Storytel Awards is the Nordic region’s largest audiobook award, and the local competitions are now closed in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. Around 130,000 Nordic audiobook listeners voted for their favourites – more than double compared to last year – and the winners are…
In addition to a record-high number of public votes for Storytel Awards in all four countries where the gala is arranged locally, this year's big news is that a winner, for the first time in the history of the prize, managed to win an award in two countries. Swedish crime author Emelie Schepp received two awards: one in Sweden and one in Iceland. Emelie Schepp won the prize for best crime novel in both countries, but with different books: Nio Liv (Nine Lives) in Sweden and Prio ett (Illvirki) (Top Priority (Evil)) in Iceland. Both audiobooks are part of the series about Jana Berzelius.
In the autumn, Storytel Awards will also be held in the Netherlands, and the ambition is for the awards to be launched in more countries as the audiobook phenomenon grows.
“It feels great to be able to shine a spotlight on the creative minds behind some of the strong stories that influence, change, and entertain us every day,” says Jonas Tellander, founder and CEO of Storytel.
“This is a way for Storytel to celebrate them, and I am incredibly pleased that so many readers throughout the Nordic region have shared who their favourites are by actually going in and actively vote for them.”
Here are the winners by category:
Finland (announced on March 25)
Novel
Title: Suon villi laulu (Where the Crawdads Sing)
Author: Delia Owens
Narrator: Sanna Majuri
Crime
Title: Kun kuningas kuolee (When the King Dies)
Author: Elina Backman
Narrator: Sanna Majuri
Non Fiction & Biographies
Title: Mercedes Bentso – Totuus ja tunnustus (Truth and Confession)
Author & narrator: Linda-Maria Roine
Children & Young Adults
Title: Heinähattu ja Vilttitossu loman tarpeessa (Hayflower and Quiltshoe Need a Vacation)
Author: Sinikka Nopola & Tiina Nopola
Narrator: Vuokko Hovatta
Iceland (announced on March 26)
Novel
Title: Sextíu kíló af sólskini (Sixty kilos of Sunshine)
Author & narrator: Hallgrím Helgason
Crime
Title: Illvirki (Top Priority (Evil))
Author: Emelie Schepp
Narrator: Kristján Franklín Magnús
Children
Title: Eyðieyjan (The Desert Island)
Author: Hildur Loftsdóttir
Narrator: Álfrún Helga Örnólfsdóttir
Non Fiction
Title: Óstýriláta mamma mín (My Steadfast Mother)
Author & narrator: Sæunni Kjartansdóttur
Denmark (announced on April 14)
Novel
Title: Aftentid og morgengry (The Evening and the Morning)
Author: Ken Follett
Narrator: Esben Hansen
Crime
Title: Den Tavse Enke (The Silent Widow)
Author: Sara Blædel
Narrator: Githa Lehrmann
Biographies & documentaries
Title: Heksebørnenes mor (The Mother of the Witch Children)
Author: Anja Lóven & Julie Moestrup
Narrator: Anne Sofie Espersen
Children
Title: Den Mandige Elg #1: Elg får venner' (The Manly Moose#1: Moose Get Friends)
Author: K.L. Berger
Narrator: Daniel Brandt
Young Adult
Title: Sprækken til Luscuro #2: Elementsygen (The Crack to Luscuro #2: Elementsygen)
Author: Julie Midtgaard
Narrator: Susanne Bonde
Romance
Title: Herfra til dig (From Here to You)
Author: Albert Lindemalm
Narrator: Jon Lange
Sweden (announced on April 29)
Novel
Title: Sen for jag hem (Then I Went Home)
Author: Karin Smirnoff
Narrator: Lo Kauppi
Crime
Title: Nio liv (Nine Lives)
Author: Emelie Schepp
Narrator: Gunilla Leining
Children
Title: Gittan och fårskallarna (Gittan and the Sheep’s Skulls)
Author: Pija Lindenbaum
Narrator: Sissela Kyle
Young Adult
Title: Alicia Månstjärna och den femte pelaren (Alicia Månstjärna and the Fifth Pillar)
Author: Nils-Petter Löf
Narrator: Katarina Ewerlöf
Non Fiction
Title: Jag kan ha fel (I could be wrong)
Author: Caroline Bankler, Navid Modiri & Björn Natthiko Lindeblad
Narrator: Björn Natthiko Lindeblad
The prize consists of a monetary award as well as a diploma and a statue shaped as a sound wave, made by the design agency SuperTuesday.
For more information, please contact:
Tiina Nevala, Global PR Manager, Storytel
Cell: +46 70 241 83 01
Email: tiina.nevala@storytel.com
About Storytel
Storytel is one of the world’s largest subscribed audiobook and e-book streaming services and offers listening and reading of more than 500 000 titles on a global scale. Our vision is to make the world a more empathetic and creative place with great stories to be shared and enjoyed by anyone, anywhere and anytime. Storytel’s streaming business is conducted under the brands Storytel and Mofibo. Storytel’s publishing business area is carried out through the audiobook publisher StorySide and acclaimed Nordic publishing houses such as Norstedts, People’s and Gummerus. Storytel operates in over 20 markets around the globe and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.