defined in Section 1 of the ESC Constitution (‘The term criminology, as used in this Constitution, refers to all scholarly, scientific and professional knowledge concerning the explanation, prevention, control and treatment of crime and delinquency, offenders and victims, including the measurement and detection of crime, legislation and the practice of criminal law, and law enforcement, judicial, and correctional systems’).
The term ‘early career’ means less than ten years since the successful PhD’s defence, plus any eligible career breaks (such as maternity or paternity leave, or the long-term illness of the candidate or a close family member). To demonstrate eligibility, the specific circumstances of a career break need to be properly documented.
The main criterion for recognizing ‘outstanding scientific achievement’ consists of a series of high-quality publications (such as articles in a peer-reviewed journals or monographs published by an academic publisher), some but not all of which can be co-authored. In addition, the jury can take into consideration the candidate’s proven impact on public debates, laws, policy documents or practices.
The nominees must be members of the ESC. They must not be current members of the ESC Board or have been members of such board during the 3 years preceding the year of an award.
The jury consists of two current or past at-large members of the Executive Board of the ESC and the President-elect. The ESC Executive Board is responsible for constituting the jury.
The jury will transmit its recommendation to the Executive Board by 30 April in a report that describes the process followed to reach a decision. The Executive Board may approve or disapprove the recommendation of the jury. It may also decide not to give the award in any given year.
Nominations shall be sent to the Executive Secretary of the ESC and to the Newsletter Editor by 31 March of each year and include
- A letter of nomination explaining why the nominee’s work warrants recognition, and
- The nominee’s curriculum vitae.
Distinguished Services to the ESC Award
The Distinguished Services to the ESC Award recognises outstanding service contributions to the effective functioning of the European Society of Criminology.
The nominees must not be current members of the ESC Board or have been members of such Board during the 3 years preceding the year of the award.
The award is granted every second year from 2020 (in even-numbered years).
The jury consists of the two longest-serving members of the Executive Board of the ESC and the President. If one or more of such members is unavailable, they will be replaced by (a) the President-Elect and, if necessary, (b) the Past President. The ESC Executive Board is responsible for constituting the jury.
The jury will transmit its recommendation to the Executive Board by 30 April in a report that describes the process followed to reach a decision. The Executive Board may approve or disapprove the recommendation of the jury. It may also decide not to give the award in any given year.
Nominations shall be sent to the Executive Secretary of the ESC and to the Newsletter Editor by 31 March of each year and include
- A letter of nomination explaining why the nominee’s work warrants recognition, and
- The nominee’s curriculum vitae.
The ESC Book Award
The ESC Book Award recognises the author(s) of a book that represents an outstanding contribution to the further development of European criminology.
As defined in Section 1 of the ESC Constitution, the term criminology refers to all scholarly, scientific and professional knowledge concerning the explanation, prevention, control and treatment of crime and delinquency, offenders and victims, including the measurement and detection of crime, legislation and the practice of criminal law, and law enforcement, judicial, and correctional systems.
To be eligible for the Award, the monograph or book must have been published by an academic publisher within the three calendar years preceding the year of the proposed award. Anthologies and/or edited volumes will not be considered for this Award. Sole or multi-authored monographs or books may be nominated but only one Award will be given to be shared amongst all authors.
The nominees must not be current members of the ESC Board or have been members of such Board during the 3 years preceding the year of the award.
The jury consists of one current or past at-large member of the Executive Board of the ESC, the President-elect, and the previous award winner. The ESC Executive Board is responsible for constituting the jury. The jury will transmit its recommendation to the Executive Board by 30 April in a report that describes the process followed to reach a decision. The Executive Board may approve or disapprove the recommendation of the jury. It may also decide not to give the prize in any given year.
Only members of the European Society of Criminology can nominate a book.
Nominations shall be sent to the Executive Secretary of the ESC and the Newsletter Editor by 31 March each year.
Nomination submissions must include:
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- A letter of nomination detailing the book’s significance.
- The nominee’s curriculum vitae.
- Three electronic copies of the book.
Once nominations are confirmed and potential incompatibilities between authors and jury members are resolved, a hard copy of the book shall be sent to each jury member.
List of ESC Awards Recipients
European Criminology Award
2023 : Uberto Gatti
2022: Michael Levi
2021: Loraine Gelsthorpe
2020: Michael Hough
2019: Tapio Lappi-Seppälä
2018 : Susanne Karstedt
2017: Manuel Eisner
The slides of the acceptance speech delivered by Manuel Eisner during the opening session of the 17th ESC Annual Meeting in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, on 13 September 2017 are available here.
2016: Jan van Dijk
2015: Sonja Snacken
2014: Dario Melossi
2013: Martin Killias
2012: Roger Hood
2011: Inkeri Anttila
2010: Nils Christie
2009: Josine Junger-Tas
2008: Lode Walgrave
2007: Anthony Bottoms
ESC Young Criminologist Award
2023: Jakub Drápal
2022: Philippa Tomczak
2021: Not awarded in 2021
2020: Rok Hacin
2019: Kjersti Lohne
2018 : Anastasia Chamberlen
2017: Sonja Schulz
2016: Johann Koehler
2015: Daniel Seddig
The ESC Young Scholar Award for 2015 was presented to Daniel Seddig of the University of Zurich for his article ‘Peer group association, the acceptance of norms and violent behaviour: A longitudinal analysis of reciprocal effects’. The article appeared in the European Journal of Criminology (May 2014).
During the ESC conference at Porto in September, Daniel talked with Paul Knepper, from the University of Sheffield, who chaired the ESC Young Scholar Award Committee, about his prize-winning paper. Audio.
2014: Barak Ariel
2013: Nerea Marteache
2012: Christoffer Carlsson
2011: Sappho Xenakis
2010: Torbjørn Skarðhamar
2009: Georgios Antonopoulos
2008: Joris van Wijk
2007: David Green and Philip Verwimp
European Journal of Criminology Best Article of the Year Award
2023 (EJC Best Article of the Year 2022 Award)
- Alberto P. Chrysoulakis: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1477370819896216
- Leonidas Cheliotis: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14773708211053129
2022 (EJC Best Article of the Year 2021 Award): Aleš Završnik: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1477370819876762
2021 (EJC Best Article of the Year 2020 Award): Janna Verbruggen, Arjan Blokland, Amanda L. Robinson, and Christopher D. Maxwell: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1477370818825344
2020 (EJC Best Article of the Year 2019 Award): Steve van de Weijer, Rutger Leukfeldt, and Wim Bernasco: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1477370818773610
2019 (EJC Best Article of the Year 2018 Award): Maria Libak Pedersen: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1477370817751351
ESC Early Career Award
2023 : Anna Sergi
2022: Not awarded in 2022
2021: Anita Lavorgna
2020: Wim Hardyns
]2022: Michael Tonry
2020: Martin Killias and David J. Smith
ESC Book Award
2023: Victoria A. Greenfield and Letizia Paoli (Assessing the Harms of Crime: A New Framework for Criminal Policy, Oxford University Press, 2022)
2022: Seán Columb (Trading Life: Organ Trafficking, Illicit Networks, and Exploitation, Stanford University Press, 2021)
2021: Fergus McNeil (Pervasive Punishment: Making Sense of Mass Supervision, Emerald Publishing Limited, 2018)
2020: Dirk van Zyl Smit and Catherine Appleton (Life imprisonment: A Global Human Rights Analysis, Harvard University Press, 2019)