One of the keys to a winning audiobook is a good match between the text and the narrator. Because books vary so widely, narrators with different skills and voices will necessarily be the “right match” for particular books. Making that match is the job of the casting director, but ultimately, audiobook listeners will judge for themselves whether the matchmaking has been successful.
Sometimes, a debut novel and a new voice arrive hand in hand. British actor Michael Bertenshaw has performed in BBC radio dramas, but his narration of Angela Tomaski’s The Infamous Gilberts (Simon & Schuster Audio, Jan. 20) is his first traditional audiobook. And it’s an apt pairing; as our review notes, “There is an air of the gothic here, and Bertenshaw’s affable manner adds to the vintage appeal.” In a novel made of vignettes and exploring a family’s decline through a once distinguished English home, “Bertenshaw deftly captures an array of individuals coping with the passage of time and the changes that inevitably take place.”
In other cases, a more seasoned narrator is a good match for a debut novel. Carolyn Kang has narrated nearly 25 audiobooks, and she offers an emotionally balanced performance of Alice Evelyn Yang’s A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing (Harper Audio, Jan. 27). In exploring the relationship between a father and a daughter, Yang’s work blends folklore and the generational trauma of colonialism. Our review deems Kang a welcome guide for the listener: “Kang’s narration of this audiobook brilliantly captures the ethereal mood and brutal truths.”
Joe Jameson, meanwhile, has narrated several hundred audiobooks, and he turns in an Earphones Award–winning performance of Kallie Emblidge’s debut romance, Two Left Feet (Random House Audio, Jan. 13), which might just be the perfect choice for a post–Heated Rivalry listen. When professional soccer player Oliver is injured, he gains a new teammate—and a new crush. As closeted Oliver worries about how this might affect his career, Jameson’s performance immerses listeners in his world, differentiating all of his teammates with accents and, more crucially, capturing the nuances of the protagonists’ personalities and emotions. Jameson’s performance demonstrates how a narrator’s experience and skill can elevate an audiobook.
Every narrator has to start somewhere. And this year, with the 2026 Audie Awards, the Audio Publishers Association is honoring the journey with the New Voice Award, which “celebrates rising stars amongst emerging talent in audio narration, honoring narrators who have voiced 50 titles or fewer.” Of the five finalists in the category—Lily Newmark, Shane Ghostkeeper, James Aaron Oh, Gem Carmella, and Nicole Cash—four have narrated fewer than 10 audiobooks apiece.
Two of the New Voice Award finalists earned Earphones Awards for their performances: Newmark, narrating Anna North’s novel Bog Queen (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2025), and Carmella, narrating Amal El-Mohtar’s fantasy novella The River Has Roots (Macmillan Audio, 2025). Excellent matchmaking! And you can hear a discussion of Shane Ghostkeeper’s narration of Brandon Hobson’s meta, often surrealist novel The Devil Is a Southpaw(Harper Audio, 2025) on a recent episode of the Behind the Mic podcast.
It’s wonderful to see these relative newcomers having their work recognized alongside veteran narrators. Three cheers for new voices.
Jennifer Dowell is the audiobooks editor.
