First entering the world of podcasting in 2020, Liam Heffernan volunteered in hospital radio for many years. His first podcast, short-form review show 2 Minute Movies, won Best Entertainment Podcast at the Podcasting for Business Awards in 2021, and since then he has been working professionally as a producer and production manager on numerous shows. His most successful show is How Not to Screw Up Your Kids, hosted by child psychologist Dr Maryhan, which has received national coverage and acclaim since it launched last year. Through this show, he pioneered the One Million Moments campaign in support of child mental-health post-pandemic.
Heffernan has brought his podcast experience to the Hospital Broadcasting Association to lead the launch of the HBA's podcast network in 2022 and create enormous value for the voluntary broadcasting sector. The network supports the 150-plus hospital radio stations in the UK with a free way to diversify their audio content and create additional fundraising streams. He is always looking for ways to support and collaborate with under-represented groups, which led to him co-founding Emmeline, a podcast network for female and non-binary podcasters in 2022.
In just three years he has made a significant contribution to the industry, has become a thought leader in the space through his active LinkedIn presence, and has taken a well-deserved next step in his career by joining established production house Auddy at the beginning of this year. Heffernan always looks for new opportunities to push his creative limits. He is carving a path not only for his own success, but for others too, and will no doubt be a future leader of the podcasting world.
Nominated by:
Amy Palmer, executive director, Hospital Broadcasting Association
Ellie Di Martino, director of programmes, Auddy
