Trade or industry
Audie Awards
Audio Publishers Association (APA)
In short
The Audie Awards are the annual audiobook awards run by the Audio Publishers Association, the trade body for audiobook publishers. Audiobook retailers, library audio services, and narrators' agents follow the finalists. Only the audio rights holder may enter, or someone with written permission, so check who holds the audio rights to your book. If your publisher holds them, ask whether the audiobook is being entered; if you kept them and produced the audiobook yourself, you can enter at $110 for members and $210 for non-members.
Deadline October 9, 2026Checked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Every label is a fact from the official rules, never a judgment about whether the award is worth entering. How we describe awards.
The Audie Awards, run by the Audio Publishers Association (APA), are the audiobook industry's annual awards, with categories for genres, narration, and Audiobook of the Year. Entries are open to publishing companies and audio rights holders of titles first released in the United States during the eligibility window; a title may be submitted only by the audio rights holder or with the rights holder's written permission, which is how an author who owns their audio rights can enter.
A qualifying title must contain at least 51 percent spoken-word content, be available in the United States, and be in English unless a category says otherwise. Publishers and rights holders may submit seven titles per category (ten for APA Category 1 member publishers). For the 2027 awards the eligibility window is November 1, 2025 through October 31, 2026, with two deadlines: July 10, 2026 for titles released through July 31, 2026, and October 9, 2026 for titles released August 1 through October 31, 2026. Fees are $110 per entry for APA members and $210 for non-members, with a $50 late fee per entry.
Finalists are announced in February 2027 and winners at the Audies Gala in New York on March 2, 2027.
Why it may matter
The Audies are the only broad industry award for audiobooks, and finalist status is used by audiobook retailers, library audio platforms, and narrators' agents. An author who controls audio rights can enter directly, but the release date decides which of the two deadlines applies, and a late release may miss the year entirely.
2027 cycle: 2027 Audie Awards (titles released November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026)
- Eligible publication dates
- November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026
- Early deadline
- July 10, 2026 (passed)Checked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Final deadline
- October 9, 2026Checked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Deadline note
- July 10, 2026 for titles released November 1, 2025 through July 31, 2026; October 9, 2026 for titles released August 1 through October 31, 2026. Entries after the applicable deadline pay a $50 late fee
- Entry fee
- $110 per entry for APA members, $210 for non-members; $50 late fee per entryChecked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Results
- Finalists announced February 2027; winners announced at the Audies Gala in New York on March 2, 2027
| Tier | Deadline | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| APA member, per entry | See rules | $110 |
| Non-member, per entry | See rules | $210 |
| Late fee, per entry | See rules | $50 |
Worth knowing
Our reading, not a rule the organization published. We judge an award on the rubric in how we describe awards.
The awards committee may move an entry to a more appropriate category or dismiss it, and the fee is not refunded on a disqualification, so check category definitions before entering. Entries received after the applicable deadline pay the $50 late fee.
Rules and deadlines change. We last checked this information on September 13, 2026. If you see something that needs updating, please tell us.
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