The Audie Awards (, rhymes with "gaudy"; abbreviated from audiobook), or simply the Audies, are awards for achievement in spoken word, particularly audiobook narration and audiodrama performance, published in the United States of America. They are presented by the Audio Publishers Association (APA) annually in March. The Audies are commonly likened to the Academy Awards for their public recognition of merit in the audio industry. In order to win, works must be submitted for nomination. A panel of judges considers candidates based on consumer acceptance, sales performance, and marketing, and winners and finalists are chosen based on narration, production quality, and source content; formerly packaging was also evaluated. Source: Wikipedia (en)