See And Congratulate Finalists For The APA’s 2026 Audie Awards
2026 AUDIE AWARDS®
See And Congratulate Finalists
For The APA’s 2026 Audie Awards®
January 29, 2026
(VOXtra) – The Audio Publishers Association (APA) today announced finalists for the 31st Annual Audie Awards®, the premier awards program recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment. Winners across 27 competitive categories will be revealed at a special celebration on Monday, March 2, 2026, at Pier Sixty in New York. (Tickets)
The APA received a record-breaking number of submissions totaling more than 2,300 entries, a 42% increase over the last five years. Additionally, four new categories have been added: Adaptation/Original Work, Ensemble Performance, New Voice Award, and Production & Sound Design, Full description of all categories may be found here.
“This year’s Audie Awards finalists represent the extraordinary range, innovation, and creative excellence shaping today’s audiobook landscape,” said Sean McManus, president of the APA.
“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,” he added. “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.”
Among top finalists are:
BEST FICTION NARRATOR
Will Patton
for Lonesome Dove
By Larry McMurtry
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio
Marin Ireland
for My Friends
By Fredrik Backman
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio
Kristin Atherton
for Outlander
By Diana Gabaldon
Published by Recorded Books, a division of RBmedia
Dion Graham
for Red Clay
By Charles B. Fancher
Published by Blackstone Publishing
Andrew Eiden
for The Sideways Life of Denny Voss
By Holly Kennedy
Published by Brilliance Publishing
BEST NON-FICTION NARRATOR
Martin Sheen
for Ghosts of Hiroshima
By Charles Pellegrino
Published by Blackstone Publishing
Dion Graham
for Remember Us
By Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter
Published by HarperAudio
Blair Underwood
for Truly
By Lionel Richie
Published by HarperAudio
Helen Stern
for The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz
By Anne Sebba
Published by Macmillan Audio
Dion Graham
for The Zorg
By Siddharth Kara
Published by Macmillan Audio
AUDIOBOOK OF THE YEAR
The Devil Reached Toward the Sky
By Garrett M. Graff
Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, a full cast, and Garrett M. Graff
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio
King of Ashes
By S. A. Cosby
Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White
Published by Macmillan Audio
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
Published by Audible Originals
Shield of Sparrows: Book 1 in the Shield of Sparrows series
By Devney Perry
Narrated by Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke
Published by Tantor Audio, a division of RBMedia
Sunrise on the Reaping
By Suzanne Collins
Narrated by Jefferson White
Published by Scholastic Audio
Wild Dark Shore
By Charlotte McConaghy
Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, Katherine Littrell, Cooper Mortlock, and Steve West
Published by Macmillan Audio
AUDIOBOOK SALES REVENUE GROWS
Last year, the APA released its Annual Sales Survey, conducted by Toluna, which spotlighted a return to double digit growth for the industry with an increase in audiobook sales revenue to $2.22 billion in 2024, 13% over the previous year. Sales increases continue to be driven by digital audiobooks, which accounted for 99% of revenue in 2024 and grew year over year by 14%.
Additionally, the APA’s 2025 Consumer Survey, conducted by Edison Research, found 51% of Americans aged 18 and older, an estimated 134 million people, have listened to an audiobook. There is a notable increase in interest among non-listeners: 38% say they are interested in audiobooks, up from 32% last year, with the number of those very interested nearly doubling from 10% to 18%.
For more about the Audio Publishers Association and the Audie Awards, visit www.AudioPub.org.