The full shortlist for the seventh-annual British Podcast Awards has officially been announced, including nominations for a range both of independent and big-name shows.
The awards ceremony, which this year is powered by PodPod, supported by sponsors including Global and BBC Sounds, is taking place on 28 September at immersive entertainment space HERE at Outernet in Central London and will be hosted by Zoe Lyons and Stephen Bailey, comedians and co-hosts of the Let's Talk About the Husband podcast.
"Podcasting continues to be a boom industry for creativity, and this year's British Podcast Awards shortlist is a fantastic showcase of innovative format ideas, heartfelt discussions and engaging entertainment,” said PodPod editor Adam Shepherd. “It's been a privilege to help support the awards for the first time this year; congratulations to all the shortlisted nominees, and good luck on the night - I look forward to congratulating our deserving winners.”
This year’s nominees include Global’s current affairs podcast The News Agents,which was nominated across three categories including Best News & Current Affairs Podcast and Best Daily Podcast against competitive titles like The Guardian’s Today in Focus and Partygate: The Inside Story. The podcast is also nominated for the specially-selected Spotlight Award, which honours big hits with over 100,000 downloads, such as Ukrainecast, Off Menu, and That Peter Crouch Podcast.
This year also saw a strong showing for BBC podcast titles, with several nominated in the Best True Crime category including I'm Not a Monster Series 2: The Shamima Begum Story, Vishal, Please Protect Abraham, and Love, Janessa. The BBC World Service, which is behind popular titles such as the Global News Podcast and The Documentary Podcast, is also nominated for Best Network or Publisher against the British Forces Broadcasting Service, Economist Podcasts, Financial Times Audio, History Hit, and Noiser Network.
A number of freelance podcasters and producers were nominated for the Rising Star Award this year including Chanté Joseph, host of The Guardian’s Pop Culture podcast and Hannah Ajala, founder of We Are Black Journos and host of Love, Janessa. Independent creator Kirk Flash took home the award for this category last year for his work on comedy podcast This is Gay.
Other independent projects nominated for awards this year include Masala Podcast with Sangeeta Pillai which won bronze for Moment of the Year at the last year’s ceremony and is now nominated for Best Interview and the Specialist Award, Sounds of Black Britain for Best History Podcast, Folk on Foot for Best Arts & Culture Podcast, and more.
This year, the British Podcast Awards had over 150 nominees in total across 27 categories. The judging panel, which is chaired by Elizabeth Day and includes a number of podcast experts like Stak creative director Peter Donaldson and Shade podcast founder Lou Mensah, took a total of 11 days to look over 1,000 entries before making the shortlist.
Award categories that will be announced the day of the ceremony include Podcast of The Year and Podcast Champion, chosen by the judges from the list of Gold winners across other categories. The winner of the Listener’s Choice Award - chosen by podcast fans in a public vote - will also be announced on the day, with entries still open until 5 September.
Tickets for the awards evening are now available to purchase on the British Podcast Awards website and include a red carpet entrance, canapés and drinks on arrival, and entry to the official BPAs After Party following the show. Early bird tickets are available until 17 August, and start £265 + VAT per person for individual tickets, or £225 + VAT per person for group tickets of 3 or more.
Creators that are shortlisted for an award can also apply for a bursary ticket to attend the ceremony for free by emailing britishpodcastawards@haymarket.com. The British Podcast Awards encourage applicants from underrepresented backgrounds to apply for the bursary, and successful applicants will be notified by 15 August.
The British Podcast Awards is a sister event to the Irish Podcast Awards and the Australian Podcast Awards, both of which are also taking place this year. The entry deadline for the IPAs is 27 July and the APAs entry deadline runs until 3 August.
Further information about the ceremony can be found on the British Podcast Awards website. The full list of nominations is below:
Best Arts & Culture Podcast
Classical Fix
Firecrotch & Normcore: a Succession Podcast
Folk on Foot
Inside the World of Ralph & Katie
Time & Again
Who Robs a Banksy?
Best Business Podcast
Behind the Money
Carolina Herrera Presents: Walk Tall
How to Own the Room
Money Talks
Rethink Moments with Rachel Botsman
The Big Green Money Show
The Third Angle
Best Climate Podcast
As the Season Turns
Blossom Trees and Burnt-Out Cars
Buried
Burn Wild
The Conversation Weekly
Waterlands
Best Comedy Podcast
Bang On It
Elis James and John Robins
From the Oasthouse: The Alan Partridge Podcast (Series 2)
Sports Horn
The Skewer
French & Saunders: Titting About (Series 3)
Best Documentary Podcast
A Very British Cult
Acid Dream: The Great LSD Plot
Burn Wild
Call Bethel
I'm Not a Monster Series 2: The Shamima Begum Story
Pig Iron
Best Entertainment Podcast
British Scandal
Elis James and John Robins
Eureka!
Help I Sexted My Boss
NearlyWeds
RHLSTP with Richard Herring
Three Little Words
French & Saunders: Titting About (Series 3)
Best Factual Podcast
A Positive Life: HIV from Terrence Higgins to Today
Babbage
Gangster: The Story of John Palmer
Life After Prison
Partygate: The Inside Story
You, Me and the Big C
Best Fiction Podcast
Eliza: A Robot Story
Oliver Twist
One Five Seven Years
The Electricity of Every Living Thing
The System - Series 2 (or how to save the world in 5 easy steps)
Wooden Overcoats
Best History Podcast
British Scandal
Dan Snow's History Hit
National Trust Podcast
Short History Of...
Sounds Of Black Britain
Best Kids Podcast
Audiomoves at the zoo
Dragonfly Tales
Everything Under the Sun
In The Beginning
My Life
Super Great Kids' Stories
The Rez
Best News & Current Affairs Podcast
1Xtra TALKS with Richie Brave
I'm Not a Monster Series 2: The Shamima Begum Story
Partygate: The Inside Story
Putin
The News Agents
The Tavistock: Inside the gender clinic
Today in Focus
Best Parenting Podcast
Dad Still Standing
Dadvengers Podcast
Dirty Mother Pukka
My First Five Years
The SENDcast
Truth Be Told: Adoption Stories
Best Sex & Relationships Podcast
1Xtra TALKS with Richie Brave
Brown Girls Do It Too
Later Dater
Pressed
Rainbow Dads (Series 2)
The Breakup Monologues
The Divorce Social
Best Sport Podcast
Footballers Football Podcast
Kammy and Ben's Proper Football Podcast
Powerplay: The House of Sepp Blatter
Snookered
Sports Horn
The Tennis Podcast
Best True Crime Podcast
Can I tell you a secret?
I'm Not a Monster Series 2: The Shamima Begum Story
Love, Janessa
Please Protect Abraham
Vishal
Who Killed Daphne?
Best Wellbeing Podcast
Declassified
Fierce Minds Kind Hearts
Go Love Yourself
Persevering: Grief As Told By Young People
Stopping to Notice
The Rest Room
Time & Again
Best Daily Podcast
Dan Snow's History Hit
FT News Briefing
Sky News Daily
Stories of our times
The News Agents
Today in Focus
Today In History with The Retrospectors
Best Interview Podcast
Different - Jenny Pearson
Girls On Film
Life Changing
Masala Podcast
RHLSTP with Richard Herring
Where's Home Really?
Best Network or Publisher
BBC World Service
BFBS
Economist Podcasts
Financial Times Audio
History Hit
Noiser Network
Best New Podcast
28ish Days Later
Black Earth Podcast
Lights Out
The Rabbit Hole Detectives
Ukrainecast
Where Are You Going ?
Best Welsh Language Podcast
Cwîns efo Mari a Meilir Probcast
Sgorio
Sgwrsio
Yr Hen Iaith
Specialist Award
Life After Prison
Masala Podcast
Persevering: Grief As Told By Young People
Rainbow Dads (Series 2)
The Rest Room
The Shelina Show
Spotlight Award
Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster
Partygate: The Inside Story
That Peter Crouch Podcast
The News Agents
Ukrainecast
Where There's a Will, There's a Wake
Rising Star
Chanté Joseph
Dr Kate Lister
Hannah Ajala
Jordan Schwarzenberger
Sam Tyler
Talia Augustidis
Listeners' Choice
To be announced
Podcast Champion
To be announced
Podcast of the Year
To be announced
