The Audie Awards recognizes distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment and is sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association. This event has been ongoing for over 20 years and is a very good indication on what is selling. There are few resources that track audiobook sales and what constitutes the best of the bunch.
The big winners this year was MANDELA: AN AUDIO HISTORY that won Audiobook of the Year and Best Original Work. Neil Gaimon also won three awards, cementing himself as one of the most successful audiobook adopters.
If you want to get a sense of the most popular audiobooks of 2014, the comprehensive winners list below should satiate you.
Audio Drama
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Read by Geoffrey Arend, Wilson Bethel, Seamus Dever, Sarah Drew, Henri Lubatti, James Marsters, Christopher Neame, Moira Quirk, Darren Richardson
Audiobook of the Year/Original Work
MANDELA: AN AUDIO HISTORY
Radio Diaries, Read by Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Joe Richman
Autobiography/Memoir/Narration by the Author or Authors
NOT MY FATHER’S SON
Alan Cumming, Read by Alan Cumming
Business/Educational
A MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION
Warren Berger, Read by Michael Quinlan
Children’s Titles – Ages 8-12/DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION/Multi-Voiced Performance
THE GRAVEYARD BOOK
Neil Gaiman, Read by Derek Jacobi, Robert Madge, Clare Corbett, Miriam Margolyes, Andrew Scott, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Emilia Fox, Reece Shearsmith, Lenny Henry, Neil Gaiman, and an Ensemble Cast
Children’s Titles – Ages Up to 8
H.O.R.S.E.
Christopher Myers, Read by Dion Graham, Christopher Myers
Classic
THE NEW YORK STORIES
John O’Hara, Read by Becky Ann Baker, Dylan Baker, Bobby Cannavale, Jon Hamm, Richard Kind, Jan Maxwell, Gretchen Mol, Dallas Roberts, E.L. Doctorow
Erotica
ALPHA
Jasinda Wilder, Read by Summer Roberts, Tyler donne
Fantasy
WORDS OF RADIANCE
Brandon Sanderson, Read by Michael Kramer, Kate Reading
Fiction
ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE
Anthony Doerr, Read by Zach Appelman
History/Biography
THE BULLY PULPIT
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Read by Edward Herrmann
Humor
YES PLEASE
Amy Poehler, Read by Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett, Seth Meyers, Mike Schur, Eileen Poehler, William Poehler, Patrick Stewart, Kathleen Turner
Literary Fiction
EUPHORIA
Lily King, Read by Simon Vance, Xe Sands
Mystery
THE SILKWORM
Robert Galbraith, Read by Robert Glenister
Non-Fiction
FURIOUS COOL
David Henry, Joe Henry, Read by Dion Graham
Paranormal
THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS
M.R. Carey, Read by Finty Williams
Inspirational/Faith-Based Fiction
THE AUSCHWITZ ESCAPE
Joel C. Rosenberg, Read by Christopher Lane
Inspirational/Faith-Based Non-Fiction
BEFORE AMEN
Max Lucado, Read by Ben Holland
Judges Award: Science & Technology
THE SECOND MACHINE AGE
Erik Brynjolfsson, Andrew McAfee, Read by Jeff Cummings
Package Design
THE LIGHT AT THE END
Nicholas Briggs, Read by Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, and a Full Cast
Personal Development
WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE
Oprah Winfrey, Read by Oprah Winfrey
Romance
THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY
Robert James Waller, Read by Kelli O’Hara, Steven Pasquale
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.