Joseph McGrail-Bateup, Canberra’s honorary town crier, has been confirmed by Guinness World Records as the world's loudest person after shouting 'now' at 122.4 dB. The attempt, recorded on May 2 in a Canberra radio studio and measured by an acoustic engineer, surpassed Annalisa Flanagan’s 1994 mark of 121.7 dB. The successful take required seven tries and left his voice strained for days. McGrail-Bateup, who performs as Lord Joseph, said he welcomes others to try to beat the record.
Canberra Town Crier Sets Guinness Record as World’s Loudest Person — 122.4 dB 'Now' Shout
In this image taken from video, Joseph McGrail-Bateup demonstrates his loud voice in Canberra, Australia, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, after he was been recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's loudest person. (Australian Broadcasting Corp. via AP)(ABC/Australian Broadcasting Corp via AP)
Joseph McGrail-Bateup, a 58-year-old Canberra resident who cleans air conditioners professionally and serves as the city’s honorary town crier, has been certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s loudest person.
Guinness World Records announced that McGrail-Bateup produced the loudest recorded shout by an individual — a single-word shout of 'now' that reached 122.4 decibels. The attempt was recorded on May 2 in a Canberra radio studio, measured by a professional acoustic engineer and witnessed by observers before the audio files were submitted to Guinness for verification.
His result surpassed the long-standing 1994 mark of 121.7 dB set by Northern Ireland schoolteacher Annalisa Flanagan, who famously shouted the word 'quiet.' McGrail-Bateup said he regards the outcome as both a personal milestone and a bit of fun: 'If someone beats me, that's fantastic. Records are meant to be broken.'
McGrail-Bateup said the valid attempt took seven tries and left his voice hoarse for days. 'There's no way that you can actually practice for it. You have to just keep it for the day,' he told reporters, describing the effort as exhausting but enjoyable.
He performs as Canberra’s official town crier under the ceremonial name Lord Joseph and is a member of the Ancient and Honorable Guild of Australian Town Criers. In 2024 he won a guild competition for the loudest traditional cry — 'Oyez, Oyez, Oyez' — which measured 98 dB. This Shout-of-'Now' record is the second world record McGrail-Bateup has held; in 2019 he briefly held a speed record for shooting 10 arrows in 60.03 seconds.
Context: 122.4 dB is comparable to the noise of a chainsaw, a jet aircraft at takeoff, or an ambulance siren at close range. Sounds at these levels can be painful and may cause hearing damage with very short exposure, so such feats are typically measured under controlled conditions by experts.
Guinness split records by sex previously only in the sense that McGrail-Bateup is the first to be recognized as the loudest male; Flanagan remains the loudest woman on record. McGrail-Bateup emphasized the celebratory, community-minded nature of his role and said he hopes the record encourages friendly competition rather than rivalry.
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