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Juried Audie Awards Finalists Demonstrate the Diversity and Passion at the Heart of the Audiobook Community

April 9, 2013 – Princeton Junction, NJ – The Audio Publishers Association (APA) has announced four Audie Award finalists for Audiobook of the Year and four finalists for the Distinguished Achievement in Production. The winners of these prestigious awards will be announced at the Audie Awards® Gala on May 30th, 2013, at the New-York Historical Society in New York City.
The four titles competing for Audiobook of the Year are:
American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen and Garden, by Michelle Obama, Narrated by Michelle Obama, Jim Adams, Charlie Brandts, Christeta Comerford, Sam Kass, Bill Yosses, and a fullcast, Random House Audio.
Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter, Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, HarperAudio.
The End of the Affair, by Graham Greene, Narrated by Colin Firth, Audible, Inc.
Killing Kennedy, by Bill O’Reilly, Narrated by Bill O’Reilly, Macmillan Audio.
All four titles are distinguished by excellence in production as well as their ability to create new interest in the audiobook format through creative and innovative marketing. The jury tasked with judging this category commented that this year’s Audiobook of the Year finalists each found new audiences for audiobooks while presenting a unique listening experience and the promise of a long listening life.
Ellen Myrick, Audies Judging Chair, says, “This year’s finalists demonstrate the diversity and passion that is at the heart of the audiobook community. In this year’s finalists for Distinguished Achievement in Production and Audiobook of the Year, there truly is something for everyone – whether you want to understand our country better, gain a new appreciation for classic literature, dive into the lives of fascinating people, or simply enjoy superlative fiction. It’s a great time to be an audiobook fan. It’s an even better time to discover the pleasure of audiobooks for yourself.”
The four titles competing for Distinguished Achievement in Production are:
Dracula, by Bram Stoker, Narrated by Simon Vance, Katherine Kellgren, Alan Cumming, Tim Curry and a full cast, Audible, Inc.
Shadow Show: All New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury, edited by Sam Weller and Mort Castle, stories by Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, Audrey Niffenegger, Dave Eggers and others, Narrated by George Takei, Edward Herrmann, Kate Mulgrew, F. Murray Abraham, Neil Gaiman, Peter Appel and James Urbaniak, HarperAudio.
Society’s Child: My Autobiography, by Janis Ian, Narrated by Janis Ian, Audible, Inc.
We Are America: A Tribute from the Heart, by Walter Dean Myers, Narrated by Walter Dean Myers, Christopher Myers, Dion Graham, Olivia DuFord and others, Live Oak Media.
This award recognizes a production that represents the best the format has to offer in listening excellence.
“Every year our task to select the best and the most impactful audiobooks becomes harder as the quality of the productions and innovation in marketing reaches new heights,” said Ellen Myrick, Audies Judging Chair.
Michele Cobb, President of the APA, adds “It’s no wonder that the audience and enthusiasm for audiobooks continue to grow as our members produce high caliber and high visibility titles such as these. We are pleased to recognize their accomplishments.” This year’s Judges provided their comments and insight into the selection of these prestigious Finalists:
AUDIOBOOK OF THE YEAR Finalists:
American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen and Garden (Random House Audio) American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen and Garden is a celebration of community in every sense of the word. The audiobook begins with the First Lady narrating, as Michelle Obama recounts “moving into a new house” and how her concern for the nation’s children found expression in this highly public project. Real voices join the chorus as we learn how to choose vegetables from the White House chef and how to deal with a bee-swarm from the garden’s beekeeper. American Grown continues to grow and is destined to be not only a snapshot of this White House garden but a prescription for healthy living for the country.
Beautiful Ruins (HarperAudio) Beautiful Ruins leads listeners through a sweep of cinematic history, from the filming of Cleopatra in 1962 to present-day Hollywood. Edoardo Ballerini’s nuanced performance negotiates a wide range of accents, ages, and eras. Hailed as the outstanding audiobook of the year by many, the publisher cleverly extended the momentum with a comprehensive social media campaign that capitalized on the rapturous reviews. Author Jess Walters’ vocal support for the audiobook production was just one more reason why the sales of the audiobook in relation to the print and eBook were five times the industry average.
The End of the Affair (Audible, Inc.) Read by Academy Award winner Colin Firth, The End of the Affair is the standard bearer for Audible’s multifaceted A-List collection. The Graham Greene novel was the narrator’s choice and his enthusiasm for the source material and the narration experience has made him a compelling advocate for audiobooks in general. The extensive media campaign included everything from daytime television shows such as Charlie Rose and Ellen, to print stories in the LA Times and USA Today to social media including You Tube and Twitter. The AList lured an untold number of first-time listeners into audiobooks, ensuring them a first-rate listening experience while simultaneously providing them a venue to broaden their audio horizons.
Killing Kennedy (Macmillan Audio) At or near the top of the audiobook bestseller lists for months, Killing Kennedy continues the successful formula first employed with Killing Lincoln in exploring a subject that is rooted in the past but relevant to our present. Fans were offered free excerpts to the audiobook through the author’s vast media network. Key retailers, including iTunes and Barnes and Noble, heavily featured the audiobook while extensive social media campaigns ensured that it was tweeted, shared, and discussed.
DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
Dracula (Audible, Inc.) In this age when encounters with vampires seem to come with the regularity of trips to grocery store, it is a chilling pleasure to listen to the startling and terrifying original book. Bram Stoker’s Dracula, a Victorian novel steeped in the horror of the undead, becomes more frightening, more suspenseful, and more ghoulishly satisfying in the hands of extremely talented actors. Tim Curry, Alan Cumming, Katherine Kellgren and Simon Vance lead the cast of this multi-voiced production, all handling various accents and dialects effortlessly. The result is a powerful production that creates a mounting dread, bringing the listener into the heart of this dark story. Be warned – not for the faint-hearted.
Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury (HarperAudio) How does a group of well-known, distinguished writers honor one of the most important and most beloved authors of the Twentieth Century? Tell stories, of course, and lots of them! In this sprawling collection of 26 original tales, read with care and enthusiasm by a considerable crew of A-list voice talents, the authors practice what Ray Bradbury always preached: writing with humor, vision, and a sense of wonder, tension, and depth of character. These performances sound personal, lyrical, and somehow quintessentially American – just like Bradbury himself.
Society’s Child: My Autobiography (Audible, Inc.) Grammy-award winning songwriter, singer, and musician Janis Ian impressively reads this brutally honest memoir in which she looks back at her longstanding career and the ups and downs of her personal life. Ian’s conversational reading style and soothing tones are bolstered by her crystal-clear singing voice as she regales listeners with snippets of such memorable songs as “At Seventeen” and “Jesse” in this memorable audio. The listener is left with an arresting portrait of the artist, deftly and beautifully punctuated by her singing.
We Are America: A Tribute from the Heart (Live Oak Media) From the introductory singing of “America the Beautiful” to the final child’s voice, this full-cast production brings wonderful details to the poetic narrative. The read-along format is heightened by Christopher Myers’ illustrations, and the interweaving of voice, sound, and music adds a memorable dimension. The heart-felt accolades to American history and accomplishment evoke the listener’s response and will serve as a fine beginning to discussions in homes and schools.