Joseph McGrail-Bateup, a professional air conditioner cleaner and honorary town crier from Australia, has made history as the world’s loudest man. The 58-year-old from Canberra was recently acknowledged by Guinness World Records for his impressive shout of the word ‘now,’ which reached a staggering 122.4 decibels. This remarkable achievement eclipsed the previous record of 121.7 decibels held by Northern Ireland’s schoolteacher Annalisa Flanagan, who shouted ‘quiet’ back in 1994.
The sound level produced by McGrail-Bateup rivals that of a chain saw, a jet aircraft during takeoff, and an ambulance siren at close range. In a video released on June 23, 2026, by the Australian Broadcasting Corp., he demonstrated his powerful voice in Canberra.
Contrary to what some might believe, McGrail-Bateup mentioned there’s no way to train for such an endeavor. ‘It took me seven attempts just for one word, which was the word ‘now,’ and my voice was shot for the next couple of days as well,’ he explained. Despite the strain on his voice, McGrail-Bateup found the attempts to break the record quite enjoyable.
Although happy with his record as the loudest male, he respects Flanagan’s achievement as the loudest female. As the official town crier of Canberra since 2017, McGrail-Bateup embraced his role by participating in community and ceremonial events, using his booming voice to draw attention and make announcements.
With a membership in the Ancient and Honorable Guild of Australian Town Criers, he maintains a connection with a legacy of historic and ceremonial roles. He once won a guild competition for the loudest call of ‘Oyez, Oyez, Oyez,’ reaching 98 decibels.
His shout for this record was meticulously recorded on May 2, at a Canberra radio studio, with an acoustic engineer and witnesses present. All necessary files were then submitted to Guinness, culminating in the announcement of his world record on Friday.
This marks the second time McGrail-Bateup has managed to secure a world record. Previously, in 2019, he briefly held a speed record for archery by shooting 10 arrows in 60.03 seconds, only for a 7-year-old boy to surpass his record by 11.4 seconds nine months later.
McGrail-Bateup prioritizes the spirit of competition over holding onto records. ‘If someone beats me, that’s fantastic,’ he remarked. ‘Records are meant to be broken.’
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