The Audio Publishers Association (APA) announced the winners of the 2016 Audie Awards at the 21st annual Audies Gala, hosted by comedian and author Paula Poundstone, on May 11 in Chicago.
The evening's biggest award, Audiobook of the Year, recognized an audiobook that "through quality, innovation, marketing and sales, has had the most significant impact on the industry," and was awarded to Paula Hawkins's The Girl on the Train, published by Penguin Audio / Books on Tape and narrated by Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey, and India Fisher.
"A trio of skilled narrators pulls listeners into the psychological suspense of Paula Hawkins's The Girl on the Train," the award's judges said in their statement. "With storytelling this good, it’s clear to see why the audiobook continues to gain fans across a broad market."
Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale, published by Macmillan Audio and read by Polly Stone, took home the Audie in the fiction category, with Jill Leovy's Ghettoside, from Random House Audio / Books on Tape and read by Rebecca Lowman, netting the award for nonfiction. The winner in autobiography and memoir was Martin Pistorius's Ghost Boy, read by Simon Bubb and published by Thomas Nelson.
Pam Munoz Ryan's Echo, from Scholastic Audio and read by Mark Bramhall, David deVries, MacLeod Andrews, and Rebecca Soler, was awarded the Audie for best middle grade audiobook, with Libba Bray's Lair of Dreams, read by January LaVoy and published by Listening Library, named for best YA title. Little Shop of Monsters, written by R.L. Stine and Marc Brown and read by Jack Black, brought an Audie home for publisher Hachette Audio in the young listeners category.
Kate Mulgrew's Born with Teeth, published by Hachette Audio, won the award for an audiobook narrated by its author, and Jeffrey Deaver's The Starling Project, read by Alfred Molina with a full cast and published by Audible Studios, won for best work originally published in audio format.
APA president Linda Lee celebrated the event in a statement: “As the audiobook industry grows and thrives, we reach new heights of visibility, quality, and audience enthusiasm for the format – all reflected in every one of tonight’s nominees and winners!"
