Crime fiction Awards. Why are there no female Nominees

[carernotasaint]

I couldnt help but notice this recently. No female crime writers are up for an award. But there are loads of brilliant ones. Off the top of my head,Sophie Hannah,Karen Rose,Kathy Reichs and of course Lynda La Plante. Also Nikki French though they are actually a couple.
Some of the nominees are Mark Billingham,David Baldacci, Lee Child (thats just off the top of my head) Its the Specsaver Crime Thriller Awards on itv3 in October. Im sure these nominnees are brilliant writers but so are the women. Is it because this genre is mainly associated with men or something?

Could you link the awards you mean?

The Crime Writers' Assocition 2011 shortlist does include female writers, and there are female former Dagger winners aplenty.

I completely disagree with SGB - ever since the (almost totally female) "Golden Age", UK crime fiction has been seen as female or neutral. And it has interesting positive spin off - eg the ennobling of PD James.

Fred Vargas (female) has won the CWA International Crime Dagger at least twice. And S J Rozan (female) recently won an Edgar award (Prestigious US crime fiction award). And if you look at the Edgar nominee list for this year, there are a number of female nominees.

www.theedgars.com/nominees.html

Yes, there isn't 50/50 parity with awards, book reviews etc, but if anything crime fiction is less patriarchy oriented than literary fiction/great american novel etc.