• 

Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi, read by Chiwetel Ejiofor, has been named the 2021 Audiobook of the Year. The winners of the 2021 Audie Awards in 25 competitive categories were announced by the Audio Publishers Association (APA) on March 22. The Audie Awards® recognize excellence in audiobook and spoken word entertainment.

Author judges Jennifer Egan, Tommy Orange, and David Sedaris named Piranesi the Audiobook of the Year for several notable reasons. “The reading is a triumph of tone… one of the best readings of contemporary literature that I have ever listened to,” said Egan. “I have already recommended it to several people, including my 18-year-old son and 82-year-old mother.” Sedaris noted: “I think the reading perfectly complements the author’s intent. The characterization is complex, and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s voice is appropriately naive and full of wonder. The novel is a bit confusing at first, and Ejiofor masterfully pulls us through the fog.” Orange stated: “When the book got darker and more thrilling, and as the mystery at the center of the novel was revealed, Chiwetel Ejiofor moved the story along beautifully.”

Other winners of genre interest include:

FANTASY

• The City We Became, by N. K. Jemisin, narrated by Robin Miles, published by Hachette Audio

SCIENCE FICTION

• The Deep, by Rivers Solomon, with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes, narrated by Daveed Diggs, published by Simon & Schuster Audio

AUDIO DRAMA

• Doctor Who – Stranded 1, by Matt Fitton, David K Barnes, Lisa McMullin, and John Dorney, performed by Paul McGann, Nicola Walker, Hattie Morahan, Rebecca Root, Tom Price, and Tom Baker, published by Big Finish Productions

BEST FEMALE NARRATOR

• The City We Became, by N. K. Jemisin, narrated by Robin Miles, published by Hachette Audio

SPANISH LANGUAGE

• El Laberinto del Fauno, by Guillermo del Toro and Cornelia Funke, narrated by Luis Ávila, published by Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial México

All the other winners are listed after the jump.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR

• The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley, by Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley, narrated by Laurence Fishburne, published by Audible, Inc.

BEST MALE NARRATOR

• The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley by Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley, narrated by Laurence Fishburne, published by Audible, Inc.

BUSINESS/PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

• The Gift: 12 Lessons to Save Your Life, by Dr. Edith Eva Eger, narrated by Tovah Feldshuh, published by Simon & Schuster Audio

FAITH-BASED FICTION & NON-FICTION

• Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire, written and narrated by Jen Hatmaker, published by Thomas Nelson

FICTION

• Such a Fun Age, by Kiley Reid, narrated by Nicole Lewis, published by Penguin Random House Audio

HISTORY/BIOGRAPHY

• His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope, by Jon Meacham, with an afterword by John Lewis, narrated by JD Jackson, published by Penguin Random House Audio

HUMOR

• A Very Punchable Face, written and narrated by Colin Jost, published by Penguin Random House Audio

LITERARY FICTION & CLASSICS

• The Death of Vivek Oji, by Akwaeke Emezi, narrated by Yetide Badaki and Chukwudi Iwuji, published by Penguin Random House Audio

MIDDLE GRADE

• The Good Hawk, by Joseph Elliott, narrated by Fiona Hardingham and Gary Furlong, published by Brilliance Publishing

MULTI-VOICED PERFORMANCE

• Clap When You Land, by Elizabeth Acevedo, narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo and Melania-Luisa Marte, published by HarperAudio

MYSTERY

• Fair Warning, by Michael Connelly, narrated by Peter Giles and Zach Villa, published by Hachette Audio

NARRATION BY AUTHOR OR AUTHORS

• More Myself, written and narrated by Alicia Keys, published by Macmillan Audio

NON-FICTION

• Fire in Paradise, by Alastair Gee and Dani Anguiano, narrated by T. Ryder Smith, published by Recorded Books

ORIGINAL WORK

• When You Finish Saving the World, by Jesse Eisenberg, narrated by Finn Wolfhard, Kaitlyn Dever, and Jesse Eisenberg, published by Audible Originals

ROMANCE

• Dirty Letters, by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward, narrated by Andi Arndt and Jacob Morgan, published by Brilliance Publishing

SHORT STORIES/COLLECTIONS

• The Chekhov Collection of Short Stories, by Anton Chekhov, narrated by Richard Armitage, published by Audible Studios

THRILLER/SUSPENSE

• When No One Is Watching, by Alyssa Cole, narrated by Susan Dalian and Jay Aaseng, published by HarperAudio

YOUNG ADULT

• Clap When You Land, by Elizabeth Acevedo, narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo and Melania-Luisa Marte, published by HarperAudio

YOUNG LISTENERS

• The Overground Railroad, by Lesa Cline-Ransome, narrated by Shayna Small and Dion Graham, published by Live Oak Media