The 2016 Audie Awards were presented on May 11 at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium during the 2016 BEA.
The award recognize distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association (APA).
Here are the winners of genre interest.
AUDIO DRAMA
Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book: The Mowgli Stories
by Rudyard Kipling
Narrated by Bill Bailey, Richard E. Grant, Colin Salmon, Tim McInnerny, Bernard Cribbins, Celia Imrie, and Martin Shaw (Audible Studios)
The magical storytelling and unforgettable characters in Ben Doyle and Richard Kurti’s audio adaptation of this children’s classic have been brought to life by many well known voices from British film, TV, radio and comedy.
FANTASY
Nice Dragons Finish Last
by Rachel Aaron
Narrated by Vikas Adam (Audible Studios)
As the smallest dragon in the Heartstriker clan, Julius survives by a simple code: keep quiet, don’t cause trouble, and stay out of the way of bigger dragons. But this meek behavior doesn’t fly in a family of ambitious magical predators, and his mother, Bethesda the Heartstriker, has finally reached the end of her patience.
Now, sealed in human form and banished to the DFZ–a vertical metropolis built on the ruins of Old Detroit–Julius has one month to prove he can be a ruthless dragon or kiss his true shape goodbye forever. But in a city of modern mages and vengeful spirits where dragons are considered monsters to be exterminated, he’s going to need some serious help to survive this test.
He only hopes humans are more trustworthy than dragons…
HISTORY/BIOGRAPHY
A Man on the Moon
by Andrew Chaikin and Tom Hanks
Narrated by Bronson Pinchot (Audiobooks.com Publishing)
This acclaimed portrait of heroism and ingenuity captures a watershed moment in human history. The astronauts themselves have called it the definitive account of their missions.
On the night of July 20, 1969, our world changed forever when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. Based on in-depth interviews with 23 of the 24 moon voyagers, as well as those who struggled to get the program moving, A Man on the Moon conveys every aspect of the Apollo missions with breathtaking immediacy and stunning detail.
MIDDLE GRADE
Echo
by Pam Munoz Ryan
Narrated by Mark Bramhall, David deVries, MacLeod Andrews, and Rebecca Soler (Scholastic Audio)
Music, magic, and a real-life miracle meld in this virtuosic, genre-defying tour de force from storytelling maestro Pam Munoz Ryan.
Lost and alone in the forbidden Black Forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica.
Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives, binding them by an invisible thread of destiny. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together. How their suspenseful solo stories converge in an orchestral crescendo will resound in your heart long after the last note has been struck.
Richly imagined and structurally innovative, ECHO pushes the boundaries of form and shows us what is possible in how we tell stories.
MULTI-VOICED PERFORMANCE
Illuminae
by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Narrated by ONarrated by Olivia Taylor Dudley, Lincoln Hoppe, and Jonathan McClain (Listening Library/Penguin Random House Audio)
This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.
Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, maps, files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.
NARRATION BY THE AUTHOR or AUTHORS
Born with Teeth
by Kate Mulgrew
narrated by Kate Mulgrew (Hachette Audio)
Raised by unconventional Irish Catholics who knew “how to drink, how to dance, how to talk, and how to stir up the devil,” Kate Mulgrew grew up with poetry and drama in her bones. But in her mother, a would-be artist burdened by the endless arrival of new babies, young Kate saw the consequences of a dream deferred. Determined to pursue her own no matter the cost, at 18 she left her small Midwestern town for New York, where, studying with the legendary Stella Adler, she learned the lesson that would define her as an actress: “Use it,” Adler told her. Whatever disappointment, pain, or anger life throws in your path, channel it into the work
It was a lesson she would need. At twenty-two, just as her career was taking off, she became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter. Having already signed the adoption papers, she was allowed only a fleeting glimpse of her child. As her star continued to rise, her life became increasingly demanding and fulfilling, a whirlwind of passionate love affairs, life-saving friendships, and bone-crunching work.
Through it all, Mulgrew remained haunted by the loss of her daughter, until, two decades later, she found the courage to face the past and step into the most challenging role of her life, both on and off screen.We know Kate Mulgrew for the strong women she’s played–Captain Janeway on Star Trek; the tough-as-nails “Red” on Orange is the New Black. Now, we meet the most inspiring and memorable character of all: herself.
By turns irreverent and soulful, laugh-out-loud funny and heart-piercingly sad, BORN WITH TEETH is the breathtaking memoir of a woman who dares to live life to the fullest, on her own terms.
PARANORMAL
White Trash Zombie Gone Wild
by Diana Rowland
Narrated by Allison McLemore (Audible Studios)
Angel Crawford has buried her loser past and is cruising along in undead high gear—that is, until a murder-by-decapitation sends her on a hazardous detour.
As Angel hunts for the killer, she uncovers a scheme that would expose zombies to the public and destroy the life she’s built, and she’s determined not to rest until she finds out who’s behind it.
Soon she’s neck-deep in lies, redneck intrigue, zombie hunters, and rot-sniffing cadaver dogs. It’s up to her to unravel the truth and snuff out the conspiracy before the existence of zombies makes headline news and she’s outed as a monster. But Angel hasn’t quite escaped the pill-popping ghosts of her past—not with an illicit zombie pharmaceutical at her fingertips. Good thing she’s absolutely sure she can handle the drug’s unpredictable side effects and still take down the bad guys…or maybe she’s only one bad choice away from being dead meat—for real this time.
Angel knows a thing or two about kicking ass, but now the ass she needs to kick might be her own.
SCIENCE FICTION
Jurassic Park
by Michael Crichton
Narrated by Scott Brick (Brilliance Audio)
An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now humankind’s most thrilling fantasies have come true. Creatures extinct for eons roam Jurassic Park with their awesome presence and profound mystery, and all the world can visit them—for a price.
Until something goes wrong. . . .In Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton taps all his mesmerizing talent and scientific brilliance to create his most electrifying technothriller.
YOUNG ADULT
Lair of Dreams
by Libba Bray
Narrated by January LaVoy (Listening Library/Penguin Random House)
After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O’Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. With her uncanny ability to read people’s secrets, she’s become a media darling, and earned the title “America’s Sweetheart Seer.” Everyone’s in love with the city’s newest It Girl…everyone except the other Diviners.
Piano-playing Henry Dubois and Chinatown resident Ling Chan are two Diviners struggling to keep their powers a secret–for they can walk in dreams. And while Evie is living the high life, victims of a mysterious sleeping sickness are turning up across New York City.
As Henry searches for a lost love and Ling strives to succeed in a world that shuns her, a malevolent force infects their dreams. And at the edges of it all lurks a man in a stovepipe hat who has plans that extend farther than anyone can guess….As the sickness spreads, can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld to save the city?
In this heart-stopping sequel to The Diviners Printz Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray takes readers deeper into the mystical underbelly of New York City.
YOUNG LISTENERS
Little Shop of Monsters
by R.L. Stine and Marc Brown;
Narrated by Jack Black (Hachette Audio)
Welcome to the Little Shop of Monsters! Do you want a SNEEZER? A TICKLER? Or one of the CREEPIEST monsters of all? Come on in and choose your favorite, if you dare (before one of them chooses YOU!).
Renowned children’s book creators Marc Brown and R.L. Stine join forces for the very first time–in Stine’s picture book debut–with a tale that is monstrously good fun. With a narrative voice reminiscent of The Monster at the End of This Book, but with Stine’s signature spooky charm and Brown’s wildly imaginative illustrations, this is sure to be a new Halloween favorite–and a spooky good time all year round.
EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN
The Hunger Games Trilogy Collection
by Suzanne Collins
Package/cover design by Kathlyn Miller (Recorded and published by Scholastic Audio; distributed by Brilliance Publishing, Inc.)
Suzanne Collins’ extraordinary, worldwide-bestselling trilogy has captivated readers and listeners around the world. The Hunger Games trilogy is now available in a special edition MP3-CD collection.
EXCELLENCE IN MARKETING
Locke & Key
by Joe Hill land Gabriel Rodriguez
Haley Joel Osment, Tatiana Maslany, Kate Mulgrew, and a full cast (Audible Studios)
Based on the best-selling, award-winning graphic novel series Locke & Key – written by acclaimed suspense novelist Joe Hill (NOS4A2, Horns) and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez – this multicast, fully dramatized audio production brings the images and words to life.
EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION
Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book: The Mowgli Stories
by Rudyard Kipling
Narrated by Bill Bailey, Richard E. Grant, Colin Salmon, Tim McInnerny, Bernard Cribbins, Celia Imrie, and Martin Shaw (Audible Studios)
The magical storytelling and unforgettable characters in Ben Doyle and Richard Kurti’s audio adaptation of this children’s classic have been brought to life by many well known voices from British film, TV, radio and comedy.
[Thanks to Andrew Porter for the story.]
