The Audio Publishers Association revealed the finalists for this year’s Audie Awards, given annually in recognition of “distinction in audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment.”
Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake, narrated by Meryl Streep, was named a finalist for audiobook of the year, alongside Surrender, written and narrated by Bono; Inside Voice, written and narrated by Lake Bell; All the Sinners Bleed, written by S.A. Cosby and narrated by Adam Lazarre-White; and Sing a Black Girl's Song, written by Ntozake Shange, edited by Imani Perry, and narrated by a cast of 10, including Perry and Alfre Woodard.
Streep’s narration of Tom Lake also garnered nominations for fiction and best fiction narrator. The actor also was named a finalist in the middle-grade category for her reading of Brian Selznick’s Big Tree. All the Sinners Bleed was also nominated in the thriller/suspense category.
Joining Streep in the best fiction narrator category were Ethan Hawke for his narration of Dave Eggers’ The Eyes & the Impossible, which last week won the John Newbery Medal, along with Billie Fulford-Brown for Hazel Gaynor’s The Last Lifeboat, Marni Penning for Sara Read’s Johanna Porter Is Not Sorry, and Eunice Wong for C Pam Zhang’s Land of Milk and Honey.
Michelle Williams’ narration of Britney Spears’ The Woman in Me, a clip of which went viral last year on social media, was nominated in the best nonfiction narrator category, alongside Edoardo Ballerini for Michael Finkel’s The Art Thief. Dion Graham earned the other three spots in the category, for Jonathan Eig’s King: A Life, Joe Sexton’s The Lost Sons of Omaha, and David Grann’s The Wager.
The winners of the Audies will be revealed at a gala on March 4 in Los Angeles. The full list of finalists is available here.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
