LONDON
AUDIOBOOKSA Fitzrovia Post CompanyLondonAudiobooks.co.uk
Start a project

Industry intel · Awards

SPEAKIES 2026: THE BRITISH AUDIO AWARDS SHORTLIST UK PRODUCERS SHOULD WATCH.

By London Audiobooks ·

In brief

  • The second annual British Audio Awards — the Speakies — have published shortlists across 18 categories spanning audiobooks, audio drama and podcasts.
  • The awards are run by The Bookseller and The Stage; winners will be announced on Monday 23 November 2026 at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, hosted by Sally Phillips.
  • New for 2026: dedicated podcast categories, plus Production & Sound Design.
  • Fiction nominees include Douglas Stuart’s Booker-longlisted John of John, Bob Mortimer’s The Long Shoe, and Jon Fosse’s Vaim, alongside strong crime and memoir casts.
  • Narrator Performance shortlists feature Adjoa Andoh, Simon Russell Beale, James McAvoy and Rory Kinnear, with Lorne MacFadyen among the New Voice nominees.

Why the Speakies matter for audiobook producers

The British Audio Awards — nicknamed the Speakies — recognise excellence across recorded audio in the UK: fiction and non-fiction audiobooks, audio drama, podcasts, and the craft that sits behind them. Unlike the British Book Awards (the Nibbies), which honour books and publishers across trade formats, the Speakies put listening first. For producers, rights owners and casting directors, the shortlists are a practical signal of what judges are rewarding: star and ensemble narration, author-read memoir, cross-medium drama adaptations, and — newly this year — production and sound design as a category in its own right. (The Bookseller – About the British Audio Awards; Radio Times)

Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller and a Speakies judge, said: “From Hollywood actors to Booker-winning authors the market for listening goes from strength to strength, with books, dramas and discussions that thrill and inform in equal measure.” He added that he was “delighted that all the hard work is reflected in these shortlists, and that listeners are being well-served during what is becoming a golden age for audio storytelling.” (Radio Times; Listening Books)

Ceremony: 23 November at the Southbank Centre

Winners will be announced on Monday 23 November 2026 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, with Sally Phillips hosting. Shortlists were revealed in mid-September 2026; this article covers nominees only — winners have not yet been announced. (Radio Times)

Fiction shortlist: Booker longlistees, celebrity casts and translated work

The Fiction shortlist mixes literary prestige with high-profile narration:

  • John of John by Douglas Stuart, narrated by Lorne MacFadyen (Pan Macmillan / Picador) — Booker-longlisted, with MacFadyen also named among New Voice nominees.
  • Look What You Made Me Do by John Lanchester, narrated by Louise Brealey and Genevieve Gaunt (W. F. Howes).
  • Nonesuch by Francis Spufford, narrated by Lydia Wilson (Faber).
  • The Long Shoe by Bob Mortimer, with Bob Mortimer, Diane Morgan and Arabella Weir (Simon & Schuster).
  • The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 1 by Beth Brower, narrated by Genevieve Gaunt (Echo Point).
  • Vaim by Jon Fosse, translated by Damion Searls, narrated by Toby Jones (Fitzcarraldo).

(Radio Times; Listening Books)

Crime and memoir: star power and author-read authenticity

Crime nominees underline how casting drives discovery. Examples include Alice Feeney’s My Husband’s Wife, narrated by Bel Powley, Richard Armitage and Henry Rowley (Pan Macmillan); Sarah A. Denzil’s The Devoted Wife, narrated by Sheridan Smith (Audible); and Ian Rankin’s Cully & More, with Alexander Morton, Dominic Cooper and a wider ensemble (BBC Audio). (Radio Times; Listening Books)

Memoir and non-fiction memoir shortlists lean on distinctive voices: Kathy Burke’s author-narrated A Mind of My Own (Simon & Schuster); Lena Dunham’s Famesick (4th Estate); Chris McCausland’s Keep Laughing (Penguin Michael Joseph); Alan Bennett’s Enough Said, narrated by Alex Jennings (Profile); and Gisèle Pelicot’s A Hymn to Life, narrated by Emma Thompson (Vintage). (Radio Times; Listening Books)

Narrator Performance: stage and screen names on the shortlist

Narrator Performance nominees include Adjoa Andoh for Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi; Simon Russell Beale for the George Smiley novels by John le Carré; James McAvoy for Recall by J.D. Kirk; and Rory Kinnear for Jesus Christ Kinski by Benjamin Myers. New Voice nods include Lorne MacFadyen for John of John, and the Golden Trio young cast with Cush Jumbo as narrator on the Harry Potter Full-Cast Editions. The Stage’s coverage also flags Erin Doherty, Mark Gatiss, Jason Watkins, Adjoa Andoh and Simon Russell Beale among the wider field of nominees. (Radio Times; The Stage)

Fergus Morgan of The Stage, a Speakies judge, said: “Audio drama is a thrillingly vibrant and versatile artform, and our shortlists this year prove that.” He highlighted titles including Faith Healer, Gone With The Wind, The Yafa Cherry Orchard, Becoming Meg Dashwood, Life and Time and Wraith. (Radio Times; The Stage)

What UK audiobook producers can take from the shortlists

Three practical themes run through this year’s nominees:

  1. Ensemble and dual casts still cut through. Mortimer’s three-hander, Feeney’s multi-narrator crime and Lanchester’s dual cast show judges rewarding carefully planned studio ensembles, not only single-voice celebrity reads.
  2. Author-read memoir remains a lead format when the voice is the story. Burke, Dunham and McCausland sit alongside carefully cast celebrity narration such as Emma Thompson on Pelicot and Alex Jennings on Bennett.
  3. Craft categories are expanding. The addition of podcast categories and Production & Sound Design signals that the Speakies now judge the full listening stack — performance, editorial and sound — not only the finished download.

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

FAQ

What are the Speakies?
The Speakies are the British Audio Awards, run by The Bookseller and The Stage. They honour audiobooks, audio drama, podcasts and related craft across 18 categories in 2026.

When is the Speakies 2026 ceremony?
Winners will be announced on Monday 23 November 2026 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, hosted by Sally Phillips.

Have the Speakies 2026 winners been announced?
No. As of this article, only the shortlists have been published. Winners are due at the 23 November ceremony.

What is new for the Speakies in 2026?
Dedicated podcast categories and a Production & Sound Design category have been added for this year’s awards.

Which Fiction titles are shortlisted?
Nominees include John of John by Douglas Stuart, Look What You Made Me Do by John Lanchester, Nonesuch by Francis Spufford, The Long Shoe by Bob Mortimer, The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 1 by Beth Brower, and Vaim by Jon Fosse.

How do the Speakies differ from the Nibbies?
The Nibbies (British Book Awards) are The Bookseller’s trade awards across books and publishing. The Speakies focus specifically on audio storytelling — audiobooks, drama and podcasts.

Sources