Here are some of the most prolific Black audiobook narrators you should be listening to, from award-winners to up-and-comers. For even more narrators, be sure to check out our first blog post, and browse all of the audiobooks here.
Landon Woodson
Landon Woodson is an actor and storyteller based in New York. He won an AudioFile Earphones Award for his narration of The City Born Great by N.K. Jemisin, whose “agile and engaging narration makes listeners wary of the ominous threats and feel all the anticipation for the battle to come.”
All the Water I’ve Seen Is Running
By Elias Rodriques
The Awakening of Malcolm X
By Ilyasah Shabazz & Tiffany D. Jackson
Ten Lives, Ten Demands
By Solomon Jones
Joniece Abbott-Pratt
Joniece Abbott-Pratt is an artist, actress, and prolific audiobook narrator. She has won several Earphones Awards from AudioFile for her narration of Revival Season by Monica West, Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko, and many more.
For All Time
By Shanna Miles
Legendborn
By Tracy Deonn
Revival Season
By Monica West
Nneka Okoye
Nneka Okoye is a British actress (she’s set to star in UK’s answer to Succession) who also narrates audiobooks. She is fluent in both English and Igbo!
Hot Stew
By Fiona Mozley
Within These Wicked Walls
By Lauren Blackwood
The Girls in the Wild Fig Tree
By Nice Leng’ete
Heather Simms
Heather Alicia Simms is an actress, appearing on Broadway and television. When not acting, she does a stellar job at narrating, winning an Audie Award in 2006 for her narration of Upstate by Kalisha Buckhanon and an AudioFile Best of 2019 for Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds.
Reaching for the Moon
By Katherine Johnson
Make Lemonade
By Virginia Euwer Wolff
Concrete Rose
By Angie Thomas
Cary Hite
Cary Hite is a New York-based actor and narrator, accomplished in 12 accents with a wide vocal range. He has been a nominee for the Audie Awards, as well as a winner of the AudioFile’s Earphones Award.
The Baseball 100
By Joe Posnanski
Black and White
By Richard Williams
The Voting Booth
By Brandy Colbert
The Gucci Mane Guide to Greatness
By Gucci Mane
If You Come Softly
By Jacqueline Woodson
Before the Ever After
By Jacqueline Woodson
Angel Pean
Based in Atlanta, Angel Pean is trained in film and television performance, and her skills transfer over to audio. She’s newer to the scene but already has a slew of audiobooks under her belt.
The List of Unspeakable Fears
By J. Kasper Kramer
Self-Care for Black Women
By Oludara Adeeyo
Cherish Farrah
By Bethany C. Morrow
Leon Nixon
Leon Nixon is a professional actor, playwright, and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He has narrated over 100 audiobooks, and received the AudioFile Earphones Award for his narration of Frederick Douglass’ autobiography, My Bondage and My Freedom.
The Black Joke
By A.E. Rooks
My Bondage and My Freedom
By Frederick Douglass
Black and Blur
By Fred Moten
Diana Blue
Diana Blue is a classically trained actor, choreographer, and voice performer who is based in Connecticut.
We Do This ‘Til We Free Us
By Mariame Kaba
A Killer Sundae
By Abby Collette
Just Health
By Dayna Bowen Matthew
Mirron Willis
Mirron Willis works across theater, film, and television, and has won numerous AudioFile Earphones awards, as well as an Audie Award.
Elements of Fiction
By Walter Mosley
White Man’s Justice, Black Man’s Grief
By Donald Goines
How Europe Underdeveloped Africa
By Walter Rodney
Bill Andrew Quinn
Narrating audiobooks since 1993, award-winning Bill Andrew Quinn is a nationally recognized voice actor and audiobook veteran. He’s narrated over 250 books!
The Handbook of Culture and Psychology
By Hyisung C. Hwang & David Matsumoto
The Dawning of the Apocalypse
By Gerald Horne
The Last Thing You Surrender
By Leonard Pitts, Jr.
Michael Boatman
Michael Boatman is recognized for his television roles in Spin City and China Beach, and is an accomplished, award-winning audiobook narrator.
The Buddhist on Death Row
By David Sheff
The Good Lord Bird
By James McBride
The Eternal Audience of One
By Rémy Ngamije
William DeMeritt
William DeMeritt is an actor and dialect coach, lending his voice to commercials, video games, and, of course, audiobooks. Check out all his Earphone Award winners here.
Small World
By Jonathan Evison
The Sweetness of Water
By Nathan Harris
None But the Righteous
By Chantal James
Damian Lynch
Damian Lynch is a masterful narrator and actor, winning Earphone Awards for a slew of audiobooks.
Empire of the Vampire
By Jay Kristoff
Genesis
By Guido Tonelli
Being a Human
By Charles Foster
Zeno Robinson
Zeno Robinson is a voice actor, with experience in both Western animation and English dubs of Japanese anime. He’s won a few AudioFile Earphones Awards, including for his narration of Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour.
Black Buck
By Mateo Askaripour
The Sword and the Shield
By Peniel E. Joseph
Smoke
By Joe Ide
Je Nie Fleming
Je Nie Fleming is an Atlanta native, working since she was 5 years old in commercials, print ads, films, television, and theater productions. Her narration involvement in How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin earned an AudioFile Earphones Award.
The Boyfriend Project
By Farrah Rochon
The Color of Abolition
By Linda Hirshman
The Voice That Challenged a Nation
By Russell Freedman
Devante Johnson
Actor and voice actor Devante Johnson has narrated close to 50 audiobooks—his work on Dark Skies by Danielle L. Jensen “credibly portrays Killian, a soldier, illuminating his hunger to contribute something meaningful to the political struggle” (AudioFile).
The Kidnapping Club
By Jonathan Daniel Wells
How We Fight White Supremacy
By kiba Solomon & Kenrya Rankin
Gilded Serpent
By Danielle L. Jensen
In Memory of: Ella Turenne
Sadly, artist, activist, and educator Ella Turenne passed away at age 47 on December 25th, 2021, but her legacy lives on her through her stunning audiobook performances.
A Good Neighborhood
By Therese Anne Fowler
What Storm, What Thunder
By Myriam J.A. Chancy
The Nightworkers
By Brian Selfon
Rebecca Lee
Newer to the audiobook scene, Rebecca Lee’s voice is smooth and deep for an arresting performance.
The Dating Playbook
By Farrah Rochon
Moon U.S. Civil Rights Trail
By Deborah D. Douglas
D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding
By Chencia C. Higgins
Oh my, some magnificent voices I can vouch for, and a whole array of ones for me to add to my list! Thank you. Don’t forget the great Dion Graham, one of my top faves and so, so SMOOTH. I just finished listening to his reading of “Harlem Shuffle” by Colson Whitehead.
So glad to hear this Sarah! Dion is on our first run of this blog post, here. https://blog.libro.fm/black-narrators-you-should-be-listening-to/ 🙂
Ah, of course he was (along with many other greats)! Thanks for the reminder. 😏