Colour PR clients dominate inaugural "Speakies" shortlist

Colour PR clients Audible and W.F. Howes are celebrating a combined 13 shortlisted entries at this year's inaugural British Audio Awards - aka "The Speakies".

Developed by trade magazines The Bookseller and The Stage, the prestigious new awards are dedicated to recognising and rewarding excellence in the audio entertainment industry.

As audio storytelling continues to captivate audiences, these awards spotlight the writers, narrators, producers, and creative teams who bring stories to life through sound. "The Speakies" mark the first time a dedicated awards for audiobooks and audio drama has taken place in the UK - a tribute to the format's explosive growth and listeners' growing enthusiasm for audio.

From shortlisted audiobook title entries across genres such as romance, crime & thriller and non-fiction to best audio drama and best performance selections, both Audible and W.F. Howes have been recognised for their stand-out contributions in the audio sector. Across the 16 award categories, highlights include:

Him by JD Kirk

• Nominated for: Best Audiobook: Crime & Thriller

• Narrated by: Louise Brealey and David Tennant

• Published by: Audible Original

Panic by LJ Ross

• Nominated for: Best Audiobook: Crime & Thriller

• Narrated by: Richard Armitage

• Published by: W.F. Howes

Count Zero by William Gibson

• Nominated for: Best Audiobook: Science Fiction & Fantasy

• Narrated by: Kyle Soller, Sebastián Capitán Viveros

• Published by: W.F. Howes

Love, Rebooted by Katy Summers

• Nominated for: Best Audiobook: Romance

• Narrated by: Emily Atack, Stuart Martin

• Published by: Audible Original

Rivals by Jilly Cooper

• Nominated for: Best Audiobook: Romance

• Narrated by:

• Published by: W.F. Howes

The History Gossip by Katie Kennedy

Nominated for: Best Audiobook: Non-fiction

Narrated by: Katie Kennedy

Published by: W.F. Howes

The Lives of Lee Miller by Antony Penrose

Nominated for: Best Audiobook: Non-fiction Memoir

Narrated by: Esther Wane, Adam Grayson

Published by: W.F. Howes

Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Making Enemies by Louie Stowell

Nominated for: Best Audiobook: Children's Books

Narrated by: Ben Willbond

Published by: W.F. Howes

The Shape of Monsters by CL Hellisen

Nominated for: Best Audiobook: Young Adult Books

Narrated by: Omari Douglas

Published by: Audible Original

The Margate Murders by Tom Hofland, Pascal van Hulst, James Dobbyn

Nominated for: Best Audio Drama: New Original Work

Narrated by Sheridan Smith, Joanne Froggatt, Aaron Neil, and more

Published by: Audible Original

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Chirstie

Nominated for: Best Audio Drama: Adaptation

Narrated by: Peter Dinklage, Himesh Patel, Harriet Walter, and more

Published by: Audible Original

Sheridan Smith in The Margate Murders

Nominated for: Best Performance

Published by: Audible Original

W.F. Howes

Nominated for: Audio Business of the Year