APA officials said this year’s Audie awards received a record-breaking number of submissions, with submissions up 42% over the last five years, an indication of the industry’s ongoing, impressive growth.

By Andrew Richard Albanese, Editor-in-Chief

The Audio Publishers Association (APA) this week announced the finalists for the 31st Annual Audie Awards, which recognizes excellence in audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment across 27 competitive categories. The winners will be revealed at a ceremony on March 2, 2026, in New York.

APA officials said this year’s Audie awards received a record-breaking number of submissions—more than 2,300 entries—with submissions up 42% over the last five years, yet another indication of the audio industry’s ongoing, impressive growth. Furthermore, four new categories have been added to this year’s slate: Adaptation/Original Work, Ensemble Performance, New Voice Award, and Production & Sound Design.

“The record increase in submissions marks a tremendous milestone for the Audies and is a powerful testament to the medium’s growing popularity and cultural impact,” said Dreamscape Media’s Sean McManus, president of the APA. “Audiobooks continue to expand the way stories are told and experienced, reaching broader audiences and cementing their place as an essential part of the publishing and entertainment industries.”

Emphasizing the ongoing strong growth of the audiobook sector, APA officials also cited the APA’s 2025 sales survey, which once again showed double digit growth for the industry with audiobook revenue hitting $2.22 billion in 2024—a 13% over the previous year. Additionally, the 2025 survey found that more than half of American adults (51%) have listened to an audiobook, as well as a notable spike in interest among non-listeners, suggesting the number of Americans who have listened to an audiobook will rise even more in this year’s survey.

Audiobook of the Year Finalists

A complete list of the finalists across all categories is here.

The the finalists for the 2026 Audiobook of the Year include:

The Devil Reached Toward the Sky by Garrett M. Graff (Simon & Schuster Audio). Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, a full cast, and Garrett M. Graff.

King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby (Macmillan Audio). Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Lulu Raczka (Audible Originals). Narrated by Marisa Abela, Harris Dickinson, Glenn Close, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Bill Nighy, Sophie Wilde, Jessie Buckley, Toheeb Jimoh, Patricia Allison, Bertie Carvel, Leah Hazard, David Gyasi, Rosalind Eleazar, and a full cast.

Shield of Sparrows: Book 1 in the Shield of Sparrows Series by Devney Perry (Tantor Audio, a division of RBMedia). Narrated by Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Audio). Narrated by Jefferson White.

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (Macmillan Audio). Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, Katherine Littrell, Cooper Mortlock, and Steve West.