Ncuti Gatwa leads star winners in first Speakies Audio Storytelling Awards | Audio books

Audiobooks narrated by Ncuti Gatwa, Nicola Coughlan and David Tennant were among those honored at the inaugural British Audio Awards, ‘Speakies’.

Gatwa’s performance in the lead role of Gatsby in Harlem helped him emerge as one of Monday night’s big winners: He took home three top awards including Voice of the Year. Fitzgerald’s reimagined “The Great Gatsby” also won best dramatic audio adaptation, while Gatwa took home the best performance award for what organizers described as his “remarkable poise and flair” in his portrayal of Gatsby.

The Speakies are the UK’s first set of awards dedicated to audiobooks and audio dramas. The opening ceremony, held at the Royal Opera House and hosted by actress and comedian Sally Phillips, celebrated what the award called the entire “ecosystem” of audio storytelling – from writers and actors to sound designers and publishers – at a time when listening and investment figures across the sector continue to soar.

Best Audiobook: Science Fiction and Fantasy I went to Queen B by Juno Dawson, a witchy novel about Anne Boleyn, narrated by Nicola Coughlan. Category head judge Katie Fraser said the Bridgerton star “brings wit and verve to her narrative and succeeds in transporting readers away from the 21st century and into the heart of King Henry VIII’s court.”

JD Kirk’s Him, narrated by David Tennant and Louise Brealey, won Best Crime Thriller Audiobook. The win came on the same night that Tennant’s wife, Georgia Tennant, accepted the award for best romance audiobook on behalf of the team behind Rivals, the 1988 Jilly Cooper novel, which was newly adapted for audio to coincide with its recent Disney+ screen adaptation. A tribute was paid to Cooper, who died last month.

In nonfiction, the award for Best Audiobook: Memoir went to Careless People by Sarah Wynn Williams, for her whistleblower account of speaking out about meta. The audiobook, which is self-narrated, has been described as a “powerful restoration of speech and power.”

Why Are You Here, Mrs Hamilton?, a memoir written by Jo Hamilton, a victim of the Post Office scandal, and narrated by Monica Dolan – who portrayed her in the ITV television drama Mr Bates v The Post Office – won best non-fiction audiobook. Meanwhile, Mark Gatiss won best performance as a novelist for his reading of Ian Fleming’s From Russia with Love, beating Stephen Fry and others.

Independent publishers had a strong showing at Speakies. Galley Beggar Press and Spiracle Audio beat out major publishers to win best fiction audiobook for All My Precious Madness by Mark Bowles, novel by Paul Hilton. The audiobook was praised for its “ambitious concept” and innovative use of multiple voices, and was described as an example of the evolution of audio as a form in its own right.

According to the Publishers Association, UK audiobook sales rose by 31% in 2024, reaching a record £268 million. Last week, a study by the National Literacy Foundation found that while only 32% of young people said they read for pleasure, 42% enjoy listening to audiobooks.

Philip Jones, editor of Bookseller magazine – which co-runs the new awards with The Stage – said the awards reflect a “moment” for audio in the UK. “I am happy with the winners in this first year,” he said. “As listener interest grows, investment across platforms and talent increases, and excellence across disciplines rises to the occasion. It has been a real pleasure to bring all of this together under one awards banner for the first time, with all talent recognized.”

This year’s judging panel included Gavin and Stacey star Laura Aikman, broadcaster and author Michelle Ellman, author Abeer Mukherjee, Doctor Who star Pearl Mackie, YouTuber Hannah Wetton and The Guardian audiobook critic Fiona Sturgess.