A 58 Australian man yelled the word now at 122.4 decibels, but he insists he’s only the loudest man, not the loudest person alive

Joseph McGrail-Bateup has secured a new place in Guinness World Records history after breaking a record that had stood for more than three decades. The 58-year-old resident of Canberra, Australia, hit 122.4 decibels during an official attempt on May 2, 2026, surpassing the previous mark by nearly a full decibel. As detailed by Guinness World Records, the feat now stands as the new benchmark for loudest shout by a male.

To put that figure into context, 122.4 decibels falls in the same range as a chainsaw, a jet taking off, or an ambulance siren at close range. McGrail-Bateup reached that level by screaming the single word “now,” a method that required repeated attempts to execute under official measurement conditions. The previous record had been held since 1994 by Northern Ireland schoolteacher Annalisa Flanagan, who hit 121.7 decibels while shouting the word “quiet.”

As reported by BroBible, McGrail-Bateup serves as the honorary town crier for Canberra, a role tied to a tradition that predates modern communication methods. The attempt was not without difficulty, as he explained that the strain on his vocal cords made it impossible to rehearse beforehand.

He could not practice for the record before the official day

McGrail-Bateup said the nature of the attempt ruled out any kind of preparation. “There’s no way that you can actually practice for it. You have to just keep it for the day, especially with the world record attempt,” he said. He needed several tries just to register the winning number, a process that affected his voice for days afterward.

“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 said. “It was husky, it was terrible. So no, you can’t really practice for it. But it’s a lot of fun when you’re doing it.” A separate record attempt drew similar attention this year, including a story about a young boy’s sweater record, with both cases relying on the same official verification process.

McGrail-Bateup is officially recognized as the loudest male, a distinction he has not extended into a broader claim about being the loudest person overall. Guinness records of this kind are reviewed individually by category, separating male and female titleholders rather than ranking them together. Other unrelated record attempts have made headlines recently as well, including one involving a Michelin dining record attempt, showing the range of categories Guinness continues to track.

The May 2 attempt in Canberra was confirmed through Guinness’s standard evidence review process before being added to the official record books.