As The Global Leaders In Voice Acting Gather In Beverly Hills, AI Takes A Back Seat
By Doug Melville,
Have AI voices taken over, yet? I’m not so sure.
In a town historically built on images and looks, for one special night in Beverly Hills, the spotlight wasn’t on faces we see — it was on voices we hear.
The 2026 Voice Arts Awards, put on by the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SOVAS) hosted their annual celebration of the people behind the voices so many of us have become familiar with. Now in its 12th year, this global community of performers, producers, creators, and executives who understand or participate in voice arts is now painting a story of its own.
The room felt less like a traditional awards show and more like a global convening – an affirmation of sorts – that voice over, once relegated to the margins of Hollywood prestige, is now central to how culture, technology, and storytelling intersect.
“It felt like a perfect storm in the best possible way,” said Rudy Gaskins, Founder and CEO of SOVAS. “There was a growing realization that the global voiceover community trusted us to do this the right way—with authenticity, warmth, and real respect for the work. People didn’t want another awards program. They wanted a home for genuine recognition.”
Nominees, winners, and presenters alike flew in from around the world – Japan, India, Europe, Latin America – to celebrate their voices alongside those from the U.S. to congratulate one another, and their craft.
A Legacy Moment for the Ages
The emotional highlight of the evening was the presentation of the inaugural James Earl Jones Prize, created to honor one of the most influential voices in entertainment history.
“The James Earl Jones family embraced the idea and granted us permission to steward this small, meaningful part of his legacy,” Gaskins said. “And the moment it all came into focus was the selection of the beloved Laurence Fishburne as the inaugural recipient.”
Fishburne received the honor from longtime collaborator Angela Bassett, with Jones’ son, Flynn Earl Jones, present. Fishburne, visibly moved, spoke of Jones not only as an artistic giant but as a personal mentor and father figure.
It was also a full-circle moment for the Awards: “James Earl Jones himself received our very first Icon Award,” Gaskins noted. “That honor has now evolved into the James Earl Jones Prize—carrying forward the same spirit with an even deeper sense of purpose.”
Why Voice Is Ascending Now
Voice overs’ rise mirrors broader shifts across entertainment and media.
Audiobooks are booming, with sales revenue reaching $2.22 billion – a 13% increase from the previous year, with over half of Americans age 18 and older having listened to an audiobook.
Podcasts have become global thought-leadership engines. As of early 2026, over 4.5 million podcasts are produced worldwide, with approximately 584 million global listeners, and subscriptions and advertising revenue estimated at between $30 billion and $40 billion.
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Streaming platforms are also requiring a new level of voice integration, as localized language and accessibility through audio description and inclusive design are becoming recognized as essential, not optional features.
Which leads to the next obvious question – is voice AI hype, or are we at a turning point? No conversation about voice today is complete without addressing AI, particularly as Netflix rolled out AI dubbing last year.
“AI is both hype and a real disruption,” Gaskins said. “But disruption does not automatically mean decline.”
He draws a historical parallel. “The transition from silent film to sound was experienced as an existential threat. Instead, it expanded the medium.”
The real risk, he argues, lies elsewhere. “The sharper danger isn’t AI itself—it’s unethical deployment. Deception. Unauthorized voice use. Erosion of trust.”
As AI-generated voices proliferate, audiences want transparency. “When people can’t tell what’s real, they want disclosure,” Gaskins said. “That actually favors human performance—especially where nuance, intention, and emotional credibility matter most.”
In other words, the future of voice is about trust.
The Voice Community Is Now Visible
The Voice Arts Awards reflected that full spectrum, honoring work across more than 150 categories spanning animation, film, television narration, audiobooks, video games, political advertising, museum audio, podcasts, and spoken word.
“Voice is no longer invisible,” Gaskins said. “It’s foundational.”
That foundation was intentionally built. Gaskins traces the origins of the Voice Arts Awards back to an earlier collaboration with Sr. Vice President Joan Baker.
“The Voice Arts Awards began with a spark that grew out of a book project Joan and I built together, Secrets of Voice-Over Success ” he explained. “From the start, it felt bigger than a book. We weren’t just telling the story of voice acting—we were curating excellence, setting standards, and creating access.”
That same principle—honor the craft and the people behind it—became their DNA.
Perhaps the most striking takeaway from the night was the culture Gaskins and Baker have cultivated. Years of consistency, care, and credibility have produced something rare in entertainment: a community that shows up for one another.
“At the heart of it,” Gaskins reflected, “this is what we love most—seeing the best in people, and the best in our community, shared in a way that lifts everyone. By the time we gathered, the hearts in the room were filled to the brim.”
In a town obsessed with visibility, the Voice Arts Awards reminded everyone that some of the most powerful work happens unseen—and that honoring it can be just as transformative.
Voice isn’t just having a moment – it’s claiming its place at the center of how stories move through the world.
Doug Melville is a corporate strategist, advisor and author across international equity, culture and AI in the workforce. A former board executive at luxury group Richemont in Geneva, Switzerland and author of Invisible Generals (Simon & Schuster/BPP) he’s been featured on CBS Saturday Morning, The Daily Show, Time & The Breakfast Club. Melville has traveled to over 70 countries and is a lecturer on Reputation Management at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Previously he sat on the executive team of Magic Johnson Enterprises, and worked on Madison Ave in the advertising industry under Omnicom. He’s an alum of Syracuse University
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