APA Honors the Year's Best Audiobooks at 14th Annual Audies Gala in New York City

The Graveyard Book Is Named Audiobook of the Year and Curse of the Blue Tattoo Receives the Newly-Created Distinguished Achievement in Production Award

NEW YORK, May 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The Audio Publishers Association (APA) announced the winners of the 2009 Audies(R) at a formal Gala at the New-York Historical Society on May 29th in New York City. The Audies are the only awards program in the United States honoring spoken word entertainment.

Recognizing audio's most engaging and innovative audiobooks of the 2008 publishing year, APA kicked off the celebration with Broadway and television star Tony Roberts, who played host to this year's Audies gala. APA recognized the year's best titles across a variety of genres.

Newbery Medal winner, The Graveyard Book, written and read by Neil Gaiman, beat its contenders, Brisingr by Christopher Paolini and A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father by Augusten Burroughs, for the coveted Audiobook of the Year award. The title earned this recognition for its combination of original musical composition, superb production and effective social media marketing. Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady, written by L.A. Meyer and read by Katherine Kellgren, received the newly-created Distinguished Achievement in Production award for its excellent production quality. This new award recognizes a production that represents the best the format has to offer in listening excellence.

"Despite current economic conditions, our industry continues to band together to provide some of the best audiobooks ever," said Anthony Goff, President of APA. "We thank the entrants for their continued support of the Audies and for their ground-breaking contributions and dedication to the industry."

APA also honored R. Michael Snodgrass, President, Publisher and Founder of Brilliance Audio and Eileen Hutton, Associate Publisher, Editorial Director and Co-Owner of Brilliance Audio with Special Achievement Awards. These audio-industry veterans have pioneered new ways to promote audiobooks, grow listenership and expand the industry's reach over the past 25 years, most recently making news with their company's sale to Amazon.

APA and AudioFile magazine have partnered to provide an interactive way to listen to this year's Audie winners. The website, www.theaudies.com, allows listeners to read a review about the winning audiobook, as well as listen to a sample. Earshot! podcasts with excerpts from each title and candid AudioFile reviews are also available at www.audiofilemagazine.com/audiopolis.

The 2009 Audie winners by category:

Audiobook of the Year

    The Graveyard Book
    Author and Narrator: Neil Gaiman
    Publisher: HarperChildren's Audio
    Executive Producer/Producer/Director: Michael Conroy

    Distinguished Achievement in Production
    Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky
    Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady
    By: L.A. Meyer
    Read by: Katherine Kellgren
    Publisher: Listen & Live Audio
    Executive Producers: Alisa Weberman and Alfred Martino
    Director: Alisa Weberman

    Audiobook Adaptation
    English Majors: A Comedy Collection for the Highly Literate
    By: Garrison Keillor
    Read by: Garrison Keillor and cast, with special guests Billy Collins, Roy
    Blount Jr., Robert Bly, Donald Hall, Allen Ginsberg, and Calvin Trillin
    Publisher: HighBridge Audio
    Executive Producer: Tiffany Hanssen
    Assistant Producer: Katrina Cicala

    Audio Drama
    The Odyssey
    By: Homer
    Read by: Tim McInnerny, Amanda Redman, and a full cast
    Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America
    Producer/Director: Janet Whitaker

    Biography/Memoir
    The Last Lecture
    By: Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
    Read by: Erik Singer
    Publisher: Hyperion Audiobooks
    Executive Producer: Rick Harris
    Producer/Director: Karen DiMattia

    Business/Educational
    The Little Red Book of Selling
    Author and Narrator: Jeffrey Gitomer
    Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

    Children's Titles for Ages Up To 8
    James Herriot's Treasury for Children
    By: James Herriot
    Read by: Jim Dale
    Publisher: Macmillan Audio
    Producers: Laura Wilson and Robert Van Kolken

    Children's Titles For Ages 8-12
    The Graveyard Book
    Author and Narrator: Neil Gaiman
    Publisher: HarperChildren's Audio
    Executive Producer/Producer/Director: Michael Conroy

    Classic
    Great Expectations
    By: Charles Dickens
    Read by: Simon Vance
    Publisher: Tantor Audio
    Executive Producer: Ron Formica

    Fiction (tie)
    The Duma Key
    By: Stephen King
    Read by: John Slattery
    Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
    Executive Producer: Carol Shapiro

    The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
    By: Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
    Read by: Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee, and Juliet
    Mills
    Publisher: Books on Tape
    Executive Producers: Dan Musselman and Kelly Gildea
    Producer/Director: Kelly Gildea
    Production Supervisor: Dan Musselman

    History
    Gandhi and Churchill
    By: Arthur Herman
    Read by: John Curless
    Publisher: Recorded Books
    Executive Producer: Claudia Howard
    Director: Jeffrey Brick
    Production Supervisor: Amber Cleveland

    Humor
    The Learners
    By: Chip Kidd
    Read by: Bronson Pinchot
    Publisher: Blackstone Audio
    Executive Producer: Josh Stanton
    Director: Andrew Barnes

    Inspirational / Faith-Based Fiction
    Prague Counterpoint
    By: Bodie and Brock Thoene
    Read by: Sean Barrett
    Publisher: FamilyAudioLibrary.com
    Executive Producer: Shiloh Light Foundation
    Producer: Luke Thoene
    Director: Anne Rosenfeld

    Inspirational / Faith-Based Non-Fiction
    The Word of Promise(R): Next Generation--New Testament
    By: ICB Translation
    Read by: Sean Astin and cast
    Publisher: Thomas Nelson Inc.
    Executive Producer/Co-Producer: Dan Lynch
    Producer: Carl Amari
    Directors: John Kirby and Jeff Lupetin
    Production Supervisor: Brenda Noel

    Literary Fiction
    Elmer Gantry
    By: Sinclair Lewis
    Read by: Anthony Heald
    Publisher: Blackstone Audio
    Executive Producer: Josh Stanton

    Multi-Voiced Performance
    Mudbound
    By: Hillary Jordan
    Read by: Joey Collins, Peter Jay Fernandez, Kate Forbes, Ezra Knight,
    Brenda Pressley, and Tom Stechschulte
    Publisher: Recorded Books
    Executive Producer: Claudia Howard
    Director: T.J. Reynolds
    Production Supervisor: Amber Cleveland

    Mystery
    Voice of the Violin
    By: Andrea Camilleri
    Read by: Grover Gardner
    Publisher: Blackstone Audio
    Executive Producer: Josh Stanton

    Narration by the Author or Authors
    Author and Narrator: David Sedaris
    For: When You Are Engulfed in Flames
    Publisher: Hachette Audio
    Executive Producer/Producer/Director/Production Supervisor: Maja Thomas

    Non-Fiction
    Hot, Flat, and Crowded
    By: Thomas Friedman
    Read by: Oliver Wyman
    Publisher: Macmillan Audio
    Producer: Laura Wilson

    Original Work
    Louis Vuitton Soundwalk: Beijing
    By: Stephan Crasneanscki
    Read by: Gong Li
    Publisher: Louis Vuitton/Soundwalk
    Executive Producer/Director: Stephan Crasneanscki
    Producer/Production Supervisor: Clementine Duzer

    Package Design
    Founding Fathers
    By: Arthur M. Schlesinger
    Publisher: Macmillan Audio
    Designed by: Margo Goody

    Personal Development
    You Staying Young
    By: Michael F. Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.
    Read by: Johnny Heller
    Publisher: Recorded Books
    Executive Producer: Claudia Howard
    Director: Marc J. Avila
    Production Supervisor: Amber Cleveland

    Politics - Judges' Award
    Hot, Flat, and Crowded
    By: Thomas Friedman
    Read by: Oliver Wyman
    Publisher: Macmillan Audio
    Producer: Laura Wilson

    Romance
    The Dark Highlander
    By: Karen Marie Moning
    Read by: Phil Gigante
    Publisher: Brilliance Audio
    Executive Producer: Colleen Rockey
    Director: Laura Grafton
    Production Supervisor: Brian Pepera

    Science Fiction/Fantasy
    Calculating God
    By: Robert J. Sawyer
    Read by: Jonathan Davis
    Publisher: Audible
    Executive Producers: Steve Feldberg and Mike Charzuk
    Producer: Gayle Hendrix
    Director: Keith Reynolds

    Short Stories/Collections
    Armageddon in Retrospect
    By: Kurt Vonnegut
    Read by: Rip Torn and Mark Vonnegut
    Publisher: Penguin Audio
    Executive Producer: Patti Pirooz
    Producer/Director: Kevin Thomsen

    Solo Narration - Female
    Katherine Kellgren
    For: Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of
    Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady
    By: L.A. Meyer
    Publisher: Listen & Live Audio
    Executive Producers: Alisa Weberman and Alfred Martino
    Director: Alisa Weberman

    Solo Narration - Male
    John Lee
    For: The Count of Monte Cristo
    By: Alexandre Dumas
    Publisher: Blackstone Audio
    Executive Producer: Josh Stanton

    Spanish Language
    Por Un Dia Mas
    By: Mitch Albom
    Read by: Jose Manuel Vieira
    Publisher: FonoLibro
    Executive Producer/Producer: Arquimedes Rivero
    Director: Jorge A. Rivero

    Teens
    Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky
    Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady
    By: L.A. Meyer
    Read by: Katherine Kellgren
    Publisher: Listen & Live Audio
    Executive Producers: Alisa Weberman and Alfred Martino
    Director: Alisa Weberman

    Thriller / Suspense
    Child 44
    By: Tom Rob Smith
    Read by: Dennis Boutsikaris
    Publisher: Hachette Audio
    Executive Producer: Michele McGonigle
    Producer/Director: Robert Kessler
    Production Supervisors: Jon Klemm and Michele McGonigle

About Audio Publishers Association (APA)

The Audio Publishers Association (APA) is a not-for-profit trade organization whose primary goals are to promote awareness of the audiobook industry, gather and disseminate industry statistics, encourage high production standards, and represent the interests of audiobook publishers. Since 1986, the APA has worked to bring audio publishers together to increase interest in audiobooks. Please visit www.audiopub.org for more information.

SOURCE Audio Publishers Association