The Audio Publishers Association (APA) has announced Audie Award® finalists for Audiobook of the Year and Excellence in Design, Marketing, and Production. The winners of the Excellence Awards will be announced at the Audio Publishers Association Conference (APAC) on May 10, 2016 in Chicago. The winner of the Audiobook of the Year Awards will be announced at the Audie Awards® Gala on May 11, 2016, at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Finalists in additional categories were announced in February.

The Audiobook of the Year Award recognizes the audiobook that, through quality, innovation, marketing and sales, has had the most significant impact on the industry. Each nominated title is distinguished by excellence in production as well as their ability to create new interest in the audiobook format through creative marketing. “We are excited to recognize the wide range of skills and talents it takes to create a successful audiobook,” says APA executive director Michele Cobb, who adds that the Audiobook of the Year finalists “are recognized not only for their outstanding audio production values, but also for their creative marketing and strong sales.”

The award for Excellence in Design recognizes the product design for packaging or display art, the award for Excellence in Marketing recognizes the promotional campaign that contributed most to generating attention and bringing new listeners to spoken word, and the award for Excellence in Production recognizes a production that represents the best the format has to offer in listening excellence.

Audiobook of the Year

Anastasios, Andrew & Meaghan Wilson-Anastasios. The Water Diviner. Narrated by Jack Thompson; published by Bolinda.

Hannah, Kristin. The Nightingale. Narrated by Polly Stone; published by Macmillan Audio.

Hawkins, Paula. The Girl on the Train.  Narrated by Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey, & India Fisher; published by Penguin Audio/Books on Tape.

Lee, Harper. Go Set a Watchman. Narrated by Reese Witherspoon; published by HarperAudio.

Excellence in Design

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games Trilogy Collection. Package/cover design by Kathlyn Miller; recorded and published by Scholastic Audio, and distributed by Brilliance.

Green, Simon R. Forces from Beyond. Cover design by Ashlee Sasscer; published by Recorded Books.

Hill, Joe & Gabriel Rodriguez. Locke & Key. Design by Matthew Angorn, Kari Niles, Nick Horvath, Gabriel Rodriguez, Diane Chang, and Amil Dave; published by Audible Studios.

O’Reilly, Bill & Martin Dugard. Bill O’Reilly’s History Collection: Audiobook Boxed Set. Package/cover design by Margo Goody; published by Macmillan Audio.

Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Design by Alex Odulio; published by Audible Studios.

Excellence in Marketing

Fink, Joseph & Jeffrey Cranor. Welcome to Night Vale. Narrated by Cecil Baldwin, Dylan Marron, Retta, Therese Plummer, & Dan Bittner; published by HarperAudio)

Hill, Joe & Gabriel Rodriguez. Locke & Key. Narrated by Haley Joel Osment, Tatiana Maslany, Kate Mulgrew, & a full cast; published by Audible Studios.

Lee, Harper. Go Set a Watchman. Narrated by Reese Witherspoon; published by HarperAudio.

Read Proud Listen Proud. LGBTQ literature awareness campaign; Penguin Random House Audio.

Excellence in Production

Berry, Steve. The Patriot Threat. Narrated by Scott Brick with special bonus “writer’s cut” read by Steve Berry; published by Macmillan Audio.

Fitzek, Sebastian. Amok. Narrated by Natascha McElhone, Adrian Lester, Rafe Spall, Peter Firth, Brendan Coyle, & Hugh Skinnert; published by Audible Studios.

Hill, Joe & Gabriel Rodriguez. Locke & Key. Narrated by Haley Joel Osment, Tatiana Maslany, Kate Mulgrew, & a full cast; published by Audible Studios.

Kipling, Rudyard. Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book: The Mowgli Stories. Narrated by Bill Bailey, Richard E. Grant, Colin Salmon, Tim McInnerny, Bernard Cribbins, Celia Imrie, & Martin Shaw; published by Audible Studios.

Lee, Harper. Go Set a Watchman. Narrated by Reese Witherspoon; published by HarperAudio.