Former President Barack Obama, actor Sam Heughan, and media mogul Oprah Winfrey are among the finalists for the Audie Awards this year.
EW can exclusively reveal the Audio Publishers Association’s finalists for the 2022 awards program celebrating the best titles in audio publishing and spoken-word entertainment, honoring a varied group of actors, musicians, and politicians ahead of the Audie Awards Gala on March 4.
Actor, author, and former White House staffer Kal Penn will host the literary ceremony, which will be available for the public to stream on the Audio Publishers Association website beginning at 9 p.m. ET on March 4. Industry professionals will determine the winners across 25 different categories.
Gigi Gorgeous, acclaimed author, LGBTQ+ activist, and podcast host; Caitlyn Paxson, writer and book reviewer for NPR; and Anthony Allen Ramos, executive producer of the GLAAD Media Awards; are also among the special guests set to judge; namely, in the Young Adult category. Kristen Arnett, New York Times bestselling author, and Gayle Forman, award-winning author and journalist, will judge Audiobook of the Year alongside EW’s senior books editor Seija Rankin.
“The Audio Publishers Association is proud to announce this year’s slate of impressive finalists,” Ana Maria Allessi, president of the APA, said in a statement. “They are a reflection of the continuous growth and popularity of the medium. There’s truly something for everyone. We cannot wait to celebrate all of our finalists and their tremendous work on March 4 with host Kal Penn.”
Along with Obama, Heughan, and Winfrey, other notable finalists include the likes of Cynthia Erivo, Dave Grohl, Edoardo Ballerini, John Lithgow, Julia Whelan, Leslie Jordan, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Neil Gaiman. See the full list below, and tune into the Audie Awards Gala on March 4 at 9 p.m. ET on the Audio Publishers Association website.
Source: yahoo.com