The Speakies 2026: The full list of nominations revealed

The nominees have been unveiled for the second iteration of The British Audio Awards, aka The Speakies, the prestigious awards dedicated to celebrating the talent behind audiobooks, audio drama and – new for this year – podcasts.

To spotlight the full breadth of spoken-word entertainment, The Bookseller and The Stage have widened the awards to include 18 categories, with the winners set to be announced at a ceremony hosted by Sally Phillips on Monday 23 November.

Many of this year’s biggest titles have been nominated including Douglas Stuart’s Booker-longlisted book John of John, Beth Brower’s The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion, Bob Mortimer’s third whodunnit The Long Shoe and Lena Dunham’s acclaimed memoir Famesick.

Read on for the full list of shortlisted nominees below.

Best Audiobook: Fiction

• John of John by Douglas Stuart (Pan Macmillan)
• Look What You Made Me Do by John Lanchester (WF Howes)
• Nonesuch by Francis Spufford (Faber)
• The Long Shoe by Bob Mortimer (Simon & Schuster)
• The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion: Volume 1 by Beth Brower (Echo Point Books & Media)
• Vaim by Jon Fosse, Damion Searls (trans) (Fitzcarraldo Editions)
  

Best Audiobook: Crime and Thriller

• Cully & More by Ian Rankin (BBC Audio)
• Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray (Pan Macmillan)
• Five by Ilona Bannister (HarperCollins Publishers)
• Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd (Faber)
• My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney (Pan Macmillan)
• The Devoted Wife by Sarah A Denzil (Audible)
  
  

Best Audiobook: Science Fiction & Fantasy

• Femme Feral by Sam Beckbessinger (Bloomsbury)
• Ice by Jacek Dukaj and Ursula Phillips (trans) (Bloomsbury)
• King of Ravens by Clare Sager (Transworld)
• The Last Starborn Seer by Venetia Constantine (Bloomsbury)
• The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan (Pan Macmillan)
• There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm (Penguin)
  
  

Best Audiobook: Romance

• A Wild English Rose by Sasha Cottman (Spotify Audiobooks)
• Annie Knows Everything by Rachel Wood (Bonnier Books UK)
• Bachelorettes by Rosa Rankin-Gee (Audible)
• Daggermouth by HM Wolfe (Bloomsbury)
• Portrait of Clare by Francis Brett Young (Naxos Audiobook)
• The Last Love Song by Lucinda Riley, Harry Whittaker (Pan Macmillan)

Best Audiobook: Specialist Non-Fiction

• Autistically Me: How to Understand and Celebrate Our Unique Minds by Sam Beckbessinger (WF Howes)
• How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend: A Neuroscientist's Guide to a Healthier, Happier Life by Rachel Barr (DK)
• Joy Chose You: Words for Hope, Comfort and Light by Donna Ashworth (Bonnier Books UK)
• Literally: A Joyful Guide to the Ups and Downs of Being Autistic by Ella Willis (Pan Macmillan)
• Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life by Emma Grede (Simon & Schuster)
• Tao Te Ching by Laozi, Stephen Mitchell (trans) (Spiracle Audiobooks)
  
  

Best Audiobook: Non-Fiction

• Attention Seeker: A Neurodivergent Comedian's Guide to Thriving with ADHD by Darcy Micharl (DK)
• Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York by Andrew Lownie (HarperCollins)
• Lessons from a Default Parent: Surviving the Front Line of Family Life (Without Losing Your Sh*t) by Lou Beckett (DK)
• London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City, and a Family’s Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe (Pan Macmillan)
• Our Later Years: Shared Wisdom on Ageing Powerfully Together by The Women of New Ground (Bloomsbury)
• When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between: A Story of Love and Friendship by Ruth Jones and James Corden (Transworld)
  
  

Best Audiobook: Non-Fiction Memoir

• A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot; Natasha Lehrer, Ruth Diver (trans) (Vintage)
• A Mind of My own by Kathy Burke (Simon & Schuster)
• Enough Said by Alan Bennett (Audrey Kerr, Profile Books)
• Famesick by Lena Dunham (4^th Estate)
• Keep Laughing by Chris McCausland (Penguin Michael Joseph)
• Mother Mary Comes to Me (Arundhati Roy)
  
  

Best Audiobook: Children’s

• British Museum: So You Think You've Got It Bad? A Kid's Life in Tudor Times by Chae Strathie (Nosy Crow)
• Harry Potter by JK Rowling (Full-Cast Editions) (Audible)
• Super Great Kids' Stories: From Storytellers Around the World by Kim Normanton (Bloomsbury)
• The Café at the Edge of the Woods by Mikey Please (HarperCollins)
• Tiny Hercules by Jon Lock, Nich Angell (Pan Macmillan)
• Yoto Classics: Peter Pan by JM Barrie (Yoto)
  
  

Best Audiobook: Young Adult

• Everything Not Saved by NMJ Coveney (Fire Hills Press)
• Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald (WF Howes)
• Like a Brother by Nathanael Lessore (Bonnier Books UK)
• Not Going to Plan by Tia Fisher (Bonnier Books UK)
• Piper at the Fates of Dusk by Patrick Ness (Bolinda)
• Survival Show by Juno Dawson (Simon & Schuster)
  
  

Best Audio Drama: New/Original Work

• Becoming Meg Dashwood by Rebecca Humphries (Audible)
• High Cockalorum by Jeremy Dyson (BBC Studios for BBC Radio 4)
• Life and Time by James Fritz (BBC Studios Audio)
• Shirley’s Party by Katie Hims (Hooley Productions)
• The Garden by Shaun Mendum (Kobold Blue Productions)
• Wraith by James Dobby & Anthony Povah (Strange Boy Productions)
  
  

Best Audio Drama: Adaptation

• Faith Healer by Brian Friel (Hooley Productions)
• Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (BBC Studios Audio)
• Heathcliff – A Wuthering Heights Story by Gracie Oddie-James (Audible)
• Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog by Dylan Thomas (BBC Audio Drama Wales)
• The Yafa Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov (Holy Mountain)
• Transcription by Kate Atkinson (Hooley Productions)
  
  

Best Performance

• Mark Gatiss for High Cockalorum (by Jeremy Dyson)
• Erin Doherty for Becoming Meg Dashwood (by Rebecca Humphries)
• Mohamed Elsandel for The Courier (by Eno Mfon & Darragh Mortell)
• Claire Perkins for Gone with the Wind (by Margaret Mitchell)
• Steve Toussaint for Double Exposure (by Sol B River)
• Jason Watkins for Don Quixote (by Miguel De Cervantes)
  
  

Best Performance: Narrator

• Adjoa Andoh for Cleopatra (by Saara El-Arifi)
• Joe Eyre for Assassin’s Apprentice (by Robin Hobb)
• Hanako Footman for The Rainshadow Orphans (by Naomi Ishiguro)
• Rory Kinnear for Jesus Christ Kinski (by Benjamin Myers)
• James McAvoy for Recall (by JD Kirk)
• Simon Russell Beale for the George Smiley novels (by John Le Carré)
  
  

Best Performance: Ensemble

• 400 Strangers
• Don Quixote
• Faith Healer
• Hope Bourne
• Shirley’s Party
• Transcription
  
  

Best Performance: New Voice

• The Golden Trio young cast alongside Cash Jumbo as narrator for Harry Potter (Full-Cast Editions)
• Eoin Lynch for The Moon Seeker
• Imogen Mackie Walker for Send Flowers
• Izuka Hoyle for Love at First Latte
• Lorne MacFadyen for John of John
• Sachin K. Sharma for Who Will Remain
  
  

Best Podcast: Arts & Entertainment

• All About the Music by Neil Brand (Somersault Studio)
• Bookshelfie by Vick Hope (Women’s Prize Trust)
• Dream Space by Gemma Cairney (Factory International)
• Inklings Book Club by Jack Edwards (Jack Edwards)
• Stack with Jake and Ella by Jake Williams & Ella Horne (Independent, Wizard Studios)
• You’re on Tonight by Kara Alberts-Turner, Liam Horrigan (Acast)
  
  

Best Podcast: Arts & Entertainment

• All About the Music by Neil Brand (Somersault Studio)
• Bookshelfie by Vick Hope (Women’s Prize Trust)
• Dream Space by Gemma Cairney (Factory International)
• Inklings Book Club by Jack Edwards (Jack Edwards)
• Stack with Jake and Ella by Jake Williams & Ella Horne (Independent, Wizard Studios)
• You’re on Tonight by Kara Alberts-Turner, Liam Horrigan (Acast)
  
  

Best Podcast: Narrative Shortlist

• Charles Dickens Ghost Stories - David Suchet (Noiser)
• Crime Scenes - Emilia Fox (Audible)
• James Pond - David Mitchell, Tamsin Greig, Rosie Holt and Clare Foster (Listen & Often)
• Sherlock & Co - Paul Waggott, Harry Attwell and Marta da Silva (Goalhanger)
• Storytime Takeover - James Jobson, Patrick Rosu and Rosa Marshall Coghland (RTÉ Kids Podcasts)
• Wolf Valley – Full Cast (Almost Tangible and BBC Radio 4)
  
  

Best Production & Sound Design

• Becoming by Meg Dashwood (Audible)
• Glittering Prospects by Anna Bertmark (Anna Bertmark)
• Odds On by Liv Fowler (BBC Radio 4)
• Spores: Series 2 by Marietta Kirkbride (BBC Radio 4/BBC Sounds)
• The Garden by Shaun Mendum (Shaun Mendum)
• Wolf Valley by Charlotte Melén (Almost Tangible/BBC Radio 4)