Children's Spoken Word Grammy Award: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

When the 50th Grammy Awards were announced, the spoken word category caught a bit of buzz – as Obama beat both Clinton and Carter.

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audiobooks & Story Telling)
Winner:
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, Barack Obama, Random House Audio.
Nominated titles:
Celebrations, Maya Angelou, Random House Audio.
Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World, Bill Clinton, Random House Audio.
Sunday Mornings in Plains: Bringing Peace to a Changing World, Jimmy Carter, Simon & Schuster Audio.
Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself, Alan Alda, Random House Audio.

But of course, I was more interested in the category below…

Best Spoken Word Album for Children (For albums consisting of predominantly spoken word vs. music or song.)
Winner:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Jim Dale, Listening Library.
Nominated titles:
Making The Heart Whole Again: Stories For A Wounded World, Milbre Burch, Kind Crone Productions.
The One and Only Shrek, Meryl Streep & Stanley Tucci, Audio Renaissance.
Who's Got Game? The Ant or The Grasshopper? The Lion or the Mouse? Poppy Or The Snake?, Toni Morrison, Simon & Schuster Audio.
Wickety Whack - Brer Rabbit is Back, Diane Ferlatte, Diane Ferlatte Productions.

Here is a very nice interview with Jim Dale from the New York Times, where he reflects on his monumental contribution to the world of audiobooks. And if you have listened to the HP canon on audiobooks (perhaps multiple times!), you must play the “Guess the Voices” game!