25 Best Award-Winning Audiobooks You Should Hear in 2025

Award‑winning books make wonderful reading—but they make unforgettable listening when matched with the right narrator. AwardWinningAudio curates the finest prize‑winning and critically lauded audiobooks every season, so you can spend less time searching and more time enjoying outstanding storytelling. From Pulitzer‑honored fiction to Nebula‑winning science‑fiction epics, here are 25 of the best award‑winning audiobooks to queue up in 2025.

1. The Nickel Boys – Colson Whitehead

• Award: 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
• Narrator: JD Jackson (with a cameo from the author)
• A harrowing, true‑inspired story of two boys in a Jim Crow–era reform school. Jackson’s restrained delivery lets Whitehead’s devastating prose land with full force.

2. The Fifth Season – N. K. Jemisin

• Award: 2016 Hugo Award (Best Novel)
• Narrator: Robin Miles
• Jemisin’s earth‑shattering opener to The Broken Earth trilogy pairs perfectly with Miles’s nimble character work and tonal range.

3. Red Rising – Pierce Brown

• Award: 2014 Goodreads Choice (Debut)
• Narrator: Tim Gerard Reynolds
• Political intrigue, rebellion, and Roman mythology collide in this space‑opera phenomenon—captured in Reynolds’s dynamic, pulse‑pounding performance.

4. Night Came with Many Stars – Simon Van Booy

• Award: 2022 Gold Medal, Florida Book Awards
• Narrator: Courtney Patterson
• A multigenerational Kentucky saga told in crystalline prose. Patterson’s gentle southern cadence is pitch‑perfect.

5. The Henna Artist – Alka Joshi

• Award: 2021 Audie Winner (Best Fiction)
• Narrator: Sneha Mathan
• Joshi’s lush Jaipur‑set novel blossoms under Mathan’s evocative accents and rhythmic storytelling.

6. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things – Bryn Greenwood

• Award: 2017 Audie Winner (Best Fiction)
• Narrator: Jorjeana Marie
• Controversial yet compelling, this coming‑of‑age tale gains intimacy through Marie’s raw, unflinching narration.

7. Chicago – Brian Doyle

• Award: 2019 Foreword INDIES Gold (Literary)
• Narrator: Wayne Mitchell
• A love letter to the Windy City—Mitchell channels Doyle’s lyricism and humor with effortless charm.

8. Needle in a Timestack & Other Stories – Robert Silverberg

• Award: 2019 Locus Hall of Fame†
• Narrator: Paul Boehmer
• Time‑twisting tales from an SF Grand Master, delivered with clarity and classic pulp verve.

9. Behind the Scenes at the Museum – Kate Atkinson

• Award: 1995 Whitbread (now Costa) Book of the Year
• Narrator: Pearl Hewitt
• Atkinson’s witty debut sparkles in audio, with Hewitt juggling humor and heartbreak flawlessly.

10. The Life We Bury – Allen Eskens

• Award: 2015 Barry Award (Best Paperback)
• Narrator: Zach Villa
• A college assignment becomes a riveting murder mystery; Villa’s youthful urgency keeps tension high.

11. Careless Whispers – Carlton Stowers

• Award: Edgar Award (True Crime)
• Narrator: Danny Campbell
• An unflinching look at the Waco lake murders—Campbell’s steady delivery underscores every chilling detail.

12. Fever 1793 – Laurie Halse Anderson

• Award: Scott O’Dell Historical Fiction Award
• Narrator: Bailey Carr
• A YA classic about Philadelphia’s yellow‑fever epidemic—Carr’s youthful voice brings immediacy to the crisis.

13. Hush – Tal Bauer

• Award: 2019 IPPY Gold (Suspense)
• Narrator: Joel Leslie
• Part legal thriller, part romance—Leslie’s versatile performance elevates courtroom drama and tender moments alike.

14. One Crazy Summer – Rita Williams‑Garcia

• Award: 2011 Newbery Honor & Coretta Scott King Medal
• Narrator: Sisi Aisha Johnson
• Three sisters meet the Black Panthers in 1968 Oakland; Johnson balances innocence and awakening superbly.

15. A Lady of Persuasion – Tessa Dare

• Award: RITA Award (Best Regency Romance)
• Narrator: Gabrielle Baker
• Regency wit, sizzling chemistry—Baker’s lively accents capture every swoon‑worthy beat.

16. The Hercules Text – Jack McDevitt

• Award: 1986 Philip K. Dick Award
• Narrator: Kevin T. Collins
• First contact via radio telescope becomes a philosophical SF mystery, delivered in Collins’s crisp, contemplative style.

17. The Faded Sun Trilogy – C. J. Cherryh

• Award: Locus Award (Best SF Series)
• Narrator: Paul Woodson
• Cherryh’s classic space‑opera on loyalty and culture clash receives an engrossing 30‑hour treatment.

18. Noor – Nnedi Okorafor

• Award: 2022 BSFA Winner (Best Novel)
• Narrator: Délé Ogundiran
• Afrofuturist bio‑tech thriller—Ogundiran’s energetic reading matches Okorafor’s bold vision.

19. Paradiso – Terrance D. Williamson

• Award: IPPY Gold (Historical Fiction, 2023)
• Narrator: Kirsten Potter
• A haunting WWII conclusion; Potter’s emotive performance captures both horror and hope.

20. Storms – Gerri Hill

• Award: LAMBDA Literary (Lesbian Romance)
• Narrator: Abby Craden
• Trapped by a snowstorm, two women confront danger and desire—Craden’s voice radiates tension and tenderness.

21. The Mistress of Auschwitz – Terrance D. Williamson

• Award: Readers’ Favorite Gold (Historical)
• Narrator: Kirsten Potter
• A courageous resistance tale within the camp fences—Potter’s delivery is heartbreaking yet resolute.

22. No Strings – Gerri Hill

• Award: LAMBDA Literary (Romance)
• Narrator: Abby Craden
• An unforgettable fling turns serious; Craden nails the flirty banter and emotional depth.

23. Someone I Used to Know – Patty Blount

• Award: 2015 World Book Award (YA)
• Narrators: Amy Melissa Bentley & Nick Mondelli
• A dual‑POV exploration of trauma and resilience—two narrators weave a gripping, compassionate duet.

24. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World – Jennifer Armstrong

• Award: ALA Orbis Pictus (Non‑fiction)
• Narrator: Taylor Mali
• Shackleton’s Antarctic ordeal retold with verve and insight—Mali’s cadence propels the icy adventure.

25. The Tradition – Jericho Brown

• Award: 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
• Narrator: Jericho Brown
• Hearing the poet read his own Pulitzer‑winning work adds raw intimacy to these fierce, luminous poems.

Why Listen via AwardWinningAudio?

• Trusted Curation – Every title is vetted for major prizes or critical acclaim.
• Narration First – We spotlight performances that elevate great writing into unforgettable audio.
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Final Word

Great books earn awards for a reason—but the right audiobook can make them timeless companions. The titles above blend powerful prose with performances that linger long after the final chapter. Head to AwardWinningAudio.org for links, listening samples, and more award‑worthy recommendations. Press play, and let excellence speak for itself.