Bono’s audiobook, Surrender, a compelling narrative penned and narrated by the iconic U2 frontman, clinched the prestigious title of Audiobook of the Year at the 2024 Audie Awards. This esteemed accolade celebrates excellence in the realm of audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment. The gala ceremony took place at the Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles on Monday, March 4th.
Released by Penguin Random House Audio in November 2022, Bono’s audiobook, subtitled 40 Songs, One Story, captivates listeners with a runtime of 20 hours and 25 minutes. Accompanying this literary journey is the companion album, Songs of Surrender, which soared to No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart upon its debut in April 2023.
Competing for the coveted title were four other remarkable finalists:
– All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby, narrated by Adam Lazarre-White, and published by Macmillan Audio.
– Inside Voice: My Obsession with How We Sound, written and narrated by Lake Bell, published by Pushkin Industries.
– Sing a Black Girl’s Song by Ntozake Shange, edited by Imani Perry, with a foreword by Tarana Burke, narrated by Alfre Woodard, D. Woods, and a full cast, published by Hachette Audio.
– Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, narrated by Meryl Streep, published by HarperAudio.
The awards ceremony, hosted by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Nia Vardalos , featured notable presenters including Felicia Day, Lake Bell, and Samira Wiley.
Among the winners in various categories were former first lady Michelle Obama for The Light We Carry in business/personal development, and six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald for the literary fiction & classics category with her rendition of Homer’s The Iliad. Notable mentions also include Leslie Jones, who triumphed in the humor category with her work Leslie F*cking Jones, which she both wrote and narrated, with a foreword by Chris Rock.
This year’s awards marked a significant milestone as all 27 categories were rendered gender-neutral. The traditional best male and best female narrator categories were rebranded as best fiction narrator and best non-fiction narrator, aligning with contemporary inclusivity standards.
The Audie Awards, presented by the Audio Publishers Association (APA), have been honoring excellence in audiobooks since 1986, striving to unite audio publishers and foster greater appreciation for this dynamic form of storytelling.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.