It doesn't matter whether you're part of a professional podcast production team or an indie podcaster recording from a spare room, podcast awards can help shine a spotlight on your work.
Most awards are self-nominated, and almost all require an entry fee. They come in many shapes and sizes; some are giant industry affairs while others are run solely by volunteers. But every event aims to recognize brilliance, creativity and the passion that goes into making a great podcast.
Read on to discover our gigantic list of podcast awards.
Did you know: Many podcast production teams use Rephonic to research other podcasts, analyze what’s working in their niche and gather insights they can use to improve their own show. You can learn more here.
Podcast Industry Awards
The Ambies
Run by the Podcast Academy, The Ambies are all about celebrating excellence in podcasting and raising the status of podcasting in the audio industry. They include two types of category: Show Recognition and Talent Recognition.
Submissions for entry: The 2026 submission period ran from 4th August to 17th October 2025, so watch out for the submissions window for next year's awards in August-October 2026.
Who can apply? Any ongoing podcast can enter, and any miniseries podcast can enter so long as they published at least 3 episodes in 2025. (English language shows only). “Published” means the date the episode was first made available for streaming or download to the public
iHeartRadio Podcast Awards
In March each year, iHeartRadio recognises the best podcasts in the USA at a glitzy annual awards ceremony. The awards contain multiple categories including Podcast of the Year, Best Comedy, Best Crime Podcast, Best Fiction, Best Science Podcast and so on.
Can anyone apply? Shows are nominated by a judging panel (taking their iHeartRadio performance into account) and fans vote for their favorites.
The Independent Podcasts Awards
These are back-to-our-roots awards, created to celebrate podcasters that are "truly free of corporate ties" i.e., no corporate support or celebrity hosts (although you can have high profile guests.)
Submissions for entry:
Closing date: Monday June 8, 2026
Awards Ceremony: November 4, 2026
Who can apply? Only podcasters based in the UK or Ireland can enter at the moment.
Political Podcast Awards (UK)
Launched in 2025, the Political Podcast Awards bill themselves as the UK's first awards dedicated to political podcasts, saying:
“More people than ever are getting their news from political podcasts, and they play a vital role in shaping the news agenda and bringing untold stories to the fore.”
Submissions for entry: The 2026 awards were held in London on 28 January. Submissions for the 2027 awards are likely to open mid-2026, with the awards ceremony taking place towards the end of January 2027.
Who can apply? Podcasts covering politics and based in the UK and Northern Ireland. The International Podcast of the Year is open globally.
Publisher Podcast Awards
These awards are “a celebration of the podcasting success of publishers and media organisations, whether they've been in the podcasting space a while, or have just launched.”
First awarded in 2024, the second awards took place in June this year and included the Publisher Podcast Hero of the Year, designed to celebrate “an individual who has gone above and beyond to demonstrate the value of podcasting to their organisation.”
Submissions for Entry: Entries for the 2026 awards will open in the (Northern Hemisphere) spring and the organizers suggest signing up for their newsletter to receive the latest information.
Signal Awards
Signal says no matter how big or small your studio, the best podcasters are authentic, creative, open minds and change culture. They include four entry types: Shows, Limited Series, Individual Episodes and Branded Shows & Advertising and have many awards within each category.
Submissions for entry:
- Final Entry Deadline: June 26, 2026
- Extended Entry Deadline: July 31, 2026
To be eligible for the current season, the work must have been originally published after September 1, 2025, and be live and accessible upon entry.
Who can apply? Global entries encouraged. (NB they use Google Translate to translate non-English language submissions reviewed by an English-speaking judge.)
Culture & Diversity
Black Podcasting Awards
These are the longest-running podcasting awards for the Black community. Podcasts must have a public RSS feed and be hosted or majority co-hosted by Black people. The awards offer 40+ categories.
In their own words: "Black means a person who identifies as such racially."
Submissions for entry:
BLACK POD AWARDS 2026 SEASON TIMELINE
- Applications open: May 10, 2026
- Applications close: July 31, 2026
- Announcement of new nominees & Legends: August 15
- Awards ceremony: September 26
Who can apply? Black podcasts from anywhere can apply to enter so long as the shows are in English.
Latin Podcast Awards
This competition recognizes and celebrates podcasts by, for or about the Latino community and are judged on content and quality by a panel of independent judges. This year marks the Awards' 10th Anniversary and in October they're hosting their first live awards ceremony in Florida.
Submissions for entry: Close mid June 2026
Who can apply? a global competition for members of the Latino community producing content in English, Spanish or bilingual formats.
NAACP Image Awards
The NAACP exists to advocate for civil rights due to Black America. Their multicultural awards have a “tradition of excellence, uplifting values that inspire equality, justice, and progressive change, and highlighting artists committed to these values.”
They include Outstanding Podcast categories in News & Information, Society & Culture, Short Form Series, Lifestyle and Arts, Sports & Entertainment
The 2026 awards ceremony was held in Pasadena, California on February 28.
Submissions for the 2027 awards have not yet been announced, but based on previous years awards, are likely to open in August 2026 and close in November.
Podcasts as a Category
American Writing Awards - Podcast of the Year
The AWA 2026 Podcast of the Year awards were created as a means to recognize excellence in independent podcasting.
This competition is held online and Submissions for the 2027 awards are now open with a new list of categories including Parenting, Technology, LGBTQ, Interviews, Fantasy & SciFi and more.
The 2026 awards were announced on February 27.
Submissions for entry:
- Registration Deadline: February 14, 2027
- Category Prizes and PODCAST OF THE YEAR AWARD announced: March 7, 2027
Who can apply? The award is international and open to all shows regardless of country of origin or language. (Transcribe or translate non-English speaking podcasts please.)
Audio Production Awards
The APAs began as radio awards in 2010 and widened in 2016 to reflect its members' expanding audio production activities. They're now an annual fixture in the UK industry, with a high-profile awards ceremony held in London.
Submissions for entry: Dates have not yet been announced, but last year's submission dates ran from mid-June to mid-September, with the glitzy awards ceremony held at the end of November.
Who can apply? Anyone in the UK audio industry
AVA Digital Awards
AVA Digitals reward excellence by creative professionals responsible for the planning, concept, direction, design, and production of digital communication. There are 227 categories, including two for podcasting in the Content Marketing category.
The 2026 awards were announced in February.
Submissions for entry: Typically entries open in November with a final submission deadline in mid-January.
Who can apply? Open to individuals, companies, and organizations involved in producing digital media for external or internal audiences.
Audio Verse Awards
These celebrate the greatest in immersive audio fiction around the world, including podcasts. They're by and for the audio fiction community and decided by a public vote. The organizers suggest joining their mailing list to keep up to date.
Submissions for entry: Each year they open for entries in September and voting in October.
Who can apply? Any immersive fiction podcast that's exclusively audio and is discoverable.
Content Marketing Awards
These are the largest and longest-running international content marketing awards and aim to recognize the best in strategy, content creation, visual and audio storytelling. They include a category for Best Podcast/Audio Series
Submissions for entry: These closed at the end of May, 2026.
Who can apply? Anyone, but the show must have recorded episodes in 2025 to qualify for the 2026 award.
Golden Globes: Best Podcast Category
In 2025, the Golden Globes announced that their 2026 awards would include a Best Podcast category to recognize “the extraordinary and diverse talents in podcasting.” The 84th Annual Golden Globes will be held in 2027.
Submissions for entry:
- Submissions website opens: June 1, 2026
- Submissions deadline: October 30, 2026
- Nominations Announced: December 7, 2026
- Presentations: January 10, 2027
The Golden Mike Awards
Part of the Radio & Television News Assn of Southern California, the awards are now also open to independent podcast producers, content creators and streaming platforms in the US.
The 2026 contest covered work produced between 1 September 2024 and 3 October 2025, with finalists announced January 2026 and the awards ceremony held in March 2026.
Categories include Best Interview Podcast, Best Limited Series Podcast, and Best Open Topic Podcast.
Submissions for entry: Likely to open in fall, 2026.
The Gracie Awards
The Gracie Awards, presented by the Alliance for Women in Media (AWM), celebrate programming by, for and about women.
The 2026 awards include several new podcast-related categories including Audio Podcast Host – Lifestyle, Audio Podcast Host – Educational, Audio Podcast Host – Sports, and a new Video Podcast (Digital Media) category, with the awards ceremony held in June, 2026.
Submissions for entry have not yet been announced but are likely to open from mid October 2026-mid January 2027.
Who can apply?
Judges are looking for outstanding programming or individual achievement by, for, or about women.
Podcasts from anywhere may apply. All entries must be submitted in English or include English subtitles or transcripts.
New York Festivals Radio Awards
The New York Festivals Radio Awards honors the exceptional professional content across many channels, including podcasts and is judged by a panel of industry experts.
Single episodes or series must have aired in the previous 12 months.
The awards introduced a Video Podcast category for the 2026 competition.
Submissions for entry: Entries are self-nominated.
The 2026 competition is closed, and entries for the 2027 competition opened in September.
Who can apply? Podcasters from any country may enter, but you're asked to provide an English translation if your podcast's in another language.
The Peabody Awards
The Peabodys were established to honor excellence in radio back in 1940. Now they cover outstanding digital and interactive storytelling in TV, streaming, internet, radio and podcasts. Podcasters can enter documentaries, entertainment, news, youth programming, public service or arts.
Submissions for entry: Submissions for the 86th annual Peabody Awards will open in October for all categories.
Who can apply? US and international English language podcasters
Quill Podcast Awards
Running since 2021, this yearly digital awards ceremony celebrates the achievements of podcasters and podcast companies who've become leaders in their field, have a positive impact in the podcast industry and created outstanding content.
Submissions for entry: 2026 were announced on May 28. While the 2027 dates are yet to be announced, the 2026 submissions opened and closed in April, with voting open from April 30 - May 8.
Who can apply? These awards are free to enter and open to everyone. Podcasts must be active for at least 6 months to qualify. Best New Podcasts must have at least 6 episodes.
The Shorty Awards
This international competition began in 2008 and honors the best work on digital and social platforms. It includes brands, agencies, non-profits, content creators and influencers and has a Podcast section with 11 categories including Branded Podcast, Comedy and Mini Series. The2026 winners were announced on May 19 in New York city.
Submissions for entry: The next Shorty Awards dates have not yet been announced, but this year's entries opened at the end of October (2025) and closed in January 2026, with a late deadline in February.
Who can apply? This is an international competition.
The Stevies
The American Business Awards present the Stevies annually and added podcast categories in 2024 to recognize excellence in US podcasts. Major categories include Shows, Individual Episodes, Limited Series & Specials and Features.
Submissions for entry: Entries for The 2027 (25th Annual) American Business Awards® will be accepted starting October, 2026 through an entry kit
Webby Awards
Established way back in 1996 the 'Webbys' have grown until now The New York Times calls them "the Internet's highest honor." They now honor excellence across eight media types including podcasts. There are two honors in every category—The Webby Award (judged) and The Webby People's Voice Award (awarded by the voting public.)
Submissions for entry:
This year's entries closed on February 6, 2026, with the Awards announced on May 26. Sign up for their newsletter to learn the dates submissions open in 2027.
Who can apply? Anyone. The 28th Annual Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from the US and 70 countries worldwide.
Where in the world?
Asia Podcast Awards
Launched in 2023 by RadioInfo, these awards honor individuals, teams and organizations in media and marketing who create outstanding podcast content in Asia.
In 2025 they received hundreds of entries across 23 categories including Best Children's, Best Comedy, Best Factual podcast and Best International Podcast.
Submissions for entry:
Open: April 27, 2026
Winners announced: in Jakarta on September 3, 2026
Who can apply? Individual category awards are open to Asian and Pacific citizens or organisations. Entries from countries outside of Asia/Pacific (as defined above) are permitted to enter the Best International Podcast category, but should not enter any other category unless they have an individual or organisational address in Asia and publish from that country.
Australian Audio Awards
These are new awards in 2026 and replace the Australia/NZ podcast awards.
They include 27 categories across Australian radio and podcasting landscape. Podcast categories included Best Branded Podcast, Best Children's Entertainment Podcast, Best Comedy, Best Crime, Best Journalism Podcast and more, aired between 1 July 2024 and 6 March 2026.
Submissions for entry: 2026 entries have closed, with the awards ceremony taking place in Sydney on May 28.
Who can apply? Podcast teams based in Australia or New Zealand with work actively conceived in those countries.
Australian Podcast Awards
These celebrate Australian podcasts, with more than 20 categories up for grabs, including the Listener's Choice Award. Entries are self-nominated and judging is done by a panel of podcasting experts. They promise to " uncover and champion the best talent of the Australian podcasting industry. We welcome podcasts big and small to enter and look forward to another year of break-through podcasting content."
Submissions for entry: There isn't any information on when entry opens for the 2024 awards, but last year's Sydney ceremony was held in November. You can register your interest here to get more information when it becomes available.
Belgian Podcast Awards
Belgian podcasting is growing fast and these awards aim to recognize new and existing talent, promote great podcasts and encourage listeners to try new shows. Founded in 2021 by Maarten Bovée (chairman of the independent judging channel) the 2024 awards promise to be the biggest and best yet.
Submissions for entry: The 2025 entry window has closed, with the awards ceremony held on 10th June.
Who can apply? They welcome a diverse range of podcast entries including brands, independent creators, comedians and more. People can register online to vote for The Listener's choice award.
British Podcast Awards
Recognizing excellence, talent and originality in the booming podcast industry, the British podcast awards have been running for eight years and seek to reward both commercial podcasts and passion projects. Their broad categories include Genres, People & Teams, Editors' Choice and Listeners' Choice. The judging panel particularly looks for quality, impact and new perspectives.
Submissions for entry: This year's competition opened in early 2026. Entries received after May 1 incur a late fee.
Longlist announcement: July 2
Shortlist announcement: July 23
Awards ceremony: October 1, 2026
Who can apply? Podcasts and podcasters in Great Britain
All Ireland Podcast Awards
The inaugural awards will be held on 13th November as part of the brand new Sound Waves summit in Adare, Ireland.
Submissions for entry: Are now closed
Final Thoughts
You probably weren't thinking about winning awards when you started your show. Or, maybe you were - in which case, good on you because it means you were thinking about excellence right from the start.
But now you're up and running, why not enter a few competitions and see where that leads? You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain if your podcasting commitment and courage is recognized by your peers and/or the public.
Enjoy the process - if nothing else, it's a fantastic chance to analyze and review your show and really pay attention to your high quality work.
Article credits
Written by Lyn McNamee, podcast-PR writer with four years of experience transforming podcast insights into practical, results-focused playbooks.
Edited by Becca Butcher, marketing specialist who frequently analyzes Rephonic’s data across 3 million podcasts.
Article credits
Written by Lyn McNamee, podcast-PR writer with four years of experience transforming podcast insights into practical, results-focused playbooks.
Edited by Becca Butcher, marketing specialist who frequently analyzes Rephonic’s data across 3 million podcasts.
How Agencies & Networks Find Podcast Cross-Promo Partners
Looking to cross-promote a podcast you manage and grow its audience? Rephonic helps podcast agencies and networks find the right shows to partner with.
How to See How Many Listeners a Podcast Has (& More Podcast Stats)
If you're planning to pitch yourself (or someone else) as a guest or sponsor, you probably want to know how many people are listening to it.
