Odyssey Award


The Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production is an annual award conferred by the American Library Association upon the publisher of "the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States". It is jointly administered by two ALA divisions and Young Adult Library Services Association ) and sponsored by Booklist magazine. It recognizes production quality in all respects, considering such things as narration, sound quality, background music and sound effects. It is named for Homer's eighth century BCE epic poem Odyssey, which was transmitted orally, to remind us modern people of the ancient roots of storytelling.
The award was inaugurated in 2008.
For many reasons indicated in the 2008 manifesto, "it is essential for ALSC and YALSA to provide the same level of support for this nonprint format that they have historically provided for print materials, by creating an annual award for the best audiobooks in the field."

Criteria

Source: "Eligibility & Criteria"
In each of the six cycles to 2013, three to five runners-up have been dubbed Honor Audiobooks. Although full cast narration is eligible, two of the winners and runners-up have featured two narrators, all others a single narrator.
YearTitleProducerNarratorAuthorCitation
2020Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family AddictionScholastic AudiobooksJarrett J. Krosoczk, Jeanne Birdsall, Jenna Lamia, Richard Ferrone and moreJarrett J. KrosoczkWinner
2020Redwood and PonytailHachette AudioCassandra Morris and Tessa NettingK.A. HoltHonor
2020Song for a WhaleListening LibraryAbigail Revasch with Lynne KellyLynne KellyHonor
2020We Are Grateful: OtsaliheligaLive Oak MediaLauren Hummingbird, Agalisiga Mackey, Ryan Mackey, Traci Sorell, Tonia WeavelTraci SorellHonor
2020We're Not from HereListening LibraryDani MartineckGeoff RodkeyHonor
2019SadieMacmillan AudioRebecca Soler, Fred Berman, Dan Bittner, Gabra Zackman, and moreCourtney SummersWinner
2019Du Iz TakWeston Woods StudioEli D’Amico, Sebastian D’Amico, Burton Fott, Galen Fott, Laura Fott, Sarah Hart, Bella Higginbotham, Evelyn Hipp, and Brian HullCarson EllisHonor
2019Esquivel! Space-Age Sound ArtistLive Oak MediaBrian AmadorSusan WoodHonor
2019The Parker InheritanceScholastic AudiobooksCherise BoothVarian JohnsonHonor
2019The Poet XHarperAudioElizabeth AcevedoElizabeth AcevedoHonor
2018The Hate U GiveHarperAudioBahni TurpinAngie ThomasWinner
2018The Book of Dust: La Belle SauvageListening LibraryMichael SheenPhilip PullmanHonor
2018A Boy Called ChristmasListening LibraryStephen FryMatt HaigHonor
2018Long Way DownSimon and Schuster AudioJason ReynoldsJason ReynoldsHonor
2018Trombone ShortyLive Oak MediaDion GrahamTroy “Trombone Shorty” AndrewsHonor
2018The Wizards of OnceHachette AudioDavid TennantCressida CowellHonor
2017Anna and the Swallow ManListening LibraryGavriel SavitWinner
2017Dream On, AmberRecorded BooksHonor
2017GhostSimon and Schuster AudioHonor
2017NimonaHarperAudio, Jonathan Davis, Marc Thompson, January LaVoy, Natalie Gold, Peter Bradbury and David PittuHonor
2016Listening LibraryWinner
2016EchoScholastic Audio, David de Vries, MacLeod Andrews, Rebecca SolerHonor
2015H.O.R.S.E. A Game of Basketball and ImaginationLive Oak Media and Christopher MyersWinner
2015Five, Six, Seven, Nate!Audioworks division of Simon and Schuster AudioHonor
2015Listening LibraryHonor
2015Scholastic AudiobooksHonor
2014ScowlerListening LibraryWinner
2014Better Nate Than EverSimon and Schuster AudioHonor
2014Creepy Carrots!Weston Woods Studios, IncHonor
2014Eleanor & ParkListening Library and Sunil MalhotraHonor
2014MatildaPenguin AudioHonor
2013Brilliance AudioWinner
2013Listening LibraryHonor
2013Ghost KnightListening LibraryHonor
2013Monstrous BeautyMacmillan AudioHonor
2012RottersListening LibraryWinner
2012Ghetto CowboyBrilliance AudioHonor
2012Okay for NowListening LibraryHonor
2012Scholastic Audio Books
Fiona Hardingham
Honor
2012Young FredleListening LibraryHonor
2011Listening LibraryWinner
2011Alchemy and Meggy SwannListening LibraryHonor
2011Brilliance AudioHonor
2011RevolutionListening LibraryHonor
2011Will Grayson, Will GraysonBrilliance Audio
David Levithan
Honor
2010Louise, the Adventures of a ChickenLive Oak MediaWinner
2010In the Belly of the BloodhoundListen & Live AudioHonor
2010Peace, LocomotionBrilliance AudioHonor
2010We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro BaseballBrilliance AudioHonor
2009Recorded BooksWinner
2009Curse of the Blue TattooListen & Live AudioHonor
2009Elijah of BuxtonListening LibraryHonor
2009I'm DirtyScholastic Media /
Weston Woods Studios

Jim McMullan
Honor
2009Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban FolktalePeachtree PublishersHonor
2009NationHarperAudioHonor
2008JazzLive Oak Media
Vaneese Thomas
Winner
2008Bloody JackListen & Live AudioHonor
2008Dooby Dooby MooScholastic /
Weston Woods
Honor
2008Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsListening LibraryHonor
2008Skulduggery PleasantHarperCollins Children's AudioHonor
2008Treasure IslandListening LibraryHonor

Multiple awards

has won 5 awards and Live Oak Media has won 3.
Listening Library, an imprint of Random House, has produced 11 of the 30 winners and runners-up while Brilliance Audio of Amazon has produced six.
Katherine Kellgren is the narrator of five Honor Audiobooks, including three written by L. A. Meyer and produced by Listen & Live Audio — the first, second, and fourth Jacky Faber books.
Sherman Alexie, author and narrator of the 2009 Odyssey Award-winning audiobook, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, also won the annual National Book Award for Young People's Literature for the print edition of that book.