Culture

Welsh voice actors sweep the board at prestigious awards

15 Oct 2026 5 minute read

Phil Rowe, Jess Nesling and Nikki Mills on the red carpet at the 2026 VOX Awards. Photo credit: Jo Robbens Photography, courtesy of VOX Events Ltd.

Nation.Cymru staff

We always knew the Welsh accent was a thing of wonder, now here’s the proof.

Welsh voice actors enjoyed an extraordinary evening at the prestigious VOX Awards, with four performers taking home six awards between them.

Three Welsh voice actors alone collected five of the fourteen awards presented, with Ystalyfera-based voice actor, writer and audio producer Phil Rowe leading the celebrations after winning three awards.

Rowe received Male Voiceover Performance of the Year, Best Human Performance in a Corporate Presentation and the coveted Judges Choice Award.

Now in their 32nd year, the VOX Awards recognise outstanding performances and achievements across the professional voiceover industry.

Two of Rowe’s awards recognised a creative collaboration with Cardiff-based CREO Marketing, whose team contributed creative direction and scriptwriting to an award-winning production.

Rowe’s Male Voiceover Performance of the Year was for his body of work across the previous 12 months and included video games, corporate videos, a podcast and audio drama.

Rowe said: “I wouldn’t have dared to dream that I'd walk away from the VOX Awards with three awards, including Male Voiceover Performance of the Year and the Judges' Choice Award. It's still sinking in!

“What makes it even more special is that two of those awards came from a collaboration with Cardiff-based CREO Interactive Ltd on a project that was genuinely breathtaking to work on. I think it demonstrates just what we can achieve when talented creatives come together, and how much potential there is to build a strong, successful creative industry right here on our own doorstep.

“And to share such an extraordinary evening with two brilliant Welsh talents, Jess Nesling and Nikki Mills, was the icing on the cake!”

Murder mystery series

Jess Nesling, who has roots in Swansea, won Female Voiceover Performance of the Year. Her award submission featured Welsh-accent character work as Voada in the video game Anno 117: Pax Romana.

Nesling said: “Being recognised for my voice work is such an honour. I’ve never been in this for the awards, but it’s wonderful to have work I’m so passionate about recognised by people in the voice industry whom I admire and respect.

“I’m really proud of my Swansea roots and getting to showcase my Welsh accent work as part of my submission (Voada – Anno 117: Pax Romana) was particularly special. Sharing the evening with fellow Welsh winners Phil and Nikki made the ceremony even more memorable.”

Bridgend-based voice actor Nikki Mills won Best Audiobook Performance for her narration of The Caldey Island Murders, the first instalment of a Pembrokeshire- based murder mystery series by Steve and Margarita Morris, known collectively as MS Morris.

Mills said: “I'm absolutely gobsmacked and so grateful to have taken home the award for best audiobook performance! Though I work extensively across other genres of voice acting, this was my first full-length audiobook. When Steve and Margarita Morris (aka MS Morris) approached me about narrating the first of their Pembrokeshire-based murder mystery series, The Caldey Island Murders, I was gripped! It just felt completely right that my first foray into such a challenging genre should be set in my homeland.

“It was the absolute icing on the cake to cheer on Jess and Phil with their amazing wins too! Five out of fourteen awards going to Welsh voice actors is quite some going.”

A fourth winner with South Wales connections was Emily Jardine, who received Best Human Performance in Live Events for her work on the Siena Awards 2025, produced by Francesco Marino.

An internationally experienced voice actor with a 15-year career spanning thousands of projects, Jardine has worked with major brands including Danone, Bentley, L'Oréal, Oreo, Barbie, Pantene, Starbucks, McDonald's and Ferrero.

Jardine said: “I still can't believe I won the award for Best Live Events Performance! I'm so lucky to record for brands around the world each week, so sometimes you walk into the studio and know that it's going to be a really special project. That's exactly how I felt when I first saw the visuals for the Siena Awards. The directors gave me so much creative freedom with the tone too, and I poured my heart and soul into the performance. It goes to show what collaboration with incredible teams can do.

“I recently moved to Bridgend and had a purpose-built recording studio built beside my house, affectionately named Elizabooth! I've never been happier, and I'm so proud I get to call myself an honorary Welsh person. Wales is so much more than just the place where I live and work. Wales has become my home.”

Together, the winners highlighted the breadth of professional voiceover talent working in and connected to South Wales, from international advertising campaigns and major video games to audiobook narration, live events and original creative productions.

Their success also demonstrates the strength of creative talent and collaboration within Wales, and the opportunities for the country's growing creative industries.

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