It's been called the audio industry's version of the Oscars: the eagerly anticipated Audie Awards, just announced by the Audio Publishers Association. From full-cast performances to immersive sound design and intimate spoken-word recordings, this year's winners represent the best of the best in audiobooks. They bring storytelling to life, and you can hear it and feel it when it all comes together in each of the standout listens below. Congrats to all the winners!
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Winner: Audiobook of the Year, Winner: Science Fiction
Written by Andy Weir
Narrated by Ray Porter
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it....
Winner: Autobiography/Memoir
Written and narrated by Ashley C. Ford
One of the most prominent voices of her generation debuts with an extraordinarily powerful memoir: the story of a childhood defined by the looming absence of her incarcerated father....
Winner: Best Female Narrator
Written by Anjali Enjeti
Narrated by Deepti Gupta
Spanning more than half a century and cities from New Delhi to Atlanta, Anjali Enjeti’s debut is a heartfelt and human portrait of the long shadow of the partition of the Indian subcontinent on the lives of three generations. The story begins in August 1947. Unrest plagues the streets of New Delhi leading up to the birth of the Muslim majority nation of Pakistan, and the Hindu majority nation of India. Sixteen-year-old Deepa navigates the changing politics of her home, finding solace in messages of intricate origami from her secret boyfriend Amir....
Winner: Best Male Narrator
Written by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda
In Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, two boys in a border town fell in love. Now, they must discover what it means to stay in love and build a relationship in a world that seems to challenge their very existence....
Winner: Business/Personal Development
Written and narrated by Stacey Vanek Smith
Women have been making strides toward equality for decades, or so we’re often told. They’ve been increasingly entering male-dominated areas of the workforce and consistently surpassing their male peers in grades, university attendance, and degrees. They’ve recently stormed the political arena with a vengeance. But despite all of this, the payoff is—quite literally—not there....
Winner: Faith-Based Fiction or Non-Fiction
Written by W. E. B. Du Bois
Narrated by Arnell Powell
In 1924, in response to the pursuit of increasingly racist policies in the United States, W. E. B. Du Bois published a groundbreaking collection of essays that challenged the existing prejudices about Black people and provided a fuller accounting of Black contributions to American life. The accomplishments that Du Bois chronicles here—in art, literature, economics, religion, industry, the military, and more—are stunning, especially considering the obstacles facing Black Americans.
Winner: Fantasy
Written by Brandon Sanderson
Narrated by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading
The Stormlight Archive saga continues in Rhythm of War, the eagerly awaited sequel to Brandon Sanderson's #1 New York Times best-selling Oathbringer, from an epic fantasy writer at the top of his game. After forming a coalition of human resistance against the enemy invasion, Dalinar Kholin and his Knights Radiant have spent a year fighting a protracted, brutal war. Neither side has gained an advantage, and the threat of a betrayal by Dalinar’s crafty ally Taravangian looms over every strategic move....
Winner: Fiction
Written by Dawnie Walton
Narrated by Janina Edwards, Bahni Turpin, James Langton, André De Shields, Dennis Boutsikaris, Steve West, Gabra Zackman, Robin Miles, and a full cast
An electrifying novel about the meteoric rise of an iconic interracial rock duo in the 1970s, their sensational breakup, and the dark secrets unearthed when they try to reunite decades later for one last tour....
Winner: History/Biography
Written and narrated by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish (with a foreword written and narrated by Diana Gabaldon)
Outlander stars Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish explore Scotland, a land of raw beauty, poetry, feuding, music, history and warfare. Unlikely friends Sam and Graham begin their journey in the heart of Scotland at Glencoe and travel from there all the way to Inverness and Culloden battlefield, where along the way they experience adventure and a cast of highland characters. In this story of friendship, finding themselves and whisky, they discover the complexity, rich history and culture of their native country.
Winner: Humor
Written and narrated by Leslie Jordan
Viral sensation and Emmy Award-winner Leslie Jordan regales fans with entertaining stories about the odd, funny, and unforgettable events in his life in this unmissable essay collection that echoes his droll, irreverent voice. When actor Leslie Jordan learned he had “gone viral”, he had no idea what that meant or how much his life was about to change. On Instagram, his uproarious videos have entertained millions and have made him a global celebrity. Now, he brings his bon vivance to a new medium with this collection of intimate and sassy essays.
Winner: Literary Fiction & Classics
Written by James Herriot
Narrated by Nicholas Ralph
This volume of memoirs by a previously unknown Scottish veterinarian has made James Harriot one of the most beloved authors of all time. After just a few minutes of listening, it’s easy to understand why: silly escapades, funny stories, and life-affirming anecdotes all set in the world of a newly qualified vet in a small Yorkshire village makes for some heart-warming listening indeed.
Winner: Middle Grade
Written by Varian Johnson
Narrated by Dion Graham
Ten-year-old Anthony Joplin has made it to double digits! Which means he's finally old enough to play in the spades tournament every Joplin Man before him seems to have won. So while Ant's friends are stressing about fifth grade homework and girls, Ant only has one thing on his mind: how he'll measure up to his father's expectations at the card table. Then Ant's best friend gets grounded, and he's forced to find another spades partner. And Shirley, the new girl in his class, isn't exactly what he has in mind....
Winner: Multi-Voiced Performance
Written by Melissa Lenhardt
Narrated by Barrie Kreinik, Bailey Carr, Ella Turenne, Nikki Massoud, Natalie Naudus, Imani Jade Powers, and James Fouhey
Margaret Parker and Hattie LaCour never intended to turn outlaw. After being run off their ranch by a greedy cattleman, their family is left destitute. As women alone they have few choices: marriage, lying on their backs for money, or holding a gun. For Margaret and Hattie, the choice is simple. With their small makeshift family, the gang pulls off a series of heists across the West. Though the newspapers refuse to give the female gang credit, their exploits don't go unnoticed....
Winner: Mystery
Written by Stephen King
Narrated by Seth Numrich
Sometimes growing up means facing your demons. The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jamie can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine—as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave.
Winner: Narration by the Author
Written and narrated by Barack Obama
In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world....
Winner: Nonfiction
Written by Sarah Everts
Narrated by Sophie Amoss
A taboo-busting romp through the shame, stink, and strange science of sweating. Sweating may be one of our weirdest biological functions, but it’s also one of our most vital and least understood. In The Joy of Sweat, Sarah Everts delves into its role in the body—and in human history. Deeply researched and written with great zest, The Joy of Sweat is a fresh take on a gross but engrossing fact of human life.
Winner: Original Work
Written and narrated by Mary Jane Wells
Heroine is based on the true story of Danna Davis and her 10 years in the US Army. A survivor of military sexual trauma, hers is a human story exploring healing, forgiveness, and what speaking your truth really means. On a dangerous mission inside a combat zone, Sgt Davis must work with the perpetrator of her sexual attack to get her squad home safely. Is peace possible? This audiobook is more of a fully realized radio drama, with immersive sound design from sound designer and foley artist Heather Andrews and narration from Audie award-winning narrator Mary Jane Wells.
Winner: Español - Spanish Language
Written by Federico García Lorca
Narrated by Gloria Muñoz, Elena González, Rebeca Hernando, Carmen Mayordomo, Marta Poveda, Sol de la Barreda, Beatriz Melgares, Cristina Arias, and Antonio Martínez Asensio
Bernarda Alba, viuda de dos matrimonios, es de un carácter intransigente que no permite la mínima separación de sus órdenes. La acción comienza el día de los funerales por el segundo marido de Bernarda.
Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.
Winner: Romance
Written by Kennedy Ryan
Narrated by Eboni Flowers, Jakobi Diem, Nicole Small, and April Christina
Best-selling author Kennedy Ryan launches a brand-new series with a Hollywood tale of wild ambition, artistic obsession, and unrelenting love.
One moment in the spotlight....
For months I stood by, an understudy waiting in the wings, preparing for my time to shine. I never imagined he would watch in the audience that night.
Canon Holt. Famous film director. Fascinating. Talented. Fine.
Before I could catch my breath, everything changed....
Winner: Short Stories/Collections
Written by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon
Narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Dion Graham, Imani Parks, Jordan Cobb, Shayna Small, A.J. Beckles, and Bahni Turpin
Six critically acclaimed, best-selling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teens in love to this charming, hilarious, and heartwarming novel that shines a bright light through the dark. A summer heatwave blankets New York City in darkness. But as the city is thrown into confusion, a different kind of electricity sparks....
Winner: Thriller/Suspense
Written by Mary Kubica
Narrated by Brittany Pressley, Jennifer Jill Araya, Gary Tiedemann, and Jesse Vilinsky
Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold. Now, 11 years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they'll find....
Winner: Young Adult
Written by Ryan La Sala
Narrated by Pete Cross
Raffy has a passion for bedazzling. Not just bedazzling, but sewing, stitching, draping, and pattern making. He's always chosen his art over everything—and everyone—else and is determined to make his mark at this year's biggest cosplay competition. If he can wow there, it could lead to sponsorship, then art school, and finally earning real respect for his work. There's only one small problem ... Raffy's ex-boyfriend, Luca, is his main competition.
