Awards Honor Ncuti Gatwa's Audible Performance in "The Great Gatsby", Among Several Star Wins at British Audio Awards
Ncuti Gatwa took home a slew of prizes at the inaugural British Audio Awards, known as the Speakies, which recognize excellence in audiobooks and audio drama. The South African actor's portrayal of Jay Gatsby in the reimagined adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, "The Great Gatsby," was widely praised by judges for its 'remarkable poise and flair,' earning him wins for best performance, best audio drama adaptation, and top honor as Audio Book of the Year.
Gatwa's impressive outing marked a standout moment in an evening celebrating the full spectrum of audio storytelling. The event, held at London's Royal Opera House, honored writers, actors, sound designers, and publishers alike, with many praising the rise of audiobooks and investment across the sector.
Other top winners included Nicola Coughlan, who brought wit and vivacity to her narration of Juno Dawson's "Queen B," a science fiction novel about Anne Boleyn. The Bridgerton star won best audiobook in the science fiction and fantasy category. JD Kirk's 'Him,' co-narrated by David Tennant, took home the award for crime audiobook.
Notable nonfiction prizes went to Sarah Wynn-Williams for her memoir 'Careless People' and Jo Hamilton for "Why Are You Here, Mrs Hamilton?", with Monica Dolan winning best performance in the latter. Meanwhile, independent publishers Galley Beggar Press and Spiracle Audio triumphed over major houses to claim the top fiction audiobook prize.
Industry insiders noted a surge in listenership and investment across audio platforms, with audiobook sales in the UK rising by 31% last year to reach £268m. A study also found that more young people are enjoying listening to audiobooks than reading for pleasure, indicating an exciting future for this growing format.
Editor of 'The Bookseller,' Philip Jones, expressed delight at the winners and highlighted a moment of recognition for UK audio talent. "This awards celebration truly has been a joy to behold as we bring together excellence across disciplines under one banner."
Ncuti Gatwa took home a slew of prizes at the inaugural British Audio Awards, known as the Speakies, which recognize excellence in audiobooks and audio drama. The South African actor's portrayal of Jay Gatsby in the reimagined adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, "The Great Gatsby," was widely praised by judges for its 'remarkable poise and flair,' earning him wins for best performance, best audio drama adaptation, and top honor as Audio Book of the Year.
Gatwa's impressive outing marked a standout moment in an evening celebrating the full spectrum of audio storytelling. The event, held at London's Royal Opera House, honored writers, actors, sound designers, and publishers alike, with many praising the rise of audiobooks and investment across the sector.
Other top winners included Nicola Coughlan, who brought wit and vivacity to her narration of Juno Dawson's "Queen B," a science fiction novel about Anne Boleyn. The Bridgerton star won best audiobook in the science fiction and fantasy category. JD Kirk's 'Him,' co-narrated by David Tennant, took home the award for crime audiobook.
Notable nonfiction prizes went to Sarah Wynn-Williams for her memoir 'Careless People' and Jo Hamilton for "Why Are You Here, Mrs Hamilton?", with Monica Dolan winning best performance in the latter. Meanwhile, independent publishers Galley Beggar Press and Spiracle Audio triumphed over major houses to claim the top fiction audiobook prize.
Industry insiders noted a surge in listenership and investment across audio platforms, with audiobook sales in the UK rising by 31% last year to reach £268m. A study also found that more young people are enjoying listening to audiobooks than reading for pleasure, indicating an exciting future for this growing format.
Editor of 'The Bookseller,' Philip Jones, expressed delight at the winners and highlighted a moment of recognition for UK audio talent. "This awards celebration truly has been a joy to behold as we bring together excellence across disciplines under one banner."
he totally brought that character to life and it's so satisfying to see him win these awards 
. it's amazing how audiobooks are really taking off right now - 31% increase in sales is crazy 
. i'm also loving the fact that we're seeing more young people getting into listening to audiobooks, like, it's a great way to discover new books and authors too 
. anyway, back when 'the great gatsby' was first published, audiobooks weren't even an option, can you imagine? 
. I mean, there are so many talented voices out there, especially from underrepresented communities, who deserve recognition too 
. And have you seen the rise in audiobook sales? 31% growth in a year is no joke! It's exciting to think about how this format can bring more people together and create new opportunities for creators 
. But at the same time, we gotta be real about the fact that some platforms are still kinda biased towards bigger names or established talent 
!! That man's got some serious pipes on him and I'm not surprised he took home all those Speakies 
He totally deserves the top honor as Audio Book of the Year 
. The fact that audiobooks are growing in popularity is a great sign for the industry and it's awesome to see UK talent getting recognition 
. Can't wait to dive into some more of these winners' titles! 
. i think audio storytelling is going to take over everything soon 
. congrats to all the winners, this is amazing news 
... his voice, his style, it was all just so captivating 
. And to win Audio Book of the Year? That's the ultimate recognition for his talent 
. I'm loving how young people are getting into audiobooks too, it's the future of reading! 
. I've listened to the audiobook like, three times already and it still gives me chills 
. The fact that he took home four awards is just insane 
!
just saw that audiobook sales in the UK rose by 31% last year... meanwhile, bookstores are struggling 
can't help but think this 'growth' comes at a cost 
.
. Maybe I just need to listen to The Great Gatsby audiobook again to decide for myself 
Ncuti Gatwa is literally the GOAT right now 
his poise and flair are everything and more 
I'm so glad we're seeing a surge in listenership for audiobooks and it's awesome to see UK talent getting recognized 
the fact that more young people are enjoying listening to audiobooks than reading is just mind-blowing 
Ncuti Gatwa is giving major F. Scott Fitzgerald vibes 
[Image: a GIF of an old-school audio reel with Ncuti Gatwa's face photobombed in] 
.
seriously tho, it's dope to see how much love is being showered on audiobooks rn, with sales rising by 31% in the UK and young ppl devouring them instead of reading for pleasure 
. Give the indie publishers a break and let them shine! We need more diversity in those awards. 31% rise in audiobook sales is just the tip of the iceberg, we've got to keep pushing for more 
so hyped to hear about audiobook sales rising by 31% 