Ncuti Gatwa leads star winners at first Speakies awards for audio storytelling

Awards Honor Ncuti Gatwa's Audible Performance in "The Great Gatsby", Among Several Star Wins at British Audio Awards

Ncuti Gatwa took home a slew of prizes at the inaugural British Audio Awards, known as the Speakies, which recognize excellence in audiobooks and audio drama. The South African actor's portrayal of Jay Gatsby in the reimagined adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, "The Great Gatsby," was widely praised by judges for its 'remarkable poise and flair,' earning him wins for best performance, best audio drama adaptation, and top honor as Audio Book of the Year.

Gatwa's impressive outing marked a standout moment in an evening celebrating the full spectrum of audio storytelling. The event, held at London's Royal Opera House, honored writers, actors, sound designers, and publishers alike, with many praising the rise of audiobooks and investment across the sector.

Other top winners included Nicola Coughlan, who brought wit and vivacity to her narration of Juno Dawson's "Queen B," a science fiction novel about Anne Boleyn. The Bridgerton star won best audiobook in the science fiction and fantasy category. JD Kirk's 'Him,' co-narrated by David Tennant, took home the award for crime audiobook.

Notable nonfiction prizes went to Sarah Wynn-Williams for her memoir 'Careless People' and Jo Hamilton for "Why Are You Here, Mrs Hamilton?", with Monica Dolan winning best performance in the latter. Meanwhile, independent publishers Galley Beggar Press and Spiracle Audio triumphed over major houses to claim the top fiction audiobook prize.

Industry insiders noted a surge in listenership and investment across audio platforms, with audiobook sales in the UK rising by 31% last year to reach £268m. A study also found that more young people are enjoying listening to audiobooks than reading for pleasure, indicating an exciting future for this growing format.

Editor of 'The Bookseller,' Philip Jones, expressed delight at the winners and highlighted a moment of recognition for UK audio talent. "This awards celebration truly has been a joy to behold as we bring together excellence across disciplines under one banner."

omg i'm loving this move by ncuti gatwa in 'the great gatsby' he totally brought that character to life and it's so satisfying to see him win these awards . it's amazing how audiobooks are really taking off right now - 31% increase in sales is crazy . i'm also loving the fact that we're seeing more young people getting into listening to audiobooks, like, it's a great way to discover new books and authors too . anyway, back when 'the great gatsby' was first published, audiobooks weren't even an option, can you imagine?

I'm kinda stoked that Ncuti Gatwa is getting some love for his Audiobook performance in "The Great Gatsby" but at the same time, I'm thinking about how awards like these can be super exclusive and might not represent the full scope of audio storytelling . I mean, there are so many talented voices out there, especially from underrepresented communities, who deserve recognition too . And have you seen the rise in audiobook sales? 31% growth in a year is no joke! It's exciting to think about how this format can bring more people together and create new opportunities for creators . But at the same time, we gotta be real about the fact that some platforms are still kinda biased towards bigger names or established talent

OMG, Ncuti Gatwa slayed that audiobook adaptation of The Great Gatsby !! That man's got some serious pipes on him and I'm not surprised he took home all those Speakies . I mean, who wouldn't want to listen to a masterclass performance like his? He totally deserves the top honor as Audio Book of the Year . The fact that audiobooks are growing in popularity is a great sign for the industry and it's awesome to see UK talent getting recognition . Can't wait to dive into some more of these winners' titles!

omg that's so awesome ! ncuti gatwa killing it in audiobooks!!! i'm not surprised he won, his performance was amazing in the great gatsby ! and Nicola Coughlan is on fire too! queen b is such a good book . it's crazy to see the rise of audiobooks, 31% increase in sales is huge . and that it's more young people enjoying them than reading for pleasure is so cool . i think audio storytelling is going to take over everything soon . congrats to all the winners, this is amazing news .

Ncuti Gatwa totally deserved those Speakies! I mean, he brought Jay Gatsby to life in such an amazing way ... his voice, his style, it was all just so captivating . And to win Audio Book of the Year? That's the ultimate recognition for his talent . It's awesome that British Audio Awards are giving more love to audiobooks and audio drama - they're definitely becoming super popular . I'm loving how young people are getting into audiobooks too, it's the future of reading!

So Ncuti Gatwa's win is awesome , but let's talk about representation in audiobooks, right? I mean, South African actors being highlighted in British awards might be seen as a step towards diversity, but what about more international talent getting the same recognition? It feels like we're still stuck in this Eurocentric narrative. And have you noticed how many winners were from the UK and Ireland? Not that it's bad or anything, but it'd be dope to see more global wins.

And what's up with the audiobook sales numbers? A 31% increase is huge, but are we just scratching the surface of this medium's potential? I think there's still a stigma around listening to audiobooks, like they're somehow less "authentic" than reading. We need to break that down and celebrate this format for what it is – an incredible way to consume stories . Oh, and one more thing: why are we not seeing more audiobook adaptations of classic works from underrepresented communities? That's where the real magic happens, folks!

I'm totally stoked that Ncuti Gatwa won those Speakies . I mean, his portrayal of Gatsby was pure magic . I've listened to the audiobook like, three times already and it still gives me chills . The fact that he took home four awards is just insane . And I love how the British Audio Awards are giving a platform for all these talented folks across different genres . It's so cool to see Nicola Coughlan crushing it in the sci-fi category too ! And 31% growth in audiobook sales is, like, totally awesome . Can't wait to dive into more of those indie publishers' titles... Galley Beggar Press and Spiracle Audio are already on my radar !

just saw that audiobook sales in the UK rose by 31% last year... meanwhile, bookstores are struggling and the environment is getting worse can't help but think this 'growth' comes at a cost

I think Ncuti Gatwa's win is super cool... wait, no I don't! I mean, who wouldn't love a good audiobook adaptation of The Great Gatsby? But at the same time, have you seen all these other talented voices like Nicola Coughlan and JD Kirk? They totally deserve recognition too .

I'm not saying Ncuti's performance was bad or anything... okay, maybe I am saying that! It just feels like there were so many amazing winners at the British Audio Awards this year. Like, what even is an 'Audio Book of the Year' award? Is it supposed to be a thing? .

Anyway, back to Ncuti... I'm still kinda torn about him winning top honor... but I guess he did bring some serious flair to his role as Jay Gatsby . Maybe I just need to listen to The Great Gatsby audiobook again to decide for myself .

OMG u guys Ncuti Gatwa is literally the GOAT right now I mean what can i say about his performance in The Great Gatsby? He just NAILED it like he was born to play Jay Gatsby his poise and flair are everything and more and to see him win so many awards at the British Audio Awards is just the icing on the cake I'm so glad we're seeing a surge in listenership for audiobooks and it's awesome to see UK talent getting recognized the fact that more young people are enjoying listening to audiobooks than reading is just mind-blowing we need more of this kind of content out there!

I'm so surprised they didn't give any awards to anyone who actually narrated the audiobook, you know, the person who actually did all the work while Ncuti Gatwa just showed up on set and acted. It's always about the actor getting all the attention, if you ask me. And what's with this "remarkable poise and flair" nonsense? Can't they see that he was probably just winging it the whole time?

Ncuti Gatwa is giving major F. Scott Fitzgerald vibes [Image: a GIF of an old-school audio reel with Ncuti Gatwa's face photobombed in]

OMG, I'm so stoked Ncuti Gatwa won those Speakies ! He totally deserved it, his performance in The Great Gatsby was insane . I mean, who wouldn't want to hear him as Jay Gatsby? And Nicola Coughlan's narration of Queen B sounded so good, I need to check out that audiobook ASAP .

I'm also loving the growth of the audio sector, it's amazing to see how much investment and listenership are increasing . 31% increase in audiobook sales is crazy! And I'm glad Philip Jones is celebrating UK audio talent, we should be proud of our storytellers .

What's your fave win from the Speakies? Have you listened to any of the winners' audiobooks? Let me know!

omg did u know that ncuti gatwa's audiobook of The Great Gatsby won award for audio book of the year like who needs an Oscar when u got a Speakie? seriously tho, it's dope to see how much love is being showered on audiobooks rn, with sales rising by 31% in the UK and young ppl devouring them instead of reading for pleasure what's next? audio books on Netflix?

I'm loving Ncuti Gatwa's wins ! It just goes to show how talented our local artists are, right? I mean, someone needs to give them more representation on the world stage. We can't have our best and brightest stuck in the UK only. What's the point of having a great audio performance if we're not going to bring it to the global audience? And another thing, why do major houses always get all the top prizes? I'm so sick of them snatching up everything. It's like they own the industry or something . Give the indie publishers a break and let them shine! We need more diversity in those awards. 31% rise in audiobook sales is just the tip of the iceberg, we've got to keep pushing for more .

I'm loving how Ncuti Gatwa slayed that audiobook adaptation of The Great Gatsby ! He totally brought the character to life and showed off his range. I'm not surprised he took home those awards – he's been giving us major vibes since his Stranger Things days . And can we talk about how awesome it is to see more people tuning into audiobooks? Like, 31% growth in UK sales last year?! That's lit ! It just goes to show that there's still room for this medium to shine and reach new audiences. I'm curious to dive back into some of these winning titles now... maybe I'll even discover a new favorite author .

omg what a talented guy Ncuti Gatwa is he totally deserves all those awards, his performance in The Great Gatsby was epic! i love how the awards are celebrating not just actors but also writers, sound designers and publishers too, it's like they're saying audio storytelling is a whole art form so hyped to hear about audiobook sales rising by 31% that's amazing news for the industry, can't wait to see more awesome adaptations and narrations in the future

omg what's up with audiobooks they're literally taking over everything! 31% increase in sales is insane like who knew people would love listening to books so much? Ncuti Gatwa's performance was amazing btw and I'm so glad he won some awards for it i've heard great things about Juno Dawson's "Queen B" too, can't wait to listen to it

so Ncuti Gatwa's winning an award just because he did a good job narrating The Great Gatsby? I mean, that's cool and all, but what's the actual criteria for choosing these winners? I need to see some evidence of how the judges came up with this decision... also, 31% increase in audiobook sales is pretty impressive, but has anyone fact-checked those numbers? And what's with the awards being held at a fancy venue like the Royal Opera House? Is that just a way for them to say they're high-end and stuff