Janina Edwards

Revered for her ability to inhabit diverse Black experiences from across the African diaspora, Edwards voices compelling, believable characters.

With over 30 years in the industry, Janina Edwards has recorded more than 500 audiobooks. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, she began her career in the late 1980s with the American Foundation for the Blind. She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and frequently narrates long-format journalism, including The New York Times "Modern Love" column. “I love to narrate audiobooks of all kinds,” she explains, “but my passion is to voice BIPOC stories, messages, and writers, and champion humanist and yogic principles.”

Edwards is widely recognized for her mastery of the diverse rhythms of the African diaspora. Having lived in Chicago, Atlanta, and Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights neighborhoods, she expertly captures the "swagger and sway" of the South alongside West Indian and African accents. To further refine her craft, she studied French at Alliance Française and trained with elite dialect coaches, including those who worked on the Black Panther movie.

Her distinguished career is marked by significant accolades, including a 2022 Audie Award for Best Fiction for her lead role in The Final Revival of Opal & Nev. To date, her projects have garnered seven Audie finalist nominations, nine Earphones Awards, and two SOVAS nominations. Beyond her technical skill, Edwards is passionate about voicing BIPOC stories and mentoring the next generation of narrators. Among her eclectic interests, Edwards is a certified yoga instructor (300 hours) and regularly teaches at the Atlanta Metro YMCA. She also sings “kirtan” and plays the violin. Edwards loves the outdoors and is an avid kayaker, regularly leading paddling trips in and around Georgia.