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Industry intel · Awards

BRITISH BOOK AWARDS 2026: THE AUDIOBOOK WINNERS THAT SHOWCASE CASTING AND CAMPAIGN CRAFT.

By London Audiobooks ·

In brief

  • The 2026 British Book Awards (the Nibbies) honoured winners on 11 May 2026 at Grosvenor House in London, with a livestream alongside the ceremony.
  • Audiobook Fiction went to Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite, narrated by Weruche Opia, Nnei Opia Clark and Diana Yekinni, published by W. F. Howes.
  • Audiobook Non-Fiction went to Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams, written and narrated by the author, published by Macmillan Audio.
  • Judges praised Cursed Daughters for authenticity and richness of performance, including casting a fluent Yoruba speaker for the character of Ebun.
  • Macmillan Audio’s campaign for Careless People centred on the line “Meta wants to silence her voice. You can hear her words” after Meta secured a legal order limiting the author’s promotion of the book.

Why the Nibbies audiobook categories matter

The British Book Awards, widely known as the Nibbies, recognise books, publishers and booksellers across UK trade publishing. In 2026 the Audiobook Fiction and Audiobook Non-Fiction Book of the Year prizes again put performance, casting and audio marketing on the same stage as print. For producers and rights owners, the shortlists are a useful map of what judges and retailers reward: multi-narrator casting done with care, author-read memoir when the voice is part of the story, and campaigns that treat audio as a lead format rather than an afterthought. (Locus; RBmedia / W. F. Howes)

Audiobook Fiction: Cursed Daughters

Cursed Daughters, Oyinkan Braithwaite’s follow-up to My Sister, the Serial Killer, is a Lagos-set multi-generational story. The audio edition from W. F. Howes (RBmedia’s UK publishing brand) uses three Nigerian voice actors — Weruche Opia, Nnei Opia Clark and Diana Yekinni. The Bookseller’s award write-up says judges were “blown away” by authenticity and richness, and that one judge had “not heard an audiobook like this before.” The panel specifically applauded the decision to cast Yekinni, a fluent Yoruba speaker, so the character of Ebun could be voiced authentically, plus a light touch with sound effects and a joint campaign with print publisher Atlantic. (The Bookseller – Audiobook Fiction; RBmedia)

Habiba Sacranie, Senior Acquisitions Editor at W. F. Howes, said: “Oyinkan is without a doubt one of the most exciting authors out there… It is such a big achievement for the company and testament to the hard work that goes on behind-the-scenes at W. F. Howes to publish top-quality audiobooks year in and year out.” (RBmedia)

The title was also selected as Audible’s Audiobook of the Month on publication, according to The Bookseller’s shortlist notes. (The Bookseller – Audiobook Fiction)

Fiction shortlist: star casts and soundtrack craft

Other Audiobook Fiction shortlistees show the range of UK audio production this year:

  • Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney, narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton (Macmillan) — dual narration with a subtle soundscape; Audible selected it as a book of the year.
  • One of Us by Elizabeth Day, with an ensemble including Richard Armitage, Oliver Chris, Emilia Fox, Genevieve Gaunt and Bella Maclean (4th Estate) — accent lists shared across separately recorded sections, plus a Spotify “Read Like You Listen” partnership.
  • Pride and Prejudice, adapted by Lulu Raczka for Audible Original, with Marisa Abela as Elizabeth Bennet alongside Glenn Close, Harris Dickinson, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Bill Nighy, and a score by Morgan Kibby — timed to Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary year.
  • The Long Shoe by Bob Mortimer, with Diane Morgan and Arabella Weir (Gallery UK) — studio ad-lib content helped drive a large preorder lift; an instant Audible bestseller.
  • The Rose Field (The Book of Dust) by Philip Pullman, narrated by Michael Sheen (Penguin Audio) — exclusive Sheen–Pullman conversation content and Waterstones midnight-launch excerpts.

(The Bookseller – Audiobook Fiction; Locus)

Audiobook Non-Fiction: Careless People

Careless People, Sarah Wynn-Williams’s memoir of working in Facebook (now Meta)’s senior ranks, won Audiobook Non-Fiction. Wynn-Williams wrote and narrated the edition for Macmillan Audio. Judges called the book “astonishing”, “important” and “terrific”, and the audio “supremely entertaining”; one said “every moment of the book is outstanding.” (The Bookseller – Audiobook Non-Fiction; The Bookseller live)

When Meta secured a legal order restricting how Wynn-Williams could promote the book, Macmillan Audio centred its campaign on: “Meta wants to silence her voice. You can hear her words.” The Bookseller notes the title had already won Best Audiobook: Non-Fiction Memoir at the British Audio Awards (the Speakies), and that Macmillan recorded the author under strict privacy and NDA conditions. (The Bookseller – Audiobook Non-Fiction)

At the Nibbies, Helen Thorne, presenting the award, said audiobooks are “the fastest growing format” and that “having authors read their own stories is a delight.” (The Bookseller live)

Non-fiction shortlist snapshot

The Non-Fiction shortlist mixed author-narrated memoir with dual and celebrity casts, including Kathy Burke’s A Mind of My Own (Gallery), Andrew Lownie’s Entitled (William Collins), Rutger Bregman’s Moral Ambition with Boris Hiestand (Bloomsbury), Robin Sharma’s audio-first The Deep Magic of Daily Consistency (Bolinda Originals), and Ruth Jones and James Corden on When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between (Penguin Random House Audio). (The Bookseller – Audiobook Non-Fiction)

What UK audiobook producers can take from the winners

Three practical themes run through both winning campaigns:

  1. Cast for language and culture, not only star power. Cursed Daughters won on authenticity: lengthy auditions and a Yoruba-fluent narrator for a key role.
  2. Treat audio as a lead marketing surface. Macmillan’s line about hearing Wynn-Williams’s words turned a legal constraint into the campaign’s centre of gravity.
  3. Coordinate print and audio. WF Howes’ work with Atlantic, and several shortlistees’ Spotify, Audible and Waterstones tie-ins, show discovery still often starts outside the audiobook app.

London Audiobooks produces audiobooks for publishers, rights owners, producers and authors from our London facility. If you are planning a multi-narrator or author-read title, see our service for publishers or tell us about your book.

FAQ

When were the 2026 British Book Awards announced?
Winners were honoured on 11 May 2026 at Grosvenor House in London, with a livestream alongside the ceremony.

Which audiobook won Fiction at the 2026 Nibbies?
Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite, narrated by Weruche Opia, Nnei Opia Clark and Diana Yekinni, published by W. F. Howes.

Which audiobook won Non-Fiction?
Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams, written and narrated by the author, published by Macmillan Audio.

Why did judges praise the Cursed Daughters cast?
They highlighted authenticity and richness of performance, including casting Diana Yekinni as a fluent Yoruba speaker for the character of Ebun.

What was unusual about the Careless People campaign?
After Meta secured a legal order limiting the author’s promotion of the book, Macmillan Audio focused the campaign on the line that listeners could still hear her words on the audiobook.

Are the Nibbies the same as the Speakies?
No. The British Book Awards (Nibbies) are The Bookseller’s trade awards. The British Audio Awards are also known as the Speakies. Careless People had already won a Speakies Non-Fiction Memoir prize before its Nibbies win.

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