tə dˈeɪt, ðə kˈɑːntɛst hɐz hæd tˈuː ɹᵻpˈiːt wˈɪnɚz: bɹˈædli hˈæɹɪs, ɐ ɹˈaɪɾɚ fɹʌm mˈɛmfɪs, tˌɛnəsˈiː, wˈʌn ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti ˈeɪt wɪð ɹˈuːbi ɹˈuːbi ænd ɐɡˈɛn ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd twˈɛlv wɪð θˈoːɹeɪzˌiːn bˈiːtʃ, wˌaɪl ʃˈænən mˈʌləli wʌz kˈoʊwˈɪnɚ wɪð mˈɛɡən ˈɔːstɪn ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd fˈoːɹ fɔːɹ lˈʌv blˈɑːk ænd wˈʌn æz ɐ sˈoʊloʊ ɹˈaɪɾɚɹ ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvəntˌiːn fɚðə sˈɛkənd dɪtˈɛktɪv.
To date, the contest has had two repeat winners: Bradley Harris, a writer from Memphis, Tennessee, won in 1998 with Ruby Ruby and again in 2012 with Thorazine Beach, while Shannon Mullally was co-winner with Meghan Austin in 2004 for Love Block and won as a solo writer in 2017 for The Second Detective.