The British Audio Awards, also known as The Speakies, has expanded its scope to include podcast categories in its second annual ceremony, broadening its mission to celebrate excellence across audiobooks, audio drama and spoken-word entertainment in the United Kingdom.
The awards, produced by The Bookseller and The Stage, will hold its 2026 ceremony on November 23 at a gala event in London. The expansion marks a significant shift in the awards’ reach within the audio storytelling industry. New podcast categories include Best Podcast: Arts & Entertainment, Best Podcast: Narrative, and a dedicated award for Production & Sound Design. The addition reflects growing recognition of podcasts as a major format within the broader audio content ecosystem.
The inaugural Speakies ceremony in 2025 honored excellence in audiobooks and audio drama, with winners including actor Ncuti Gatwa, who won Best Audio of the Year and Best Performance, and author Juno Dawson, who won Best Audiobook: Science Fiction & Fantasy. The first year established the awards as a prestigious industry event, drawing prominent figures from entertainment and publishing. The decision to add podcast categories comes as the medium continues to gain cultural and commercial prominence in the UK audio market.
The awards program now encompasses 20 categories spanning multiple formats. Audiobook categories include fiction, crime and thriller, science fiction and fantasy, romance, specialist, non-fiction, memoir, children’s and young adult titles. Audio drama categories recognize both new and original works as well as adaptations. Performance categories honor narrators, ensemble casts and new voices. The expanded structure allows the Speakies to recognize the full breadth of audio storytelling talent and production quality across the spoken-word industry.
Industry participants have praised the awards for validating audio as a serious creative medium. Actor David Tennant noted in testimonials that audio deserves celebration and recognition. Sally Phillips, host of the 2025 ceremony, described audio as a growth industry, stating that audiobooks have become more dynamic and are here to stay. Author Juno Dawson highlighted the symbiosis between written and spoken word, noting that audiobooks now enter pitch meetings from the very first discussion in the publishing industry.
The expansion into podcasts signals the audio industry’s maturation and the increasing convergence between traditional publishing and digital audio platforms. For podcast creators and producers, the Speakies represent a major institutional recognition of podcasting as a legitimate creative discipline worthy of industry awards and prestige. The inclusion of production and sound design categories particularly validates the technical and creative expertise required in modern podcast production.
The awards operate under a structured timeline designed to ensure thorough evaluation of submissions. Submissions opened June 5, 2026, with a deadline of July 9. The shortlist will be announced September 18, followed by the November 23 awards ceremony. A panel of judges drawn from acting, broadcasting, audio production and publishing will evaluate entries. Judges include Tim Bano, an audio producer and arts journalist; Michael Schaeble, a producer for Front Row; Tyrell Williams, a writer and director; and Patricia Nicol, an audio reviewer for The Sunday Times.
The British Audio Awards represent a maturing audio landscape in which podcasts, audiobooks and audio drama compete for recognition and prestige alongside traditional media formats. The awards’ growth from a single inaugural year focused on books and drama to a multi-format celebration reflects the industry’s expansion and the increasing cultural legitimacy of audio as a primary medium for entertainment and information. For podcast professionals, the Speakies offer both a benchmark for industry excellence and recognition of their creative and technical contributions to the broader audio ecosystem.
Source: Thebookseller — Read the original article →
