JD Jackson is an American audiobook narrator, actor, and theater professor. Jackson has won 26 Earphone Awards and 1 Audie Award. In 2020, AudioFile named him a Golden Voice Narrator and two years later Booklist named him a Voice of Choice Narrator.
Biography Jackson received a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and Speech Communications from Dillard University in 1997. In 2000, he received a Master of Fine Arts in Theater Performance from Temple University.
Awards and honors
Awards YearTitleAwardResultRef.2003America (2002) by E. R. Frank Earphone AwardWinnerLocomotion (2003) by Jacqueline Woodson Earphone AwardWinner2009Just Another Hero (2009) by Sharon M. Draper Earphone AwardWinner2010Cemetery Road (2009) by Gar Anthony HaywoodEarphone AwardWinner2011Ghetto Cowboy (2011) by G. NeriEarphone AwardWinner2012Ghetto Cowboy (2011) by G. NeriOdyssey AwardHonorMalcolm X: By Any Means Necessary (1993) by Walter Dean MyersEarphone AwardWinnerWhat It Was (2012) by George Pelecanos Earphone AwardWinner2014Citizens Creek (2014) by Lalita TademyEarphone AwardWinnerRevolution (2014) by Deborah WilesEarphone AwardWinner2015Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad (2015) by Eric FonerEarphone AwardWinnerRevolution (2014) by Deborah WilesAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsTop 10Audie Award for Distinguished Achievement in ProductionFinalist2016Citizens Creek (2014) by Lalita TademyAudie Award for FictionFinalist2017Bluebird, Bluebird (2017) by Attica LockeEarphone AwardWinnerSting Like a Bee: Muhammad Ali vs. the United States of America, 1966-1971 (2017) by Leigh Montville Earphone AwardWinner2018The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson by Nancy PeacockAudie Award for FictionFinalist2019Look Both Ways (2019) by Jason Reynolds Earphone AwardWinnerWhere Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (1967) by Martin Luther King Jr.Audie Award for NonfictionFinalist2020Beowulf: A New Translation (2020) by Maria Dahvana Headley Earphone AwardWinnerA Fool's Errand: Creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the Age of Bush, Obama, and Trump (2019) by Lonnie G. Bunch III Earphone AwardWinnerHis Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope by Jon MeachamEarphone AwardWinnerThe Nickel Boys (2019) by Colson WhiteheadAudie Award for Best Male NarratorFinalistThe Underground Railroad Records: Narrating the Hardships, Hairbreadth Escapes, and Death Struggles of Slaves in Their Efforts for Freedom (2020) by William Still and edited by Quincy T. Mills, with introduction by Ta-Nehisi CoatesEarphone AwardWinner2021The Anatomy of Desire (2021) by L. R. DornEarphone AwardWinnerBlack Cop's Kid: An Essay (2021) by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Earphone AwardWinnerBlack Panther: Tales of Wakanda (2021), edited by Jesse J. HollandEarphone AwardWinnerFour Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019, edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. BlainEarphone AwardWinnerHell of a Book (2021) by Jason Mott Earphone AwardWinnerHis Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope by Jon MeachamAudie Award for History or BiographyWinnerA Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance (2020) by Hanif AbdurraqibEarphone AwardWinnerWhen Ghosts Come Home (2021) by Wiley Cash Earphone AwardWinnerWhen Stars Are Scattered (2020) by Victoria Jamieson and Omar MohamedAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsTop 10Odyssey AwardHonor2022The Anatomy of Desire (2021) by L. R. DornAudie Award for Multi-Voiced PerformanceFinalistThe Best American Short Stories 2021, edited by Jesmyn Ward and Heidi PitlorAudie Award for Short Stories or CollectionsFinalistFour Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019, edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. BlainAudie Award for Multi-Voiced PerformanceFinalistThe Last Suspicious Holdout: Stories (2022) by Ladee Hubbard Earphone AwardWinnerListen Mama by M.S.P. WilliamsAudie Award for Autobiography or MemoirFinalistThe Weight of Blood (2022) by Tiffany D. JacksonEarphone AwardWinner
Honors In 2020, AudioFile inducted Jackson into their Golden Voice Hall of Fame.
He also narrated two Pulitzer Prize-winning audiobooks, The Tradition by Jericho Brown and The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, as well as Carnegie Medal winner, A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib. YearTitleHonorRef.2005Battle of Jericho by Sharon M. DraperAmazing Audiobooks for Young Adults2011Just Another Hero by Sharon DraperAudioFile Best of Young Adult2012Cemetery Road (2009) by Gar Anthony HaywoodAudioFile Best of Mystery & SuspenseGhetto Cowboy (2011) by G. NeriAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsGhetto Cowboy (2011) by G. NeriNotable Children's RecordingsWhat It Was (2012) by George Pelecanos AudioFile Best of Mystery & Suspense2013Crow by Barbara WrightAudioFile Best of ChildrenMalcolm X: By Any Means Necessary (1993) by Walter Dean MyersAudioFile Best of Young Adult2014Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles America's First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee StoneAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsCourage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles America's First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee StoneNotable Children's RecordingsRevolution (2014) by Deborah WilesBooklist Editors' Choice: Audio for YouthRevolution (2014) by Deborah WilesBooklist Editor's Top of the List2015Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad (2015) by Eric FonerAudioFile Best of HistoryThe Great War: Stories Inspired by Items from the First World War by Tanya Lee Stone, Marcus Sedgwick, David Almond, Timothée de Fombelle, A.L. Kennedy, Ursula Dubosarsky, Michael Morpurgo, John Boyne, Tracy Chevalier, Sheena Wilkinson, and Adèle GerasSchool Library Journal's Top 10 Audiobooks of the YearA Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe LewisNotable Children's VideosThe Madman of Piney WoodsNotable Children's RecordingsRevolution (2014) by Deborah WilesNotable Children's Recordings2017Bluebird, Bluebird (2017) by Attica LockeAudioFile Best of Mystery & SuspenseSting Like a Bee: Muhammad Ali vs. the United States of America, 1966-1971 (2017) by Leigh MontvilleAudioFile Best of Biography & History2019Heaven, My Home AudioFile Best of Mystery & SuspenseLook Both Ways (2019) by Jason Reynolds AudioFile Best of Children & Family Listening2020A Fool's Errand: Creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the Age of Bush, Obama, and Trump (2019) by Lonnie G. Bunch III AudioFile Best of Nonfiction & CultureWhen Stars Are Scattered (2020) by Victoria Jamieson and Omar MohamedBooklist Editors' Choice: Youth Audio2021The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story (2021) by Nikole Hannah-JonesBooklist Editors' Choice: Adult AudioFour Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019, edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. BlainAudioFile Best of History & BiographyHis Truth is Marching On AudioFile Best of History & BiographyLook Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks (2019) by Jason ReynoldsAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsThe Trial of the Chicago 7: The Official Transcript,edited by Mark L. Levine, George C. McNamee, and Daniel GreenbergListen ListWhen Stars Are Scattered (2020) by Victoria Jamieson and Omar MohamedNotable Children's Recordings
Filmography YearTitleRoleNote1997The Big EasyJasper Goodwin1 episode: End of the World2001Diary of a City PriestKurt2002As IfChris2 episodes:
Episode 1.2 Episode 1.3Third WatchLatrell Griffith2 episodes:
Lights Up Blackout2003HackSkeeter D1 episode: Collateral DamageQueens SupremeADA Barney Broomfield1 episode: Let's Make a DealWhoopiSecurity Guard #21 episode: Sticky Fingers2005Law & OrderLenny Thorne1 episode: Locomotion2006SherrybabyJob TrainerUncreditedLucky Number SlevinMugger2008Cold PlayDetective SparksERChuck Holmes1 episode: Parental Guidance2010HouseRonald Westbrook1 episode: 5 to 92012Acts the 3-Man ShowPeter2019Granddaddy's Turn: A Journey to the Ballot BoxNarrator2022Keeping the City Going
References