Some people are hesitant to try out audiobooks after reading physical books their whole life. They might ask, “What if I don’t like the way the actor sounds? What if their portrayal of the story takes me out of the moment?’” Well, with these ten audiobook narrators, they won’t have this problem. With numerous awards and glowing reviews from listeners, you can depend on these voice actors for a performance that will bring the story to life. In fact, these audiobook narrators have been recognized as some of the best of all time with their inclusion in Audible’s Narrator Hall of Fame.
So, if you are seeking a great audio performance, try a title from one of these talented artists (we’ve included links to some of their best works).
Best Audiobook Narrators
1. George Guidall
George Guidall is best known for his work with mysteries and thrillers. Guidall began narrating books as a side gig while he was pursuing a career on stage and on the screen.
Today, he has narrated over 1,300 audiobooks in his 20-year career and amassed several accolades and awards.
“I first read this book many years ago in print, but listening to it with George Guidall’s narration really made it pop. Guidall really brings out the dreamy, otherworldly essence of the book.”
— The Dark Tower, Matthew (21-Jan-18)
Notable Awards:
- Audie Award Short Stories/Collections, 2020
- Audie Award Male Narrator, 2016
- APA Special Achievement Award, 2014
Notable Works:
- Night by Elie Wiesel
- Hard Country by Michael McGarrity
- The Dark Tower Series by Stephan King
2. Scott Brick
Scott Brick is a screenwriter, author, teacher, mentor, and narrator. He is known for his relatable voice that transports you into the story.
He pursued an education in acting and writing at UCLA in the late 1980s. After that, he performed for a Shakespearean company for 10 years. It wasn’t until the year 2000 that he began narrating for audiobooks.
Over the past 17 years, he has narrated over 600 books and is said by readers to have a “golden voice”.
“Scott Brick was fantastic. He captured the story perfectly and brought this to life! I will definitely be checking out more from him!”
— Jurassic Park: Natalie @ ABookLoversLife (24-Nov-15)
“I can’t get enough of this narrator! I listen to audible books on a daily basis. Aside from the excellent Content, storyline, and character development of this book, it’s brought to life by the narration.”
— Jurassic Park: Amazon Customer (13-Sep-22)
Most Notable Awards:
- Audie Award Thriller/Suspense, 2016
- Audie Awards Sci-Fi 2016, 2008, 2003
- AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
- AudioFile Golden Voice Award
Most Notable Works:
- Dune by Frank Herbert
- Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
- The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
3. Jim Dale
Jim Dale has had a long, interesting performance career featuring a variety of disciplines.
He began performing as a ballet dancer for six years before he stepped into the world of stand-up comedy. From there, he became a singer/songwriter who received an Academy Award nomination for the title theme to Georgy Girl.
His performance career continued when he turned to the stage to perform on Broadway and the British National Theatre Company. More recently, he has turned to audiobook narration to win the hearts of readers.
Although he has narrated many audiobooks, he is most noted for his performance in the Harry Potter series where he was able to expertly bring all the characters from the wizarding world to life.
“The narration in this audiobook by Jim Dale is a fantastic performance that added layers of depth to Rowling’s work. He gave each character a unique voice that is easily identifiable and never missed a beat as the ongoing action rolled on. He put a lot of heart and hard work into this performance and captivated my attention throughout. This was truly a great listen and I will look for more works by him in the future.”
— Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Mike L Lane, (8-Aug-17)
Most Notable Awards:
- Grammy Awards Spoken Word Album for Children, 2001 & 2008
- Tony Award Lead Actor Musical, 1980
- Drama Desk Awards Featured Actor Musical, 2006
- Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Performance, 1974
Most Notable Works:
- The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
- Grimm’s Fairy Tales by The Brothers Grimm
4. Andi Arndt
Andi Arndt specializes in romance novels. She is beloved for her “welcoming” and “calm” voice that helps readers to really feel the story. Romance fans follow her from story to story because of her skill in portraying romance, but she has branched out to non-romance genres as well.
Arndt spent most of her career as a voice and acting teacher at James Madison University in Virginia for 12 years. She has worked as an actor herself as well as a director, producer, and vocal coach.
“I love both Zachary and Andi, they are two of my most favorite narrators, but they were absolutely incredible in Tattered Stars. I usually like to read a book before listening, get to know the characters on my own before I add someone’s voice to them, but Webber and Arndt brought life to them, and their story that even my brain wouldn’t have done justice. Seriously, I was tearing up within the first few chapters.”
—Tattered Stars, Nikki Lauria (16-Apr-22)
Most Notable Awards:
- Audie Awards Romance, 2017
- AudioFile Earphones Award Best Voices, 2015
Most Notable Works:
- Moody by Penelope Ward
- Say It’s Forever by A.L. Jackson
- Tattered Stars by Catherine Cowles
5. Cassandra Campbell
Cassandra Campbell has narrated hundreds of audiobooks and is famous for her versatility. She has narrated thrillers, nonfiction, and ensembles.
From a young age, Campbell loved reading out loud to her siblings. She says, “A good audiobook narrator is somebody who can get out of the way and let the story be the primary thing.”
Campbell began as a stage actor before she moved into doing commercial voice-overs. It was this career choice that connected her to audiobook narrating. Today, audiobook narration and direction are her world.
“I absolutely loved the narration. The voice for Kya Clark is PERFECT. I am so glad I chose to listen to this one. The narration absolutely transports you to this world.”
— Where The Crawdads Sing, Tanya D (25-8-18)
Most Notable Awards:
- Audie Awards Multi-Voiced Performance, 2017
- Audie Awards Fiction, 2010
- AudioFile Magazine Multi-Time Earphones Winner
Most Notable Works:
- Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach, PH.D.
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett
6. Lorelei King
Lorelei King is famous for her versatility as a voice actor. She draws in the reader through her use of pitch, gender, age, voice quality, and accents. Readers enjoy her use of humor in her storytelling.
King started her performance career as a stage, movie, and screen actor. Later, she was asked to record a book of short stories. Since then, she has narrated hundreds of books and programs.
Author Darynda Jones loves Lorelei so much that she named the heroine in the Dark Knight Trilogy after her.
“I alternated between listening and reading and was thrilled that Lorelei King continued on as the narrator of the series. She does a truly fantastic job and I can not imagine anyone else narrating this series.”
— Soul Taken, Kristine (28-Aug-22)
Most Notable Awards:
- Audie Awards Best Female Narrator, 2008
- Audie Awards Fiction, 2008
- AudioFile Earphones Multi-Time Award Winner
Most Notable Works:
- Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs
- 1001 Dark Nights Trilogy by Darynda Jones
- Fortune and Glory by Janet Evanovich
7. Robin Miles
Robin Miles is a compelling storyteller who is drawn to emotional stories featuring women of color.
A former broadway star, she got her start as an audiobook narrator working with the American Foundation for the Blind. While working there, she specialized in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
She broke into the horror genre with the book The Good House by Tananarive Due. She loved this experience, getting the chance to create relatable characters with her voice. The Good House is what made her realize her potential to be a horror, sci-fi, and fantasy narrator.
“A sad part of history told with truth and dignity. I enjoyed the narration. One of the best narrations I have ever heard! Story was told with unexpected phrases that were sing song and graceful that just pulled you into the story but also spoke of terrible cruelty of the time. Wonderful book.”
— Things Past Telling, Amazon Customer (30-Jun-22)
Most Notable Awards:
- Audie Awards Audio Drama, 2017
- Audie Awards Young Listeners, 2017
- Grammy Awards Finalist, 2009
- AudioFile Magazine Golden Voice & Earphones Award
Most Notable Works:
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Things Past Telling by Sheila Williams
- Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
8. Prentice Onayemi
Readers who listen to Prentice Onayemi describe his voice as lyrical and compelling.
He got his start at NYU where he holds a BFA in drama. He began narrating for English language learning programs. He has also performed on Broadway, in downtown NYC passion projects, and on TV shows.
Since then, he’s gone on to get his MBA at Columbia University and has co-founded a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York. He even formed a nonprofit that offers artistic workshops for victims of violence and natural disasters.
“The narrator is likely the best I’ve ever heard and the performance one of the best I’ve listened to in 15 years of audiobooks. His ability to accurately imitate and represent numerous accents and personalities is remarkable. An absolute joy to listen to.”
—Behold the Dreamers: ScottGa (1-Mar-21)
Most Notable Awards:
- Audie Award Finalist Best Fiction, 2016
- AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
Most Notable Works:
- The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
- The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
- Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
9. Bahni Turpin
Bahni Turpin is beloved by fans for her ability to truly take on the part of her characters and draw the reader into the story.
Turpin is a stage and screen actor and is a part of the Cornerstone Theater Company. Outside of performance, she is a yoga instructor.
“I listened to Bahni read The Help and now Sister of Mine. No one brings a story to life like she does. She performs a wide range of characters, male and female, with convincing accents and feelings. I am sorry to reach the end of the story and to me that is the mark of a good story teller.”
— Sister Of Mine, D. Jones (17-Aug-16)
Most Notable Awards:
- Audie Awards Young Listeners, 2019
- Audie Awards Audiobook of the Year, 2019
- AudioFile Magazine Golden Voice, 2019
- AudioFile Magazine Multi-Time Earphones Winner
- Odyssey Award Best Audiobook for Children or Young Adults, 2018
Most Notable Works:
- The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
- Sister Of Mine by Sabra Waldfogel
- The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
10. Frank Muller
Frank Muller is so highly respected that Stephen King said that when Muller narrates a story, “the blind will see, the lame will walk, and the deaf will hear.” It’s no wonder, then, that he has narrated so many of King’s books.
Muller began his career as an audiobook narrator in 1979. He was the first narrator chosen to read for Recorded Books which was founded in the same year.
He was such a talented narrator that people throughout the literary and acting world sang his praises. Pat Conroy described him as, “the best. A prince of language.” Entertainment Weekly said he was, “the Leonardo DiCaprio of literature.”
Unfortunately, Muller passed away in 2008 at just 57 years old. In 2001, he was in a terrible motorcycle accident that left him with numerous health complications and ended his acting career.
“Even if you have seen the movie, it is worth listening to just to hear Frank Muller narrate. He is quite simply, the greatest narrator who ever lived. His rendition is more like acting than reading, bringing every character to life. He can switch between multiple accents and male and female voices with ease and believability. He makes you, the listener, feel as though you are there, in the moment, watching each character rather than listening to a reading of a novel. I go out of my way to listen to ANY book that Frank Muller reads.”
— The Green Mile, William (4-Apr-13)
Most Notable Awards:
- Audie Award Best Male Narrator, 2003
- Audie Award Best Male Narrator, 2002
- Audie Award Fiction, 2002
- AudioFile Golden Voice Award Winner
Most Notable Works:
- The Green Mile by Stephen King
- The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
- The Partner by John Grisham
Visit Audible’s Narrator Hall of Fame to learn more about these and other top audiobook narrators (there are a total of twenty narrators in the Hall of Fame at the time of publishing this article).
Narrator images are courtesy of Audible.
Davina Porter (Outlander series) should have a mention. 🙂
Thanks for your comment Lisa. Yes, Davina Porter is in Audible’s Hall of Fame and could be included in this article but we limited it to 10 narrators. Outlander is one of the titles we included in our article on The Best Audiobooks of All Time.
no mention of rc bray OR ray porter!?
Rupert Degas… name of the wind best narrator I’ve listened too