A voice actor from Ystalyfera has beaten off competition from across the UK to win one of the voice acting industry’s top honours — picking up Best Male Performance in Audio Drama at the One Voice Awards.
Phil Rowe’s win is particularly notable because the award-winning performance came from a production he wrote and produced entirely himself — reflecting years of work expanding his skills beyond performance into writing, directing, sound design and audio engineering.
It is the latest chapter in a remarkable run for the Swansea Valley performer. Last year’s One Voice Awards saw Rowe pick up three nominations in a single ceremony — for Best Male Performance in Animation, Best Male Performance in TV/Web Commercials and Male Voiceover Artist of the Year — following his win for Best Male Performance in TV/Web Commercials at the 2024 ceremony.
This year’s win in audio drama marks a new direction for Rowe, who has increasingly focused on cinematic audio storytelling alongside his commercial and gaming work. His voice has been heard in over 150 million homes worldwide across commercials, games and narration — but it is the audio drama medium that has captured his creative imagination in recent years.
“Audio drama is such a fascinating medium because everything rests on atmosphere, performance and sound,” said Rowe. “Without visuals, every detail matters. A pause, distant rain, the tone of a room, the pacing of a scene. You are building the entire world through sound and performance alone.”
One of his productions, YstalyFEAR, draws direct inspiration from his home village in the Swansea Valley — part of a wider interest in creating original Welsh-rooted audio storytelling. It is one of a growing number of original dramatic productions Rowe has developed alongside his commercial work.
The win at the One Voice Awards was not the only recognition for his work at this year’s ceremony. Fellow cast members Vicki-Jo Eva and Ben Wake also received nominations for their performances in another of his upcoming productions.
Rowe operates from a custom-built studio in Ystalyfera, which has become the base for both his performance work and his growing output as a writer, director and sound designer. He also produces cinematic gaming reels for other voice actors.
His career has not been without obstacles. Rowe battles pulmonary sarcoidosis — a condition that caused difficulties with breath control earlier in his career. Through dedicated training with voice coach Nicola Redman, he developed techniques to manage the condition, allowing his work to flourish across an ever-wider range of projects.
Previous credits include lending his voice to the Welsh-language video game Tales from the Mabinogion, which attracted attention from the BBC for its cultural significance.
Rowe said the recognition at this year’s ceremony meant a great deal after the considerable effort that goes into each production behind the scenes.
“It genuinely means a great deal to have the work recognised,” he said. “A huge amount of time goes into these productions behind the scenes, and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has collaborated on them and supported the work.”
The One Voice Awards is one of the UK voice acting industry’s major annual events, celebrating performance across commercials, animation, audiobooks, gaming and audio drama.
More of Phil Rowe’s work can be found at philrowevoices.com.
