There's a podcast for everyone, and the strength of the medium is the diversity of interests that it supports. This award category is specifically designed to give recognition to those shows which are focused on a smaller, specific niche audience, with less than 5,000 downloads per month, but which are nonetheless dedicated to building deep relationships with those communities of listeners.
Winner: A Good Mind To
A Good Mind To is still a young podcast with a single-figure number of episodes at the time of writing, but it shows enormous promise and is exactly the kind of show that could help a huge number of people living with mental ill health.
Handing over the microphone to those with mental health issues from their 20s to their 70s, the podcast naturally provides an eclectic set of voices covering various issues in a human way that’s packed with wisdom. Topics covered so far include childhood sexual abuse, drug misuse, disordered eating, psychosis, ADHD and the trauma of the Stolen Generations. Presentation varies wildly, with short stories, poetry, conversations and even hip-hop all forming part of the mix.
Funded by the Primary Health Network organisation Coordinare to support those living with mental health issues, early signs are that it’s doing its job brilliantly, reassuring sufferers and families that people care, and that they’re not alone.
