The very best in podcasting is being celebrated once again as The iHeartRadio Podcast Awards are returning on January 21, 2021.
The third annual awards show will be virtual this year, as the event will be recorded from multiple locations, and will span 30 different categories to honor the most entertaining and innovative podcasts from over the last year, as well as the talent and leaders across the podcasting industry.
This year's Podcast of the Year nominees include "Bunga Bunga," "Dolly Partonâs America," "Nice White Parents," "Office Ladies," "Reply All," "Stuff You Should Know,"Â "The Breakfast Club," "The Daily," "The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos" and "Wind of Change," and the winner of this category will once again be decided by the fans via social voting across Twitter through December 31, 2020.
A judging panel comprised of blue-ribbon podcast industry leaders, creatives and visionaries will determine the winners across remaining categories including entertainment, comedy, crime, news, sports, food, business and more.Â
In addition, the 2021 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards will present three Icon Awards to pay tribute to the creators, organizations and podcasts that have made groundbreaking contributions to podcastingâs expanding role in todayâs popular culture. Baratunde Thurston will be honored with the 2021 Social Impact Award, Serial Productionsâ Sarah Koenig and Julie Synder will receive the 2021 Audible Audio Pioneer Award and QCODE will be honored with the 2021 Innovator Award.
Fans can tune in to watch the 2021 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards on Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 9 pm ET/6pm PT via an exclusive video stream on iHeartRadio's YouTube and Facebook pages, and across iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio App.
2020 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards Nominees
Podcast of the Year: Socially Voted Category
âBunga Bungaâ (Wondery)
âDolly Partonâs Americaâ (WNYC Studios/OSM Audio)
âNice White Parentsâ (Serial/The New York Times)
âOffice Ladiesâ (Earwolf /Jenna Fischer/Angela Kinsey)
âReply Allâ (Gimlet)
âStuff You Should Knowâ (iHeartRadio)
âThe Breakfast Clubâ (iHeartRadio)
âThe Dailyâ (The New York Times)
âThe Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santosâ (Pushkin Industries)
âWind of Changeâ (Crooked/Pineapple Street Media/Spotify)
Best Business & Finance Podcast:
âBusiness Warsâ (Wondery)
âEarn Your Leisureâ (Independent)
âFreakonomicsâ (Freakonomics Radio & Stitcher)
âHow I Built Thisâ (NPR)
âPivotâ (New York Magazine)
Best Comedy Podcast:
âConan OâBrien Needs A Friendâ (Team Coco/Earwolf)
âOffice Ladiesâ (Earwolf/Jenna Fischer/Angela Kinsey)
âThe Readâ (Loud Speakers Network)
âSmartlessâ (Independent)
âFake Doctors, Real Friendsâ (iHeartRadio)
Best Crime Podcast:
âCrime Junkieâ (AudioChuck)
âCriminalâ (PRX/Radiotopia)
âDeep Cover: The Drug Warsâ (Pushkin Industries)
âForgotten: Women of Juarezâ (iHeartRadio)
âMy Favorite Murderâ (Exactly Right)
Best Pop Culture Podcast:
âBitch Seshâ (Earwolf/Casey Wilson/Danielle Schneider)
âLas Culturistasâ (Big Money Players/iHeartRadio)
âPop Culture Happy Hourâ (NPR)
âStill Processingâ (The New York Times)
âThe Readâ (Loud Speakers Network)
Best FoodPodcast:
âBurnt Toastâ (Food52)
âGastropodâ (Independent)
âHome Cookingâ (Samin Nosrat/Hrishikesh Hirway)
âSpilled Milkâ (Molly Wizenberg & Matthew Amster-Burton)
âThe Sporkfulâ (Dan Pashman/Stitcher)
Best Wellness & FitnessPodcast:
âHappier with Gretchen Rubinâ (Gretchen Rubin/The Onward Project)
âOn Purpose with Jay Shettyâ (Jay Shetty & Kast Media)
âSleep with Meâ (Dearest Scooter & Night Vale Presents)
âTen Percent Happierâ (ABC News)
âTherapy For Black Girlsâ (Joy Harden Bradford/iHeartRadio)
Best History Podcast:
âDan Carlinâs Hardcore Historyâ (Dan Carlin)
âNoble Bloodâ (iHeartRadio)
âRevisionist Historyâ (Pushkin Industries)
âSlow Burnâ (Slate)
âThroughlineâ (NPR)
Best Kids & FamilyPodcast:
âBut Why: A Podcast For Kidsâ (Vermont Public Radio)
âHank The Cowdogâ (QCODE & HTC Productions)
âSmash Boom Bestâ (APM)
âStory Piratesâ (Gimlet)
âWow In The Worldâ (NPR)
Best Music Podcast:
âBobbycastâ (The Nashville Podcast Network)
âBroken Recordâ (Pushkin Industries)
âDisgracelandâ (Jake Brennan)
âDolly Partonâs Americaâ (WNYC & OSM Audio)
âSong Exploderâ (Hrishikesh Hirway)
Best News Podcast:
âPod Save Americaâ (Crooked Media)Â
âThe Dailyâ (The New York Times)
âThe Journal.â (The Wall Street Journal/Gimlet)Â
âToday, Explainedâ (Vox)
âUp Firstâ (NPR)
Best Fiction Podcast:
âBlood Tiesâ (Wondery)
âBorrascaâ (QCODE)
âDirty Dianaâ (QCODE)
âThe Left Right Gameâ (QCODE)
âWelcome To Night Valeâ (Night Vale Presents)
Best Sports Podcast:
âAll The Smokeâ (The Black Effect)
âFantasy Footballersâ (Fantasy Football)
âPardon My Takeâ (Barstool Sports)
âThe Bill Simmons Podcastâ (The Ringer/Bill Simmons)
âThe Herd with Colin Cowherdâ (iHeartRadio)
Best Science Podcast:
âHidden Brainâ (NPR)
âInvisibiliaâ (NPR)
âRadiolabâ (WNYC Studios)
âScience Vs.â (Gimlet)
âStuff To Blow Your Mindâ (iHeartRadio)
Best Technology Podcast:
âRabbit Holeâ (The New York Times)
âRecode by Voxâ (Recode)
âReply Allâ (Gimlet)
âTED Radio Hourâ (NPR)
âWaveformâ (Studio71)
Best Ad Read:
âComedy Bang Bangâ (Earwolf / Scott Aukerman)
âConan OâBrien Needs A Friendâ (Team Coco/Earwolf)
âHollywood Handbookâ (Earwolf)
âOffice Ladiesâ (Earwolf / Stitcher)
âRevisionist Historyâ (Pushkin Industries)
Best Overall Host â Male:
Conan OâBrien (Team Coco/Earwolf)
Dax Shepard (Armchair Umbrella)
Jonathan Van Ness (Earwolf/Stitcher)
Michael Barbaro (The New York Times)
Questlove (iHeartRadio)
Best Overall Host â Female:
Ashley Flowers (Parcast)
Brene Brown (Parcast)
Michelle Obama (Higher Ground/Spotify)
Nicole Byer (Headgum)
Nora McInerny (APM)
Best Political Podcast:
âFiveThirtyEight Politicsâ (FiveThirtyEight/538/ABC News, Nate Silver)
âNPR Politicsâ (NPR)
âPod Save Americaâ (Crooked Media)
âPolitical Gabfestâ (Slate)
âStay Tuned with Preetâ (Cafe)
Best TV & Film Podcast:
âFake Doctors, Real Friendsâ (iHeartRadio)
âHow Did This Get Made?â (Earwolf/Paul Scheer/June Diane Raphael/Jason Mantzoukas/Stitcher)
âOffice Ladiesâ (Earwolf/Jenna Fischer/Angela Kinsey)
âRewatchablesâ (The Ringer/Bill Simmons)
âYou Must Remember Thisâ (Karina Longworth)
Best Spanish Language Podcast:
âDuolingo Spanish Podcastâ (Duolingo)
âLa Nota Rojaâ (Imperative Entertainment/Blue Guitar)
âLeyendas Legendariasâ (Sonoro/All Things Comedy)
âRadio Ambulanteâ (NPR)Â
âSpanish Aqui Presentsâ (Earwolf /Spanish Aqui Presents)
Best Advice/Inspirational Podcast:
âDear Prudenceâ (Slate)
âDear Sugarsâ (WBUR/The New York Times)
âTerrible, Thanks For Askingâ (APM)
âUnlocking Us with Brene Brownâ (Parcast)
âWhere Should We Begin with Esther Perelâ (Esther Perel Global Media/Gimlet)
Best Beauty & Fashion Podcast:
âArticles of Interestâ (Avery Trufelman/99% Invisible)
âBeauty Needs Meâ (Independent)
âBlamo!â (Independent)
âDressed: The History of Fashionâ (iHeartRadio)
âForever 35â (Independent)
Best Travel Podcast:
âEscapeâ (WEBVID)
âExtra Pack of Peanutsâ (Independent)
âJUMP with Traveling Jackieâ (Independent)
âLetâs Go Togetherâ (Travel & Leisure)
âTravel with Rick Stevesâ (Rick Steeves)
Best Spirituality & Religion Podcast:
âCalm It Downâ (Independent)
âDoing Great with Vicky Voxâ (Earwolf & Vicky Vox)
âElevation with Steven Furtickâ (Independent)
âOn Being with Krista Tippettâ (Independent)
âWhoa Thatâs Good Podcastâ (Independent)
Best Green Podcast:
âAmerica Adaptsâ (Independent)
âBroken Groundâ (Southern Environmental Law Center)
âCitizensâ Climate Lobbyâ (Citizensâ Climate Lobby)
âCosting The Earthâ (BBC Radio 4)
âHow To Save A Planetâ (Gimlet)
Best Branded Podcast:
âBring Back Broncoâ (Ford)
âHackable?â (McAfee)
âHumans Growing Stuffâ (ScottsMiracle-Gro)
âInside Trader Joeâsâ (Trader Joeâs)
âThe Only Way Is Throughâ (Under Armour)Â
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