The best autobiography or memoir audiobooks for beginners: where to start
If you've never finished a autobiography or memoir audiobook, start with one that already won. Every title below took the Audie Award in the autobiography or memoir category — broadly loved, superbly narrated, the audiobook industry's own pick for the best autobiography or memoir production of its year. They are the safest first credits: hard to switch off, and hard to regret. The most recent winner is Matriarch: A Memoir by Tina Knowles (2026).
EducatedBorn to RunBruce SpringsteenBorn to RunThe Greatest: My Own StoryMuhammad Ali and Richard DurhamThe Greatest: My Own StoryGhost BoyMartin PistoriusGhost BoyNot My Father's SonAlan CummingNot My Father's Son| Audiobook | Author | Narrator(s) | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matriarch: A Memoir | Tina Knowles | Tina Knowles, Beyonce, Solange Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Angie Beyince | Audie Autobiography or Memoir (2026) |
| My Name Is Barbra | Barbra Streisand | Barbra Streisand | Audie Autobiography or Memoir (2025) |
| Making It So | Patrick Stewart | Patrick Stewart | Audie Autobiography or Memoir (2024) |
| Unprotected: A Memoir | Billy Porter | Billy Porter | Audie Autobiography or Memoir (2023) |
| Somebody's Daughter | Ashley C. Ford | Ashley C. Ford | Audie Autobiography or Memoir (2022) |
| The Autobiography of Malcolm X | Malcolm X and Alex Haley | Laurence Fishburne | Audie Autobiography or Memoir (2021) |
| Becoming | Michelle Obama | Michelle Obama | Audie Autobiography or Memoir (2020) |
| Educated | Tara Westover | Julia Whelan | Audie Autobiography or Memoir (2019) |
| Born to Run | Bruce Springsteen | Bruce Springsteen | Audie Autobiography or Memoir (2018) |
| The Greatest: My Own Story | Muhammad Ali and Richard Durham | Dion Graham | Audie Autobiography or Memoir (2017) |
| Ghost Boy | Martin Pistorius | Simon Bubb | Audie Autobiography or Memoir (2016) |
| Not My Father's Son | Alan Cumming | Alan Cumming | Audie Autobiography or Memoir (2015) |
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Frequently asked questions
Which autobiography or memoir audiobook should I start with?
Start with a recent Audie Autobiography or Memoir winner such as "Matriarch: A Memoir" by Tina Knowles (2026). Award winners are the safest first listens because they are judged on narration as much as story, so the performance carries you through.
Are these good for someone new to audiobooks?
Yes. Every audiobook here won the Audie Award, the audiobook industry's own award — they are broadly loved and exceptionally well narrated, which is exactly what makes a first audiobook easy to finish.
How do I listen for free?
A free 30-day Audible Premium Plus trial includes one credit. You can use it on any autobiography or memoir audiobook on this page and keep it permanently, even if you cancel before the trial ends.
More autobiography or memoir guides: every Audie-winning autobiography or memoir audiobook · all listening guides · best audiobooks by award.