Three trophies are awarded annually: the Solver Silver Salver, the Ascot Gold Cup, both generously donated by Ascot, and the Radix Auditorum Jug.

Solver Silver Salver

The Solver Silver Salver is awarded to the Listener solver who has sent the most correct puzzle entries during the year.

The skill and persistence of Listener solvers is such that several often complete every puzzle successfully and it is necessary to go back a year or more to find the solver with the longest all-correct run. As of the end of 2021, the front-runner is Peter Blayney with a run of 261 consecutive correct entries (from No 4431 to No 4691). The longest all-correct run ever is 412 by Simon Long.

If the leading solver in a year has already won the Solver Silver Salver in a previous year, it is now traditional for the award to be ceded to the next highest-placed solver.

Ascot Gold Cup

This, in reality a Silver Rose Bowl, is awarded to the most admired Listener puzzle during the year. This is decided on by the winner of the Solver Silver Salver, often in partnership with other top solvers for the year. The 2005 winner was Kea.

Radix Auditorum Jug

This is awarded to the new solver who submitted the most correct entries in the year (not having submitted an entry in previous years). It was donated by the family of Radix after his death early in 2014.

Winners

The table below lists all winners to date. Other all-correct solvers in each year (and sometimes puzzles placed 2nd and 3rd) can be found in the Annual Statistics, particularly the Dinner reports. Click on the puzzle number to find out more about it.

Year Solver Silver Salver Radix Auditorum Jug Ascot Gold Cup Setter
1987–88 R T Baxter   2924 No Clues Mime
1988–89 P Bailey   3009 A Three Pipe Problem Law
1989–90 J R Beresford   3024 Cretan Bull Phi
1991 A F Bishop   3096 Merry Mazes Sabre
1992 H Blanco White   3150 Players Law
1993 Dr D J Flower   3202 Whodunnit 3: Locked Room Mystery Mime
1994 J W Leonard   3234 New Year’s Resolution Dimitry
1995 G B Hinde   3300 Hangover Plausus
1996 G Mullineux   3350 Up and Down Doubleshooter
1997 D W Arthur   3398 All Square Dimitry
1998 D McNeill   3486 A Marvellous Game Columba
1999 C J & M P Butler   3505 Scans Peeper
2000 S R Rice   3559 Playfair Dolos
2001 J P S & E A Ruff   3641 Trick or Treat Dimitry
2002 S Tarrant   3679 Author Sabre
2003 R P C Forman   3734 No Turning Back Ark
2004 S Anthony   3795 Koeql Haeospo Elgin
2005 M Goodliffe   3843 Safe-cracking Kea
2006 D & N Aspland   3883 Olde Treasure Hunt Merlin
2007 S Long   3947 King Rebel
2008 J R Daddow   4011 Conflict Resolution Kea
2009 N Talbott   4045 Admission Kea
2010 J Reardon   4079 Sine Qua Non Shackleton
2011 P Sant[1]   4162 Carte Blanche with a Twist Mash
2012 A Mylward[2]   4197 Duet for One Bandmaster
2013 S Melen   4230 Elm Quinapalus
2014 D Webb S Bartlett 4312 Elementary Deduction Rood
2015 R A England C Thomas 4339 Mixed Doubles Shackleton
2016 T & L Melen[3] R McCrossan 4395 6 Across Shackleton
2017 S Curran P Blayney 4453 Army & Navy Shackleton
2018 R Foden M Topliss & D Wilks 4487 Doing a Sort Elgin
2019 J West J Lewis 4565 Folio Nebuchadnezzar
2020 P Blayney J Leaver 4630 Tip-top Condition Twin
2021 D Giles A Royal & N Butler 4680 Manhunt Shark
2022 P Taylor & K Steckles I Hickman 4715 Singles Only Twin

[1] In 2011, all-correct solver P Sant delivered his votes for the 2010 Ascot Gold Cup as a “re-imagining” of the White Knight’s song (actually line for line) from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, a quotation from which formed the basis of Listener Crossword 4104, Merchandise by Adam. The poem is available as a PDF document here.

[2] At the 2012 dinner, he summarised the 2011 puzzles in a pastiche of Rudyard Kipling’s poem If…, which is available here.

[3] At the 2017 dinner, the salver winners T & L Melen performed a pastiche of Flanders & Swann’s song The Gasman Cometh. Their lyrics are available here.