Keith Richards, Johnny Dep and Joe Hurley win Audie Award

The Audio Publishers Association (APA) announced the winners of the 2011 Audies® at its 16th Annual Audies Gala on May 24th at The TimesCenter in New York City. Often referred to as the “Oscars of spoken word entertainment,” the Audies are the most prestigious awards program in the United States honoring audiobooks.

Bestselling author Adriana Trigiani (Big Stone Gap, Very Valentine) hosted the event. Presenters included filmmaker John Waters (Hairspray, Cry Baby), author Thomas Cobb (Crazy Heart) and a variety of talented voice artists and entertainers.

The coveted Audiobook of the Year award went to Life, the bestselling autobiography of Keith Richards, narrated by Johnny Depp and Joe Hurley with Keith Richards (Hachette Audio). The Audies jury selected the winning title for its multi-pronged marketing campaign that capitalized on Depp’s contributions and left no doubts that new audiobook fans were introduced to the format. Life was also recognized with an Audie in the Biography/Memoir category.

The Distinguished Achievement in Production award was presented to Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices, by Walter Dean Myers and narrated by a full cast including Muhammad Cunningham, Michael Early, Patricia R. Floyd, Kevin R. Free, Arthur French, Dion Graham, Nathan Hinton, Ezra Knight, Lizan Mitchell, Gail Nelson, Monica Patton, Robin Miles and Charles Turner (Live Oak Media). This award recognizes a production that represents the best the format has to offer in listening excellence. This celebration of Harlem beautifully presented by 13 distinguished narrators was accompanied by jazz music and sound effects to add to the sense of time and place, and impressed the Audies jury.

“This was yet another exciting and competitive year for the Audies,” said Janet Benson, APA President. “We are proud to celebrate all of those who work hard to bring audiobooks to life and grateful to our listeners, who keep asking for more.”

Reviews and sound clips are available at www.TheAudies.com, courtesy of AudioFile magazine.
The 2011 Audie winners by category:

AUDIOBOOK OF THE YEAR
Life
By Keith Richards
Narrated by Johnny Depp and Joe Hurley (Featuring Keith Richards)
Hachette Audio

DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices
By Walter Dean Myers
Narrated by a full cast including Muhammad Cunningham, Michael Early, Patricia R. Floyd, Kevin R. Free, Arthur French, Dion Graham, Nathan Hinton, Ezra Knight, Lizan Mitchell, Gail Nelson, Monica Patton, Robin Miles and Charles Turner
Live Oak Media

SOLO NARRATION—FEMALE
Alfre Woodard
Glorious
By Bernice McFadden
Audible, Inc.

SOLO NARRATION—MALE
Alan Cumming
Zorgamazoo
By Robert Paul Weston
Penguin Audio

NARRATION BY THE AUTHOR or AUTHORS
Emma Thompson
Nanny McPhee Returns
Macmillan Audio

MULTI-VOICED PERFORMANCE
Jitters – A Quirky Little Audio Book
By Adele Park
Narrated by Adele Park and a full cast
Straight to Audio Productions

AUDIO DRAMA
Saint Joan: A Chronicle Play in Six Scenes and an Epilogue
By George Bernard Shaw
Narrated by Amy Irving, Kristoffer Tabori, Edward Herrmann and a full cast
Blackstone Audio

AUDIOBOOK ADAPTATION
No Country for Old Men
By Cormac McCarthy
Narrated by Sean Barrett
Naxos AudioBooks

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
Life
By Keith Richards
Narrated by Johnny Depp and Joe Hurley (Featuring Keith Richards)
Hachette Audio

BUSINESS/EDUCATIONAL
The Intelligent Entrepreneur
By Bill Murphy, Jr.
Narrated by LJ Ganser and Fred Berman
Audible, Inc.

CHILDREN’S TITLES FOR AGES 8 TO 12
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
By Jacqueline Kelly
Narrated by Natalie Ross
Brilliance Audio

CHILDREN’S TITLES FOR AGES UP TO 8
This Jazz Man
By Karen Ehrhardt
Narrated by James “D-Train” Williams
Live Oak Media

CLASSIC
The Woman in White
By Wilkie Collins
Narrated by Roger Rees, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee, Judy Geeson, Gabrielle de Cuir, and Stefan Rudnicki
Blackstone Audio

FICTION
Winter’s Bone
By Daniel Woodrell
Narrated by Emma Galvin
Hachette Audio

HISTORY
Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic
By Gordon S. Wood
Narrated by Robert Fass
Audible, Inc.

HUMOR
Old Jews Telling Jokes
Edited by Sam Hoffman and Eric Spiegelman
Narrated by Sam Hoffman with Eric Spiegelman and an ensemble cast
HighBridge Audio

INSPIRATIONAL/FAITH-BASED FICTION
Fireflies in December
By Jennifer Erin Valent
Narrated by Kate Forbes
Recorded Books

INSPIRATIONAL/FAITH-BASED NON-FICTION
In a Heartbeat
By Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy, with Sally Jenkins
Narrated by Leigh Anne Tuohy, Sean Tuohy, Kathleen McInerney, and Rick Adamson
Macmillan Audio

JUDGES AWARD - PARANORMAL
Beautiful Creatures
By Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Narrated by Kevin T. Collins
Hachette Audio

LITERARY FICTION
Snakewoman of Little Egypt
By Robert Hellenga
Narrated by Coleen Marlo
Tantor Audio

MYSTERY
The Reversal
By Michael Connelly
Narrated by Peter Giles
Hachette Audio

NON-FICTION
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
By Rebecca Skloot
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell with Bahni Turpin
Random House Audio/Books on Tape

ORIGINAL WORK
The New Adventures of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer, Vol. 2
By Max Allan Collins, from a story by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins
Narrated by Stacy Keach and a full cast
Blackstone Audio/Falcon Picture Group

PACKAGE DESIGN
The Very Best of Bob and RayBy Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding
Narrated by Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding
Designed by Sandy Ackerman and Jim Tierney
HighBridge Audio

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Put On Your Crown: Life-Changing Moments on the Path to Queendom
By Queen Latifah with Samantha Marshall
Narrated by Queen Latifah
Hachette Audio

ROMANCE
The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontё
By Syrie James
Narrated by Bianca Amato
Recorded Books

SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY
The Stainless Steel Rat
By Harry Harrison
Narrated by Phil Gigante
Brilliance Audio

SHORT STORIES/COLLECTIONS
Stories
Edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio
Narrated by Anne Bobby, Jonathan Davis, Peter Francis James, Katherine Kellgren, and Euan Morton, with an introduction by Neil Gaiman
HarperAudio

TEENS
The Rock and The River
By Kekla Magoon
Narrated by Dion Graham
Brilliance Audio

THRILLER/SUSPENSE
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
By Stieg Larsson
Narrated by Simon Vance
Random House Audio/Books on Tape