Irish Podcast Awards announces shortlist of finalists

Second-annual event to take place in Dublin this November

by Reem Makari 14 September 2023

The official shortlist of finalists for the second-annual Irish Podcast Awards, celebrating excellence across the island’s podcast industry, has been announced, featuring a range of genres and sizes.

This year’s event will be taking place at House Dublin on 21 November, supported by Global and Acast and hosted by PodPod, under Haymarket Media Group. It follows the success of its inaugural event last year, which was held at Dublin’s Liberty Hall and attended by over 350 members of the Irish podcasting industry.

“PodPod is delighted to be able to help support and amplify the Irish Podcast Awards for the first time this year,” said PodPod editor Adam Shepherd. “The Irish podcast industry is a hugely exciting space right now, with a lot of excellent creative work being done and a lot more growth on the horizon as the sector continues to mature.

“I’m looking forward to getting a chance to meet more of its fantastic creators in person, and hearing more about the wonderful work being done to accelerate and grow the space.”

A number of production companies have been recognised in this year’s shortlist - which can be viewed in full below - including the HeadStuff Podcast Network. The company has been nominated across several categories for genre-based awards, including Best Branded Podcast, Best Climate Podcast, Best Comedy Podcast, Best Factual Podcast, and Best Interview Podcast, as well as Best Network or Publisher.

A number of independent podcasts were also recognised in this year’s shortlist including high-profile shows like The Blindboy Podcast,which is nominated across three categories including Best Arts & Culture, Best Climate and Best Wellbeing, This Paranormal Life which is nominated for Best Comedy, Best Entertainment, and Best Fiction, as well as other independent titles including The Cinemile, Talking Derry Girls, and more.

In addition to the genre-based titles, the Irish Podcast Awards will also be recognising a Rising Star for their outstanding work. This year’s nominees for this category, sponsored by Acast, are KidCast host Céire O'Donoghue, Nero’s Class creator Bobby Aherne, 24 Stories Podcast host Stephen Ryan, Better At Workhost Cathal Quinlan, On Healing host Olivia Hunt, and Life's Too Short host Sarah Mc Ginn. Last year, this award went to Mark Walsh, host of wellness series The Embodiment Podcast.

During the ceremony there will also be other special recognition awards selected by the judges which are free to enter as part of the entries from any of the other categories, including Podcast Champion, sponsored by Global, and the Specialist and Spotlight awards, designed to recognise shows reaching small and large audiences respectively. The Listener’s Choice Award will also be announced at the event, and fans have until 19 October to vote for their favourite podcasts to win on the Irish Podcast Awards website.

Tickets are now on sale through the website, with tiered pricing depending on the podcast or company’s turnover, ranging from €125 + VAT for under €100,000, to €255 + VAT for over €250,000.

The Irish Podcast Awards is a sister event to the British Podcast Awards and Australian Podcast Awards, both of which are also taking place this year. The former will be held at immersive entertainment space HERE at Outernet in London on 28 September while the latter will be taking place in November, although the venue is yet to be announced.

For more information, visit the Irish Podcast Awards website.

Irish Podcast Awards 2023 full shortlist

Rising Star

Céire O'Donoghue
Bobby Aherne
Stephen Ryan
Cathal Quinlan
Olivia Hunt
Sarah Mc Ginn

Irish Podcast Awards 2023 full shortlist

Best Arts & Culture Podcast

Best Branded Podcast

Best Business Podcast

Best Climate Podcast

Best Comedy Podcast

Best Daily Podcast

Best Documentary Podcast

Best Entertainment Podcast

Best Factual Podcast

Best Family Podcast

Best Fiction Podcast

Best History Podcast

Best Interview Podcast

Best Irish Language Podcast

Best New Podcast

Best News & Current Affairs Podcast

Best Sex & Relationships Podcast

Best Sport Podcast

Best True Crime Podcast

Best Wellbeing Podcast

Rising Star