Early bird entries are now open for the Australian Podcast Awards, owners Haymarket Media Group have announced, with the ceremony officially returning in November this year.
The event, which is now in its seventh year, celebrates podcasting excellence across the country, both in front of and behind the mic.
Last year’s ceremony was powered by iHeart and took place at the Seymour Theatre in Sydney on 21 November. The award-winning host of KIIS FM TV’s music podcast The Night Show, Mitch Churi, was the host of the night, where history podcast The Last Outlaws took home the highly anticipated iHeart Podcast of The Year and Best History Podcast awards.
This year’s show is the second since Haymarket Media Group, which also owns PodPod, acquired the event in June 2022. The Australian Podcast Awards is a sister event to the British Podcast Awards and Irish Podcast Awards, both of which are also taking place this year and are open for applications now.
Podcast categories that are open for entries range from genre-specific awards such as Best History and Best Parenting - which is a new title added last year - to general awards such as Best Interview and Best Network, as well as commercial categories such as Best Branded Podcast and Best Commercial Campaign.
The highest honour of the night is the Podcast of The Year award, which is chosen by the judges from Gold winners in other categories, and looks at projects with outstanding presentation, writing, and sound design. During the event, an individual creator or team will also be honoured for their work in the industry with the Rising Star Award as well as other special recognition categories chosen by the editors and not available for entry such as the Podcast Champion, Specialist, and Spotlight Awards.
Fans will also have the opportunity to vote for their favourite podcast to win the Listener’s Choice Award, as long as the podcast they’re voting for has been available since 1 June this year and listed in the Apple Podcasts directory. In 2022, over 220,000 individuals voted in this category and the award went to sex & relationships podcast Life Uncut, with co-hosts Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne for the third year in a row.
The early bird application deadline is 22 June and the entry fees vary depending on the individual or company’s turnover, with $65 + GST per entry at the lowest and $225 + GST per entry at the highest. After the early bird deadline passes, applicants will have to pay an additional $100 per entry fee but will have more time to submit entries before the standard deadline on 20 July. Additionally, independent audio producers that identify as BIPOC, Queer and/or Trans may be eligible for financial support with their entry fees through the Podcasting Seriously Awards Fund.
The shortlist will be announced in September 2023, just a couple of months before the ceremony takes place in November. The judging pool is currently open for applications through the Australian Podcast Awards website and experts within the audio industry with at least three years of experience working professionally are eligible, and can either nominate themselves or through a colleague.
For more information, visit the Australian Podcast Awards website.
