By all accounts, the seventh annual Audie Awards hosted by the Audio Publishers Association were an event to behold. The black-tie dinner gala held in the Delegates Dining Room at the United Nations on May 3 celebrated both the best in audiobooks and the best of the Big Apple. Attendees raved about the venue as well as the efficient awards program emceed by actors and audiobook narrators Dylan and Becky Ann Baker. "It was the culmination of a lot of effort over many years and it all came together Friday night," said Joe McNeely, associate publisher of Renaissance Audio. "It was magical." Traci Cothran of Audio Book Club Inc. observed, "Beautiful orchids, a sparkling skyline, glittering gowns and a fast-paced program made for a great evening." And APA president Eileen Hutton echoed the sentiments of many when she said, "I loved the fact that because of the New York location so many production people were on hand to accept their awards this year." As they say, a good time was had by all.
Here is the complete list of this year's winners:
Fiction, abridged:The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, read by Dylan Baker (Simon & Schuster Audio)
Fiction, unabridged:The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub, read by Frank Muller (S&S Audio)
Mystery, Fiction:Tell No One by Harlen Coben, read by Steven Weber (Random House Audio)
Classic, Fiction:A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, read by Kate Burton (HarperAudio)
Nonfiction, abridged:John Adams by David McCullough, read by Edward Herrmann (S&S Audio)
Nonfiction, unabridged:John Adams by David McCullough, read by Nelson Runger (Recorded Books)
Personal Development/Motivational:Self Matters by Phillip McGraw, read by the author (S&S Audio)
Business Information/Educational:Rich Dad's Rich Kid, Smart Kid by Robert Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter, read by Jim Ward with commentary by Kiyosaki (Time Warner AudioBooks)
Children's Titles for ages 0-7:Ballet Stories: Coppelia, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake retold by David Angus, read by Jenny Agutter (Naxos AudioBooks)
Children's Titles for ages 8-up:The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman, read by Pullman and a full cast (Random House/Listening Library)
Inspirational/Spiritual:NIV Audio Bible New Testament, read by various narrators (Zondervan)
Humor:Napalm and Silly Putty by George Carlin, read by the author (HighBridge Audio)
Poetry:The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis by various authors, read by Caroline Kennedy, Claire Bloom, B.D. Wong and others (Hyperion Audiobooks)
Short Stories/Collections:Blood: Stories of Life and Death from the Civil War by Ulysses S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln et al.; read by Christopher Graybill, Colleen Delany et al. (Listen & Live Audio)
Original Work:The Life and Works of Chopin by Jeremy Siepmann, read by the author with Anton Lesser, Neville Jason et al. (Naxos Audiobooks)
Solo Narration, Male: Frank Muller, Coldheart Canyon by Clive Barker (HarperAudio)
Solo Narration, Female: Dearbhla Molloy, My Dream of You by Nuala O'Faolain (S&S Audio)
Narration by the Author(s): Rick Bragg, Ava's Man (Random House Audio)
Multi-voiced Performance:The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman, read by the author and a full cast (Random House/Listening Library)
Audiobook Adapted from Another Medium:The Zebra-Striped Hearse by Ross Macdonald, read by Harris Yulin, Edward Asner et al. (The Audio Partners)
Fiction or Nonfiction, Licensed or Distributed:The Family Frying Pan by Bryce Courtenay, read by Humphrey Bower (Bolinda Audio Books)
Package Design:The Caedmon Short Story Collection by various authors, read by various narrators (HarperAudio)
Achievement and Innovation in Production:The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman, read by the author and a full cast (Random House/Listening Library)
