The Audio Publishers Association (APA) has announced the finalists for the 31st annual Audie Awards, celebrating excellence in audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment. The list was revealed on Jan. 28 and comes after a record-breaking 2,300 entries this year, reflecting the medium’s growing popularity and cultural impact.
“This year’s Audie Awards finalists represent the extraordinary range, innovation and creative excellence shaping today’s audiobook landscape,” APA president Sean McManus said in a statement. “The record increase in submissions marks a tremendous milestone for the Audies and is a powerful testament to the medium’s growing popularity and cultural impact. Audiobooks continue to expand the way stories are told and experienced, reaching broader audiences and cementing their place as an essential part of the publishing and entertainment industries.”
The 31st Audie Awards also introduces four new categories: Adaptation/Original Work, Ensemble Performance, New Voice Award, and Production and Sound Design, highlighting the expanding creativity and innovation in audiobooks.
Audiobook of the Year Finalists
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The Devil Reached Toward the Sky by Garrett M. Graff, narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, a full cast, and Garrett M. Graff
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King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby, narrated by Adam Lazarre-White
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Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Lulu Raczka, narrated by Marisa Abela, Harris Dickinson, Glenn Close, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Bill Nighy, Sophie Wilde, Jessie Buckley, Toheeb Jimoh, Patricia Allison, Bertie Carvel, Leah Hazard, David Gyasi, Rosalind Eleazar, and a full cast
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Shield of Sparrows: Book 1 by Devney Perry, narrated by Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke
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Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, narrated by Jefferson White
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Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, Katherine Littrell, Cooper Mortlock, and Steve West
Adaptation/Original Work Finalists
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The Big Fix: A Jack Bergin Mystery by John Mankiewicz, Jamie Napoli, Daniel Pyne, Katie Pyne, and Aaron Lipstadt, narrated by Jon Hamm, Ana de la Reguera, Alia Shawkat, Omar Epps, Erin Moriarty, Sosie Bacon, John Slattery, and a full cast
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Doctor Who — Hooklight 1 by Tim Foley, narrated by Peter Davison, Paul McGann, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton, Matthew Waterhouse, Kieran Bew, Alan Cox, Ruby Crepin-Glyne, David Holt, Celia Imrie, Harriet Kershaw, Shogo Miyakita, David Shaw-Parker, Theo Solomon, and Issy Van Randwyck
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The Making of Jackson Parrish by Liv Constantine, narrated by Ari Fliakos, Suzanne Elise Freeman, and Scott Brick
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Shot Clock by Andrew Bourelle, narrated by Emma Love
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What Could Go Wrong? written and narrated by Scott Z. Burns
Autobiography/Memoir Finalists
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Cher: Part One by Cher, narrated by Cher and Stephanie J. Block
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Code Name: Pale Horse by Scott Payne, narrated by Scott Payne with Michelle Shephard
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The Heart of a Woman by Maya Angelou, narrated by Uzo Aduba
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Matriarch by Tina Knowles, narrated by Tina Knowles, Beyoncé, Solange, Kelly Rowland, and Angie Beyincé
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Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, narrated by Thérèse Plummer and Gabra Zackman
Best Fiction Narrator Finalists
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Will Patton for Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
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Marin Ireland for My Friends by Fredrik Backman
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Kristin Atherton for Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
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Dion Graham for Red Clay by Charles B. Fancher
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Andrew Eiden for The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy
The Audie Awards remain the premier celebration of spoken-word storytelling, recognizing narrators, authors, and producers who bring literature and stories to life in fresh, innovative ways. Winners will be announced during the upcoming 31st Audie Awards ceremony.
