Joseph McGrail-Bateup, an air conditioner cleaner and honorary town crier from Canberra, Australia, has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's loudest person. The 58-year-old's shout of the word "now" reached a volume of 122.4 decibels.
This new record surpasses the previous mark of 121.7 decibels, set in 1994 by Irish schoolteacher Annalisa Flanagan, who yelled "quiet." The sound level of McGrail-Bateup's shout is comparable to that of a chainsaw, a departing jet aircraft, or an ambulance siren at close range.
McGrail-Bateup stated that the record-breaking shout was not something that could be trained for. He explained that the record attempt required him to save his vocal energy for the moment, and that even after seven attempts to achieve the desired volume with the word "now," his voice was hoarse for the following two days. He described the experience as "a lot of fun."
He clarified his title, considering himself the world's loudest man rather than the loudest person, noting the existence of a record for the loudest woman held by Flanagan. McGrail-Bateup discovered Flanagan's record while searching for feats related to town crying.
His role as the official town crier of Canberra, an honorary and part-time position he has held since 2017, has involved making announcements at community events. This role led to his membership in the Ancient and Honorable Guild of Australian Town Criers, a competitive organization. In a 2024 guild competition, he achieved a volume of 98 decibels with his "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez," a traditional town crier's call for attention.
The record-setting shout was recorded on May 2 in a Canberra radio studio by a professional acoustic engineer with witnesses present. The recordings were subsequently submitted to Guinness World Records, which officially announced the record on Friday.
This is not McGrail-Bateup's first world record. In 2019, he set a speed archery record, shooting 10 arrows in 60.03 seconds. However, that record was later broken by a younger competitor.
McGrail-Bateup expressed indifference toward regaining the archery record or maintaining his shouting record, stating, "Records are meant to be broken."