Congratulations to the author and narrator winners of the 2021 Audie Awards! Read on below for the breakdown by category, and then head to our playlist to browse all the winning audiobooks that are available through your local, independent bookstore. And don’t forget to celebrate all the nominated authors and narrators from this year’s awards—you can check out the finalists here.
Notice a few missing audiobooks from our list? Unfortunately, these listens—including Audiobook of the Year—are exclusive to Amazon’s Audible and barred from being sold through bookstores or loaned out through libraries.
Learn more on our blog about Amazon’s harmful practices with Audible exclusives, as well as through the American Booksellers Association’s white paper detailing Amazon’s anti-competitive behavior. If you’re an author, we encourage you to utilize Fight for the Future’s “Who Can Get Your Book?” tool to learn about the accessibility of your books.
Audiobook of the Year
The award-winning Audiobook of the Year Piranesi (written by Susanna Clarke, narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor, and published by Bloomsbury PLC) is exclusive to Audible and barred from distribution outside of Amazon, but you can check out these audiobooks from the finalists:
The Mountains Sing
By Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai • Narrated by Quyen Ngo • Published by Dreamscape Media, LLC
We’re Better Than This
By Elijah Cummings & James Dale • Narrated by Nancy Pelosi, Laurence Fishburne & Maya Rockeymoore Cummings • Published by HarperAudio
More Myself
By Alicia Keys • Narrated by Alicia Keys • Published by Macmillan Audio
Best Female Narrator: Robin Miles
The City We Became
By N. K. Jemisin • Narrated by Robin Miles • Published by Hachette Audio
Best Male Narrator: Laurence Fishburne
The Audie award-winning audiobook The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley is published by Audible and barred from distribution outside of Amazon, but you can check out these audiobooks narrated by Laurence Fishburne:
We’re Better Than This
By Elijah Cummings & James Dale • Narrated by Nancy Pelosi, Laurence Fishburne & Maya Rockeymoore Cummings • Published by HarperAudio
Our Lady of 121st Street
By Stephen Adly Guirgis • Narrated by Laurence Fishburne, Khandi Alexander, Emily Bergl, Tegan West, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Annabelle Gurwitch, Adriana Sevan, Raphael Sbarge & Alan Mandell • Published by L.A. Theatre Works
Business/Personal Development
The Gift: 12 Lessons to Save Your Life
By Edith Eva Eger • Narrated by Tovah Feldshuh • Published by Simon & Schuster Audio
Faith-based Fiction & Non-fiction
Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire
By Jen Hatmaker • Narrated by Jen Hatmaker • Published by Thomas Nelson
Fantasy
The City We Became
By N. K. Jemisin • Narrated by Robin Miles • Published by Hachette Audio
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 & John Lewis • Narrated by JD Jackson & Jon Meacham • Published by Penguin Random House Audio
Humor
A Very Punchable Face
By Colin Jost • Narrated by Colin Jost • Published by Penguin Random House Audio
Literary Fiction & Classics
The Death of Vivek Oji
By kwaeke Emezi • Narrated by Chukwudi Iwuji & Yetide Badaki • Published by Penguin Random House Audio
Middle Grade
The Good Hawk
By Joseph Elliott • Narrated by Gary Furlong & Fiona Hardingham • Published by Brilliance Audio
Multi-Voiced Performance
Clap When You Land
By Elizabeth Acevedo • Narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo & Melania-Luisa Marte • Published by Quill Tree Books
Mystery
Fair Warning
By Michael Connelly • Narrated by Peter Giles & Zach Villa • Published by Hachette Audio
Narration by the Author
More Myself
By Alicia Keys • Narrated by Alicia Keys • Published by Macmillan Audio
Non-fiction
Fire in Paradise
By Alastair Gee & Dani Anguiano • Narrated by T. Ryder Smith • Published by Recorded Books, Inc.
Romance
Dirty Letters
By Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward • Narrated by Andi Arndt & Jacob Morgan • Published by Brilliance Audio
Science Fiction
The Deep
By Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes • Narrated by Daveed Diggs • Published by Simon & Schuster Audio
Spanish Language
El laberinto del fauno
By Guillermo del Toro & Cornelia Funke • Narrated by Kerygma Flores & Luis Ávila • Published by Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial Audio
Thriller/Suspense
When No One Is Watching
By Alyssa Cole • Narrated by Susan Dalian & Jay Aaseng • Published by HarperAudio
Young Adult
Clap When You Land
By Elizabeth Acevedo • Narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo & Melania-Luisa Marte • Published by Quill Tree Books
Browse all the award-winning audiobooks that are available through your local, independent bookstore.
2021 Audie Awards Winners
The Audie Awards® is the most prestigious award in audiobook and spoken-word entertainment. Here are this year’s winning audiobooks that are available to purchase through your local, independent bookstore.
P.S. Check out our video congratulating the winners and sharing some of the Libro.fm team’s favorite recent audiobooks!
Audible Exclusive Winners
Audiobook of the Year: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor, published by Bloomsbury PLC
Best Male Narrator: The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley, narrated by Laurence Fishburne, published by Audible, Inc.
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
Autobiography/Memoir: The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley, narrated by Laurence Fishburne, published by Audible, Inc.
Original Work: When You Finish Saving the World by Jesse Eisenberg, narrated by Finn Wolfhard, Kaitlyn Dever, and Jesse Eisenberg, published by Audible Originals
Short Stories/Collections: The Chekhov Collection of Short Stories by Anton Chekhov, narrated by Richard Armitage, published by Audible Studios
Young Listeners: The Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome, narrated by Shayna Small and Dion Graham, published by Live Oak Media